A keiki?

[orchid_girl]

Is this a keiki that is growing on my den? and if it is can I take it off and mount it or should I pot it up?

[Rocinante]

Yes, you appear to have multiple keikis, but I would suggest you leave them alone. They don't need to be re-potted.

[heatherbear10]

Depends on what you want as far as your collection goes. Personally, I would pot up the keikis. I figure the more plants, the merrier! I've got a Den Kingianum that has 3 keikis on it that are just about ready to become their own plant. I would wait on yours for a little while until the roots get a little longer, though.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by heatherbear10

Depends on what you want as far as your collection goes. Personally, I would pot up the keikis. I figure the more plants, the merrier! I've got a Den Kingianum that has 3 keikis on it that are just about ready to become their own plant. I would wait on yours for a little while until the roots get a little longer, though.

Many keikis produce a grand plant with multiple spikes. There are so many different types of orchids, why have three of the same type? But what I was saying was that orchidgirl's keikis are too young to be re-potted just yet.

[kid a]

Hmm.. I'd be tempted to pot when ready too. It looks as it grows it would just grow right into the pot though. I would definitely wait and see when the roots get long enough for keiki potting before deciding. My thought is that if it could grow right into your mix without any problems, less stress all around and that much more of a magnificent plant :-)

[articuno75]

I agree with John. I'd leave it. I have 2 Den. Norma Jean 'Firecrackers' that have a bunch of small growths all around. When canes get bigger, it's just a better show that the plant will put out.

[Tobi]

Ditto on those that would leave it attached. I have some Phal. type Dens. that produce
both basal and other keikis along the cane. The basal ones I just leave them to grow their
roots into the media, while the ones further up the cane, I eventually remove and pot up.

[kmarch]

I'm not sure these are keikis. At least one of them looks like a normal new growth from the base of the plant. One though does look like it is coming off the cane a bit higher than at the base.

Regardless of what they are, I encourage people to let their plants grow on, and not divide them up. Many orchids, especially catts and dendrobiums seem to reach what I call "critical mass" which is a size at which the plant kicks into high gear in producing multiple new growths and therefore, later, multiple flower spikes.

[orchid_girl]

Thanks everyone! It was the middle one that I was questioning about...but everyone says it is probably better to leave it on so I will.

[jerrymeola]

I agree with kmarch especially with his theory of 'critical mass' especially with Dens there is the first couple of years with so so flowers and then wow everything explodes.