I finally took the big step..planted keikis

[DonnaH]

My Den nobile is growing like a weed with 4 new stalks and 5 keikis. I can't see in the middle of the growth very easily because it's so full. Even tho I soak it for an hour every other day, a couple of the older (taller) canes look thirsty, being puckered up a little.

Is this why it is growing so many keikis? Could it possibly be thirsty? It's in a southwest window and gets plenty of screened Florida southwest coast sunshine. It looks very happy to me. I mist it on the days that I don't soak.

Today I cut off a double keiki (if that's a real phrase). They were growing mushed together almost on top of each other. I used a very sharp, sterilized knife. They each have three little leaves and a total of 6 ariel roots.

I pre-soaked a mixture of fir bark, perlite and charcoal that I bought in a bag at Home Depot. I used a three inch square wooden orchid box, placed a very thin layer of sphag on the bottom and covered it with styrofoam pieces. I dusted the freshly cut surfaces with cinnamon.

Now comes the fearful question:
Since the roots are too long, like around 4-1/2 inches, I couldn't bend them around without crimping them. I soaked them for a few minutes hoping that they would limber up, but they didn't. I loosely twirled them around and around but now I have a beautiful box of two baby orchids with their feet sticking up out of the top of mix at the top of their box.

Will the exposed roots grow downward into the mix? Should I do something else so that they don't grow around the box on the outside? If I have to make any changes, I would like to do it now.

The most delightful thing happened when I was soaking the roots. I got to see them go from a white color to the prettiest green for the first time. Amazing ... the surprises of the newbie.

Thanks.

[mehitabel]

Good for you! We all learn by doing, and everything feels risky the first time you do it.

I'm not a dend expert, but I believe it's the nature of dends to keiki, so throwing keikis doesn't mean your culture is off. Especially since it's "growing like a weed".

I don't see any problem with your orchid sticking its roots out of the basket. That's how they grow in nature, and dends are tufffff. My guess would be the roots will start to wrap themselves around the wooden basket. If you soak the basket, they soon find out the interior of the wood is moist and set about to attach themselves to it to suck the water out of it

[orchidlover55]

DonnaH, are you soaking your whole plant for a hour every other day? What is your adult plant planted in? I was wondering because I have alot of keiki's coming on my Dens. I have mine in Firbark, Charcoal, Perlite and very small chips of Lava Rock and some spagnum moss.
I don't soak mine I use clear pots and the skewer to see when they need water. Then I soak them good. I have seven keiki's between three Dens.
Other than that I learned that Dens like to be crowded . I believe you did good and it will be fine the way you planted them. Welcome to the Forum , you will like it . There will be others to give you their opinion also. Keep us updated

Debra

[DonnaH]

Debra,

The contents of my mix sounds the same as yours except for the lava rock. I never re-potted this plant when I got it (from a florist on Mother's Day this year) because it is doing so well, but it has gotten sprayed several times with the magical Cinnamon/detergent spray.

I was soaking the whole pot in just water every third day, but it shriveled up so badly on the ends of the canes that I started soaking it every other day. I'm careful to allow the water level to be just high enough to barely touch the top of the pot so that the sphag that's on top just touches the water enough to soak it up. The clay pot also has slits around the sides at the bottom for drainage after the soaking and it gets air around the roots. (See how much I've learned here?)

I don't really know what I'm doing. I've never raised an orchid before, but I just came home with a Phal from Home Depot. No identification on it, darn it. The leaves are nice and plump and green, and it has 5 flowers on it. This one will be re-potted tomorrow because the bark looks like it has a few pieces with a green-moss on them and it just doesn't sit right with me. I also want to follow the advice I've gotten from this site about always repotting.

[lmartiny]

Hi Donna. Welcome. We really like the waters there around Englewood but haven't been in years.

[patticake]

Hi! I have only one nobile type Den., but it's small. I put it in S/H to see how it would do. Being in the northeast of the USA, my conditions are different than yours, but I agree with the tight pot!

[digitalgate]

Originally Posted by stuv951

这是新加的空白文章1，可以在ubb可视化编辑器中，添加和修改文章内容。

你 讲 什么？

[tansyflower]

I have a heap of nobile types, and I only water once a week. Plus they get rained on (but there hasn't been much of that lately!!) And then it is only a cup of water poured in. I would hope that you are not overwatering (i'm not sure about your climate and growing conditions).

Also, having them planted in sphag- I would check the roots, to make sure the roots are good.

Also, the keiki you pulled off, was probably a two cane keiki- in it's second growth period.
I have found that cutting off a small section of cane (depending where it is) also helps the keiki establish a heap faster, and lessens the risk of it dying.

[berniep]

G'Day DonnaH

Welcome to the forum, I'm with Tansy sounds like a lot of watering for a nobile type den. At the moment I am pouring the water and fert. into mine but it is nearly Summer here. I thought it was Fall there but I may be wrong! If its Fall you should be looking at starting to rest them and most of the leaves will fall off and the canes will shrivel like old prunes, that in my opinion is why they are sending keikis and not fattening the nodes ready for buds. I may be wrong!
Let us know how you go.

Cheers
Bernie

[cassiebug]

could I ask a newbie question, what is the 'magical Cinnamon/detergent spray'? As you can probably tell, I'm new to this site and growing orchids. Trying to learn from the masters.
cassiebug

[Schlyne]

Originally Posted by cassiebug

could I ask a newbie question, what is the 'magical Cinnamon/detergent spray'? cassiebug

See this thread The Best Stuff Ever!!!

[zaeem]

AFTER several tries over some success,I have them in community tray overall good growth.Using high nitrogen fert,.and rooter powder in water.Seems ok??
zaeem