Keiki burried in roots - Orchid Board

Dragonar · #1 01-29-2020, 04:57 PM

Hi guys,

The attachment shows a phal amabilis, and possibly, its keiki.
I was wondering if any of you have dealt with a basal keiki that grew this deep inside the root system?

I'm just a tad worried that it will have difficulty growing out of that root maze but I doubt there's anything I can do or should do.

Orchid Whisperer · #2 01-29-2020, 05:14 PM

I agree, probably not anything you can or should do (too much risk of harming the main stem).

For basal keikis, think of them as more like a branch than a baby plant. It will either grow it's way out, or it won't.

DirtyCoconuts · #3 01-29-2020, 05:16 PM

whoa, that is odd..almost vanda behavior....it certainly is not a root so it is likely a keiki

you will not be able to remove that so id just let it be and thrive---it should only add to the vigor of the overall plant as long as it is connected

Dragonar · #4 01-29-2020, 09:10 PM

Hey guys thanks for the replies.

Yea I won't be trying anything funny and I prefer to have the keiki with the mother, be it basal or on a spike. Looks more natural, saves space, and they can share nutrients

I'm more curious as to how often does a basal keiki develop that far from the oldest leaf? Most keikis that I've seen develop a lot nearer. Even for Vandas, keikis do seem to develop above the media (in between leaves) rather than below it.

I guess I'm asking this because I'm afraid the keiki would develop crown rot. And if it does I hope it doesn't spread to the mother.

If you see the picture attached, it shows how I hang the phal upside down in a pot. I water daily too from the pot's drainage hole at the top. I'm not too sure where does the keiki's crown orient as the roots are blocking my line of sight, but one of the keiki's leaf seems to face up while the other is facing down.

The keiki is barely out of the pot too so airflow is definitely low. Neither will I be able to dry the pat dry the keiki's crown or water the mother without wetting the keiki.

I'm currently thinking of just doing things as per normal, and monitor the keiki for any changes. Any suggestions?

DirtyCoconuts · #5 01-30-2020, 07:52 AM

I assumed that these would be living outside, was that wrong? The only change for inside is, as you mentioned, the air movement. I would consider getting it nice and wet and just trying to massage those roots over so you can actually see the keiki. Then you can make a mental note of where it’s crown is and just water on the other side.

I have had a few crown rotted rescues that will make a keiki so they can keep going. I have never seen it spread from keiki to mother of vice versa.

In my experience it takes more than water in the crown to cause crown rot, yo also need another negative factor like change in temp, no air movement, a bug etc

Dragonar · #6 01-30-2020, 08:06 AM

Thanks for the reassurance with regards to crown rot and suggestions!

And with regards to whether it is living outside or not, I live in a flat and the orchid is hung on the window grill. It is technically outside but doesn't receive the tropical rains because of the building's structure that minimizes rain from splashing indoors. It does, however, get slightly more air movement and light as compared to indoors.

DirtyCoconuts · #7 02-07-2020, 11:11 AM

i meant to add these pics before to show you what i meant by the way Vandas make their keikis

as you can see on three vandas, there is more than half of the plant above the spot where the keikis start and there are a ton of roots in the same region.

Dichaea longa by J Solo, on Flickr