"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
rthlink.net...
Depends on the keiki. I've had some that simply snapped off when I tried
them, and others that I needed to leave attached to a piece of the old
spike. I don't think I'd try to cut in between the keiki and the old
spike,
for fear of damaging the new, tender growth and roots.

I'm not going to touch the nobile plants, as I only have a few, and though
they are doing fine I don't consider myself any kind of authority on them.
As for the Epi., if it's a radicans it will continue to throw out babies;
it's a habit of theirs. In my experience they grow fine if left in place.

Thanks Diana.

Then, when the time comes, I'll cut the inflorescences just below where the
keikis are, on the phals. I have been told they could be left in place, and
could make an impressive display when blooming with the parent, but in this
case, the inflorescences had been staked, to grow upward, so the keikis are
a good 60 cm above the table. I don't want to risk damaging the rest of
each inflorescence by bending them so that the young plants can have their
feet in coir or chc. They haven't yet begun to put out roots (one is only
about 5 mm in size, and is just barely visible).

My nobile type dends are yamamoto hybrids, and my epidendrums have their
origins with Cal Orchid. I have no idea what a radicans is, but then a week
ago I didn't know that epidendrums are in the cattleya alliance: I have only
the two. Others have confirmed that there is no pressing reason to remove
the keikis from any of these plants unless I simply want to do so. So,
then, unless someone points out significnat dangers in leaving them, I'll
leave the keikis on the dendrobium and epidendrum, and I'll remove them from
the phal (I am curious to see what the rest of the inflorescence will do in
response to the removal of the keikis).

Thanks again,

Ted