Keikis and What to do???

[grandmapenguin]

I have two Dens that threw Keikis. I did a
Search to no avail. Is there some information
somewhere on what to do to propogate them?
Is this a correct word to use when I want to give
them a life of their own
Terry

[Stelios]

Hi Terry,
you might find this usefull: http://www.orchidgeeks.com/forum/gen...-2-keikis.html a few members had advised me on a similar subject.

What i did was to sterilise a sharp knife, cut the first keiki and pot it in a 5cm pot with bark chips ( i also used some cinamon and no damage was done to keiki or mother plant). The keiki was a birthday present to a friend and it's thriving it's now 12 cm already. The keiki i left on the plant is now also 12 cm and having 4 roots of about 5 cm so this saturday i will cut it from the mother plant and pot it.

[digitalgate]

you can do this


and it will become this

[NancyH]

Thanks Digitalgate for the good photos. I have a question. Once the roots are longer can you then put them into a pot with proper medium? I had always heard that the roots (air) cannot be put into medium once they have been growing in the air.

[tansyflower]

Keiki roots are always growing in air.???...I am interested in this as I have just potted some keikis up too.

[Stelios]

Originally Posted by tansyflower

Keiki roots are always growing in air.???...I am interested in this as I have just potted some keikis up too.

Originally Posted by NancyH

Thanks Digitalgate for the good photos. I have a question. Once the roots are longer can you then put them into a pot with proper medium? I had always heard that the roots (air) cannot be put into medium once they have been growing in the air.

I think there is a missunderstanding here. Dendrobiums as other epiphyta grow on a tree branch. The have modified roots "air roots" that gets into bark cracks for support and to absorb nutrients from rain and decaying matter.
A keiki is developing from the cane and starts develope roots, as soon as detatched from the mother plant it uses it's own root system to feed. You should put it on poting mix or mount it.

I believe the "air roots not getting in the medium" thing is reffering to conversations on developing roots above the medium (like what phalaenopsis tend to do) that get used to work in a way that absorves moisture from the air. I believe if the medium has a good drainage you can still put them in the mix although they might get damaged mechanicaly in the proccess.
(or at least that's how i get it)

[grandmapenguin]

Would Sphag work
Terry

[digitalgate]

Originally Posted by grandmapenguin

Would Sphag work
Terry

yes, I do have a photos somewhere.