Orchid Keiki Care

Significance

• Orchids produce keikis as a form of asexual reproduction. Keikis are a result of an accumulation of growth hormones in a flower stem node. They may develop naturally or be induced with a product called keiki paste. A keiki is a clone of the mother orchid and will develop flowers that are identical to its mother's flowers. A hybrid orchid keiki will produce an orchid that is the same as its hybrid mother.

Removal

• Before you cut off a part of your orchid, ensure that it is a keiki and not a shoot. Keiki roots form from small bud growths on the upper parts of the canes. Roots that develop near the base of the orchid are shoots. Remove the keiki when it has two or three leaves and has developed several 2-inch-long roots. Use a sharp, sterile knife to cut the cane 2 inches below the keiki. Apply a fungicide to the cut cane of the mother orchid and to the cut cane of the keiki.

Potting

• Do not plant keikis in soil or peat moss. These mediums hold too much water and could kill young plantlets. Keikis need a well-draining orchid planting mix. You can plant a keiki in a separate pot or in the same pot as the mother plant. Plant a keiki by burying its roots and providing support, such as a wooden craft stick, to help keep the keiki upright. Moisten the planting medium and place the keiki in an area where it will receive slightly less light than it had been receiving.

Continuing Care

• The Royal Horticulture Society website recommends watering keikis sparingly. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Mist the keiki daily. When the keiki becomes established and develops new growth, move it to an area where it will receive the same sun exposure as the mother orchid. Because keikis are clones of the mother orchid, they have the same growing requirements. Provide established keikis with the same nutrients and care that you provide to the mother orchid.