Greeting from a Newbie

[Robert, New Orleans]

Greetings to everyone... I have been lurking for a bit and finally decided to register. This is a great forum as I have learned so much about our new orchids. My wife and I thought that the orchids would be a wonderful compliment to our collection of Bromilliads. Since I am here, I do have a small question. Just yesterday we separated and repotted a Phalaenopsis that has 4 new babies, a Keiki I believe it's called. Today we have discovered a rapidly growing structure coming from between a leaf. It's amazing how much it has emerged just today. It does not appear to be a leaf as it is very thin with tiny bulb like structures. I have 2 photos, one of the entire orchid with the Keiki and a close up of the new growth. This plant last bloomed in February and has been looking pretty sickly every since the blooms dropped. This was one of the reason we decided to separate and repot. Any clues as to what the new growth is??? This is soooo exciting!!!! We can hardly wait until tomorrow morning to see what's emerging from our Phalaenopsis!!!

Thanks again for all the wonderful information.

Best regards,

Robert

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[janet_a]

well, definitely not a phal. looks like a dendrobium to me.

as for your 2d pic.... hmm. could just be an accordioned leaf.... perhaps a squinched up spike? could also be another keiki.

post more pics when it gets bigger?

[Robert, New Orleans]

Hi Janet,

Thanks for the reply. Not a phalaenopsis!!!! It's dendrobium???? That's what I get for listening to the lady who sold it to me outta the back of a truck!! That's ok cause now she's our baby no matter what her pedigree. Now I have to learn everything I can about dendrobiums. Opps... I think I just caught Orchid Fever

This is great!!!!

Thanks again!!!

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Yes, looks like you may not have been watering enough. During growth, Dendrobiums can take a lot more water, but when the growth matures, no new leaves coming out of top, you want to go back to wet/dry. Then during winter, you want to extend out the dry period. OR, the new growth may be hanging up because of humidy being to low. At any rate, kind of giggle the leaves a little around this odd growth to make sure they are not sticking to each other, but be very careful, that new growth is very tender and brittle. If you decide to mist the plant to help it unstick itself, be sure to do it early in the day so that the leaves will be very dry by the time the temp starts to fall. Cynthia, Prescott, AZ

[janet_a]

based on your other photo, i'm thinking this may be a spike that got squished up in the leaf (see cynthia's comment above), especially if this is a plant you divided; the original plant would have been big enough to bloom.

the leaves sometimes stick together and don't pop open; i have a catt that just did this with its sheath. the sheath was too tight and the leaves got crunched inside it until i slit it open. now i have crunched leaves. i also have an onc sharry baby that got one leaf squshed inside the other and got all accordioned. (in my own defense, i grow mainly phals; these other types are just experiments. )

definitley post more pics (in this thread would be fine ) in a few more days.

[Robert, New Orleans]

Thanks Cynthia and Janet for the wonderful input and advice. The mysterious growth has popped out and is now spreading out like a weed. Thankfully it does not appear to be a Post-Katrina fungus I can't believe how fast this little growth is opening up. I will most certainly post more pictures as soon as it begins to differentiate itself. Maybe some other newbie’s can learn from our trials and tribulations. Next I have to figure out what to do with the new Keiki that are popping out... 4 so far. I'm sure someone has to have asked that same question before... time to hit the archives and gain some knowledge.

I just heard on the local NPR that there is an Orchid Show in Baton Rouge this coming weekend. Yep… sounds like Orchid Fever. Is there a known cure??? Other than buying more orchids!!

Best regards,

Robert

[janet_a]

you can leave the babies where they are, or snap them off and pot them up when they each have a collective four or more inches of roots.

as for the show---well, i've tried going into these things with my wallet locked in the wheel well of the car... sometimes successful, sometimes not.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Well, you might like to rethink the keiki thing. I ususlly remove keikis because I want all the energy of the plant to go into the main plant, growth at the base, stronger growths, and maybe more flowers. Do you really want a lot of baby plants? Maybe one or two would be fun, but a whole bunch? Well, it is your call on this. It is not required to do anything in particular with these, and throwing them away is OK if too small to make it on their own when removed early. Cynthia, Prescott, AZ

[jerrymeola]

Robert the first photo is a keiki and since it is the second is probably also. Dens have a tendancy to flower or produce keikis, not usually both at the same time. Usually flowers first and keikis second.

I was in New Orleans this weekend. Your heavy rains have started and the plant can go outdoors in fairly heavy light. You can easily put it under any tree and watch it grow. It is past flowering season although many dens will flower more than once a year. You can hope for flowers again in the late fall.

As many keikis as you have it means the plant was stressed over fertililzed with nitrogen or both. Fortunately it is not important to the health of the plant, it just means it did not flower this year.

Leave it out in the rains and fertilize heavy (teaspoon per gallon of balanced 20-20-20 fertilizer every week). Reduce the fertilizer around September to about once a month and you should have flowers in early winter or spring.

[Robert, New Orleans]

Mystery Growth Cont.jpg

Hi Jerry,

Here is an updated photo of my mystery growth. I'm still not sure what it is. This plant was in bloom in January when I bought it for my wife. It had two spikes of beautiful flowers. After the blooms fell off, the wife lost interest and she forgot to water the poor little thing. About a month ago she decided to try and save it and put the pot and plant in a plastic bag filled with water (sorry... we didn't know that this was the worst possible thing to do ... poor little orchid) But in spite of everything that we did, it survived and started to put out Keiki, 4 to be exact. This is when we discovered the wonderful world of Orchidsgeeks.com and began on the true path to wisdom. The moss potting mixture was a rotten mess, so we repotted with gravel on the bottom, charcoal next, then redwood bark orchid mix. While separating and repotting was when we discovered the "mystery growth". Anything that fights this hard to live inspite of everything thats been done to it, certainly deserves every shot that we can give it to survive. I'm watering it once a week with Schultz's Orchid Food, 19-31-17, according to label instructions, 1/4 teaspoon/gallon. So far the Keiki and the "mystery growth" are coming out like gang busters. If anyone can make heads or tails of the "mystery growth" and/or make suggestions to get this brave little orchid off the critical list, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to everyone!!! Ya'll have been so wonderful and helpful.. Orchidgeeks.com RULES!!!!

Best regards,

Robert

[Orchid_lady]

That plant looks like its growing a stem with buds. If I am correct then you will be having new flowers. You said that you're wife forgot to water it, I am surprise that it's still green.

[janet_a]

yup, i agree that that's a scrunched up spike.

[jerrymeola]

I have to agree that it looks like flowers.

You can actually thank your wife because stressed plants often flower the best.

Dendrobiums are probably the most forgiving of the orchids world. I have a tray of 50 over 18 inches high still in the one inch openings, because I have not had time or space to replant them.

Your wife was not too far off with the bag of water. (Although I will not recommend it) I soak Dens in water with rooting hormone for several days when I get them and this last time I was so busy they were in water for a month. They can take a lot. They are very forgiving.

Originally Posted by Robert, New Orleans

Greetings to everyone... I have been lurking for a bit and finally decided to register. This is a great forum as I have learned so much about our new orchids. My wife and I thought that the orchids would be a wonderful compliment to our collection of Bromilliads. Since I am here, I do have a small question. Just yesterday we separated and repotted a Phalaenopsis that has 4 new babies, a Keiki I believe it's called. Today we have discovered a rapidly growing structure coming from between a leaf. It's amazing how much it has emerged just today. It does not appear to be a leaf as it is very thin with tiny bulb like structures. I have 2 photos, one of the entire orchid with the Keiki and a close up of the new growth. This plant last bloomed in February and has been looking pretty sickly every since the blooms dropped. This was one of the reason we decided to separate and repot. Any clues as to what the new growth is??? This is soooo exciting!!!! We can hardly wait until tomorrow morning to see what's emerging from our Phalaenopsis!!!

Thanks again for all the wonderful information.

Best regards,

Robert

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welcome. i am also new