What is happening to my orchid?
 

Hello all,
Completely new to caring for orchids. Had this one for a few years now and all of a sudden it erupted two new heads so to speak. What is happening to my orchid?

Keikis! Small plantlets/babies/offshoots that grow on flower stalks.
I'm not an expert, but I believe you should cut them and pot them.

Should I cut the stalks off completely too?

Cut stalk about 1/2" or less from base of each keiki. Pot up each keiki in medium of your preference.

I would also cut stalk down on mother plant and see how it recovers. Check medium on mother plant and see if it's broken down... if so, repot in fresh medium.

What about the two shoots going out of each keiki?

Cut off all stalk, don't cut any roots.

Damn, those are some sexy looking leggies for a keiki.

They are little plants, clones of the mother plant. And yours look big enough to be repotted.

What are those green projections coming out of them? Are those the new roots I’m supposed to put in the medium?

Yes. Those are the roots. Please be careful with them. They could snap if you try to bend them too far. Perhaps you could look up a tutorial on Youtube on how to repot a phalaenopsis keiki. An image (or video) is worth a thousand words after all.

Great idea! Thanks!

I found this one to be suitable:

Repotting an Orchid Keiki - Phalaenopsis Orchid Keiki - YouTube

Please share pics when you finally repot your little son! Keikis are relevant to my interests!

If you can't easily get those roots into a reasonable size pot (no bigger than the leaf span, preferebly smaller) don't even try to get them both in. They have developed as air roots, and so if one of them ends up outside the pot, no worries. In fact, if you choose a pot big enough to get both roots in, you might consider putting a small plastic pot or basket in the middle, to create an air pocket. Also, if you soak the keiki (after removal from the plant) for an hour or two, the roots will be a little less rigid, making it easier to coax them into a pot (a twisting motion also helps) But try as must as possible to not handle or otherwise make contact with those green root tips - they are very easy to damage, which stops their growth. So slowly and gently throughout the process...

Well even though I soaked the keikis for hours prior to trying to pot them I broke the roots on each of them. I feel awful. Out of four roots I managed to keep only one intact. Either way I potted them and I am hoping for the best. I’m just going to drain them now and hope they survive.

Don't worry, dear. In my experience, I have found That Phalaenopsis (and Vandas too) have quite resilient roots when it comes to fractures. The velamen can snap broken, but the real root inside continues to be functional. Unless you completely severed them, they should be just fine.

Now, try not to overwater them. After all, those roots were used to be up in the air. Too much water all of a sudden could shock them.

They look pretty good so far. Good job, and good luck!