The parent is a rescue that is doing ok, but not fabulously. When root growth is just beginning, you can remove the keiki. I'm glad for the question and the answers, I have a Phal with a basal keiki and now I know to let it grow and not force them apart. Maybe it looks like a new leaf or two (like in the photo to the right)…and after awhile what looks like a … I have a healthy vanda that flowers freely. A different kind of keiki, called a basal keiki, can develop at the base of the Phalaenopsis. This type of keiki is left on the plant. November 30, 2011 January 3, 2013 - brooklynorchids. Basal keiki – Along side the existing orchid, growing from its base and SHARING the same root system (shown above). I last posted an update on my Phalaenopsis orchid keiki grow experiment on September 1—almost three months ago! How do I remove them and pot into their own baskets? Say you have a lovely Phalaenopsis orchid and one day you notice that there’s something growing off of its spike, something that doesn’t look like a flower bud. This can happen sooner or later in a timeframe of 2-8 weeks, depending on the time of the year, the health of your orchid and the growth conditions your orchid plant is growing and many more. Once your keiki is capable of surviving on its own you will want to use a sharp, sterilized blade to carefully remove the keiki from the mother plant by slicing the tissue at the base of the plantlet. The offsets are known as keikis which means "baby" in Hawaiian. The keiki can be easily removed and repotted. How to remove a Keiki. So, a few questions: Internet research leads me to believe that this plant is either dying and trying to spread its DNA or the healthiest plant ever. Can you add your opinion? Hi- I have a Phal. Many times an orchid will “save itself” by sprouting a keiki because it is dying. Keiki Removal and Potting Day! A month or two ago, I discovered a basal keiki growing at the base. Keiki: A baby orchid! It's put out 2 roots that are at least 2" long, and it has put out 2 new roots that are snaking up and around the base of the mother plant to find the potting medium. — M.H. Removing a keiki from its mother too early can cause the fragile baby to die off. It's throwing out ANOTHER basal keiki, the first keiki is putting out roots, and the plant has put out a ton of new roots. orchid, which started to get brown spots very soon after I purchased it over a year ago. ... My orchid has just started growing a basal keiki. How to Remove a Basal Keiki From Dying Mother Plant.. by Michelle Wheeler (Ithaca, NY, USA) Mother Leaf With Brown Spots. Under the bottom leaves, along the main stem, are dormant nodes which can develop into a new growth. Since then many of the keikis have been growing quite nicely, developing roots (and, surprisingly, even a couple of spikes!) 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