Do you see a new orchid growing on your orchid? There’s a good chance this is a keiki. It makes our hearts and those of many plant lovers beat faster, because it doesn’t happen often. The word keiki means child or offspring, and in the botanical world, it refers to a natural phenomenon that occurs with orchids. We’ll tell you more about keikis in this blog.
How does a keiki develop?
A keiki develops from a branch of an orchid. It is a stem that develops into a new plant. This only happens at a specific part of the branch, namely at the thickening also known as a node. When a keiki grows on the orchid, it essentially clones itself. It’s like a survival mechanism of the orchid, reproducing on its own. A keiki occurs with a Phalaenopsis and Vanda orchid. Because the orchid creates a keiki itself, it is easy to propagate. Later in the blog, we’ll explain how you can do this.
What is keiki paste?
To encourage your orchid to produce keikis, you can use keiki paste. This increases the chances because keiki paste is a growth hormone that stimulates cell division. Using paste gives it a kickstart, so to speak. You cannot buy keiki paste at Kolibri Company. Do you want to buy or make it? You can find it online and at garden centers.
What to do?
Have you spotted a keiki on your orchid or do you want to try to get one? It’s a fun challenge to propagate an orchid and create a new one. For propagation, you use a dormant node on the orchid. This is a thickening in the branch where no side branch has grown from.
What to do with a keiki:
- Wait about eight months for the keiki to develop
- Remove the keiki when the roots are longer than six centimeters
- Cut the branch the keiki is attached to a few centimeters below the node
- Pot the keiki in a nursery pot with orchid bark
Now you just have to wait for the keiki to grow and produce branches; this takes some time, so be patient. Give it a little bit of water once a week, as the new orchid doesn’t need much water in the beginning.
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