Vandas with keikis: to separate or not?
 

:waving I have 2 big Vandas with keikis growing on them. I think they look nice, more full. Plus I will get twice as many spikes. Can anyone think of any reason why it would be better to separate them? One plant has the keiki at the bottom and one at the top. What do you think? ;)

Hi Susie :)

I have a couple with keikis growing and I'm just leaving them as is BUT an expert recently told me that I should cut the main plant away leaving 4 or 5 good roots at the top. This would give me two well-grown plants instead of one but I can't bring myself to do it ;)

Well, that is good advice. Neither of these keikis have enough of their own roots yet so I will wait for that to decide. If I separate one plant it will be the first one since they are growing tangled up and don't look as nice. :scratchhead: I like the way the second plant is fanning out and not getting tangled. Also the keiki at the bottom is more stable than at the top. That first one is going to get top heavy eventually. ;)

Glad you asked the question as I was going to ask for advice on some of mine. I have several Ascon. & Vandas that have a second growth, or keiki on the and was going to separate. But I read somewhere (perhaps on this board somewhere) that you should not cut off until it blooms, otherwise the new growth or keiki will take much longer to bloom if separated. Don't know is true or not. My reasoning would be: 1) so the orchid doesn't get too big and unrulely and 2) To share or trade with another orchid lover for another I don't have.

I would think they're like Phalaenopsis keikis, growing their fastest while attatched to the mother plant because there's already existing roots and photosynthesis going on to supplant the baby with energy.

LOL...you did read that here, Don :) I wrote it a while back. Weebl gives an explanation in the post above this one ;)

I recently separated the main growth of one of my orchids from the two new growths near the base. In the case of my vanda there was a good eight inches of dead stem separating the new guys from the first set of aerial roots on the main stem which I removed. Both plant don't seem any worse off for the experience. Now that things have warmed up here they are both growing new leaves and root tips.

AaronM

I will let it be there and after a bloom comes i will separate it.