Orchids can get expensive so learninghow to propagateis a good way to build your collection.
What Is an Orchid Keiki?
Orchid keikis (pronounced kay-kees) are baby orchids that develop on parent plants.
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Some orchid varieties, likePhalaenopsisandDendrobium,are more keen to form keikis than others.
Keikis form naturally but can also form when a spent flower spike is cut back.
By doing so, this encourages a secondary spike and extends the orchid’s bloom period.
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
Should You Cut Off an Orchid Keiki?
First, assess the health of the parent plant.
If the orchid is stressed, it may produce a keiki to ensure its long-term survival as a species.
Leaving a keiki on a stressed plant results in the baby orchid further taxing the health of the parent.
If this isn’t possible, you’re free to replant the keiki in its own pot.
Keep a close eye on the orchid to check that it isn’t being unduly stressed by the keiki.
Alternatively, you’re free to repot the keiki togetherwith the mother plantin a slightly larger pot.
Soil conditions around the mother plant can encourage development of the keiki.
Orchids are the largest family of plants in the world, with 25,000-30,000 species.
These hormone products are applied to nodes on the orchid stem or flower spike.
it’s possible for you to also try submitting your orchid to less light than it normally requires.
