I've got to brag:

My phal equestris has a magnificent keikie, which it developed about a year
ago. I have opted to keep the keikie on the flowerspike and not attempt to
pot it. It now has nine roots with the total root length exceeding 30 inches
and the longest of the roots being 6 inches or more in length (hard to
measure since the roots curl quite a lot). The roots are really healthy
despite being completely aerial without any medium). The keikie has 4 leaves
with a leaf span of 5 inches. And now the mother plant has started growing a
new flower spike -- it last stopped flowering in the end of April, after
having flowered for 9 months. This upcoming flowering season will be the
mother plant's 3rd flowering season (it keikied after the 2nd one). I still
remember when the mother plant was a keikie itself, snipped off of Al's
'mother of all equestris' in June 2003 (so 2+ years ago).

Aren't equestris magnificent?

In addition to the main purpose of this post (shameless bragging and
excitement over an orchid that is really doing well), this is also a
reminder to newbies: when you hear that a keikie can be separated from a
mother plant once it's total root length is 3" or 4" total, it's worth
keeping in mind that there is no need to separate a keikie at this time --
as long as both mother plant and keikie continue to thrive, why fix it if it
ain't broken? And a vigorous keikie kept dangling on a flower spike is a
really neat sight!

Joanna

In our experience, that keiki will also bloom sooner, still attached to
"mom," than if it had been removed and potted up "on its own." When mom and
child both bloom at the same time, it's a really great display. Kenni

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
news:bjhZe.2086$211.1301@trnddc08...
I've got to brag:

My phal equestris has a magnificent keikie, which it developed about a
year
ago. I have opted to keep the keikie on the flowerspike and not attempt to
pot it. It now has nine roots with the total root length exceeding 30
inches
and the longest of the roots being 6 inches or more in length (hard to
measure since the roots curl quite a lot). The roots are really healthy
despite being completely aerial without any medium). The keikie has 4
leaves
with a leaf span of 5 inches. And now the mother plant has started growing
a
new flower spike -- it last stopped flowering in the end of April, after
having flowered for 9 months. This upcoming flowering season will be the
mother plant's 3rd flowering season (it keikied after the 2nd one). I
still
remember when the mother plant was a keikie itself, snipped off of Al's
'mother of all equestris' in June 2003 (so 2+ years ago).

Aren't equestris magnificent?

In addition to the main purpose of this post (shameless bragging and
excitement over an orchid that is really doing well), this is also a
reminder to newbies: when you hear that a keikie can be separated from a
mother plant once it's total root length is 3" or 4" total, it's worth
keeping in mind that there is no need to separate a keikie at this time --
as long as both mother plant and keikie continue to thrive, why fix it if
it
ain't broken? And a vigorous keikie kept dangling on a flower spike is a
really neat sight!

Joanna

Kenni,
Thanks for the good news. I didn't know about that.
Joanna

"Kenni Judd" wrote in message
...
In our experience, that keiki will also bloom sooner, still attached to
"mom," than if it had been removed and potted up "on its own." When mom
and
child both bloom at the same time, it's a really great display. Kenni

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
news:bjhZe.2086$211.1301@trnddc08...
I've got to brag:

My phal equestris has a magnificent keikie, which it developed about a
year
ago. I have opted to keep the keikie on the flowerspike and not attempt
to
pot it. It now has nine roots with the total root length exceeding 30
inches
and the longest of the roots being 6 inches or more in length (hard to
measure since the roots curl quite a lot). The roots are really healthy
despite being completely aerial without any medium). The keikie has 4
leaves
with a leaf span of 5 inches. And now the mother plant has started
growing
a
new flower spike -- it last stopped flowering in the end of April, after
having flowered for 9 months. This upcoming flowering season will be the
mother plant's 3rd flowering season (it keikied after the 2nd one). I
still
remember when the mother plant was a keikie itself, snipped off of Al's
'mother of all equestris' in June 2003 (so 2+ years ago).

Aren't equestris magnificent?

In addition to the main purpose of this post (shameless bragging and
excitement over an orchid that is really doing well), this is also a
reminder to newbies: when you hear that a keikie can be separated from a
mother plant once it's total root length is 3" or 4" total, it's worth
keeping in mind that there is no need to separate a keikie at this
time --
as long as both mother plant and keikie continue to thrive, why fix it
if
it
ain't broken? And a vigorous keikie kept dangling on a flower spike is a
really neat sight!

Joanna

This has happened to a no-name phal that I have. The keikei has roots
of about a total of four inches, and I have been wondering what to do
with it.I am glad to hear that the mother plant will survive the
experience.
Thank you for the advice.
Barbara in Ottawa

Yay!

I just looked and now the equestris keiki is in spike as well! :-) So, you
were right Kenni, it will definitely bloom sooner. I really look forward to
the "really great display" of mother and keiki plants. Can a keiki grow a
keiki as well after it finishes flowering? That would be really cool, too
(yes, I know now I am being greedy, but it is such a vigorous plant).

Joanna

"Kenni Judd" wrote in message
...
In our experience, that keiki will also bloom sooner, still attached to
"mom," than if it had been removed and potted up "on its own." When mom
and
child both bloom at the same time, it's a really great display. Kenni

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
news:bjhZe.2086$211.1301@trnddc08...
I've got to brag:

My phal equestris has a magnificent keikie, which it developed about a
year
ago. I have opted to keep the keikie on the flowerspike and not attempt
to
pot it. It now has nine roots with the total root length exceeding 30
inches
and the longest of the roots being 6 inches or more in length (hard to
measure since the roots curl quite a lot). The roots are really healthy
despite being completely aerial without any medium). The keikie has 4
leaves
with a leaf span of 5 inches. And now the mother plant has started
growing
a
new flower spike -- it last stopped flowering in the end of April, after
having flowered for 9 months. This upcoming flowering season will be the
mother plant's 3rd flowering season (it keikied after the 2nd one). I
still
remember when the mother plant was a keikie itself, snipped off of Al's
'mother of all equestris' in June 2003 (so 2+ years ago).

Aren't equestris magnificent?

In addition to the main purpose of this post (shameless bragging and
excitement over an orchid that is really doing well), this is also a
reminder to newbies: when you hear that a keikie can be separated from a
mother plant once it's total root length is 3" or 4" total, it's worth
keeping in mind that there is no need to separate a keikie at this
time --
as long as both mother plant and keikie continue to thrive, why fix it
if
it
ain't broken? And a vigorous keikie kept dangling on a flower spike is a
really neat sight!

Joanna

Yes, but eventually you will be hard-pressed to find tall enough stakes G
Kenni

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
news:1tn%e.1979$JY6.127@trnddc02...
Yay!

I just looked and now the equestris keiki is in spike as well! :-) So, you
were right Kenni, it will definitely bloom sooner. I really look forward
to
the "really great display" of mother and keiki plants. Can a keiki grow a
keiki as well after it finishes flowering? That would be really cool, too
(yes, I know now I am being greedy, but it is such a vigorous plant).

Joanna

"Kenni Judd" wrote in message
...
In our experience, that keiki will also bloom sooner, still attached to
"mom," than if it had been removed and potted up "on its own." When mom
and
child both bloom at the same time, it's a really great display. Kenni

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
news:bjhZe.2086$211.1301@trnddc08...
I've got to brag:

My phal equestris has a magnificent keikie, which it developed about a
year
ago. I have opted to keep the keikie on the flowerspike and not attempt
to
pot it. It now has nine roots with the total root length exceeding 30
inches
and the longest of the roots being 6 inches or more in length (hard to
measure since the roots curl quite a lot). The roots are really healthy
despite being completely aerial without any medium). The keikie has 4
leaves
with a leaf span of 5 inches. And now the mother plant has started
growing
a
new flower spike -- it last stopped flowering in the end of April,
after
having flowered for 9 months. This upcoming flowering season will be
the
mother plant's 3rd flowering season (it keikied after the 2nd one). I
still
remember when the mother plant was a keikie itself, snipped off of Al's
'mother of all equestris' in June 2003 (so 2+ years ago).

Aren't equestris magnificent?

In addition to the main purpose of this post (shameless bragging and
excitement over an orchid that is really doing well), this is also a
reminder to newbies: when you hear that a keikie can be separated from
a
mother plant once it's total root length is 3" or 4" total, it's worth
keeping in mind that there is no need to separate a keikie at this
time --
as long as both mother plant and keikie continue to thrive, why fix it
if
it
ain't broken? And a vigorous keikie kept dangling on a flower spike is
a
really neat sight!

Joanna

On Sun, 9 Oct 2005 10:12:52 -0400 in Kenni Judd wrote:
Yes, but eventually you will be hard-pressed to find tall enough stakes G

I'd be tempted to call the local amateur radio group and find out
who their antenna geeks use to get spring steel rods and stainless
steel rods.

I know it's easy enough to get stock up to 108".
Have no clue how stakes that long would work in the house, but that's
another matter :-).


--
Chris Dukes
Suspicion breeds confidence -- Brazil

Kenni,
Grin Yes, the staking might be a problem, but I think it would be worth
attempting to get the neat effect.
Joanna

"Kenni Judd" wrote in message
...
Yes, but eventually you will be hard-pressed to find tall enough stakes
G
Kenni

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
news:1tn%e.1979$JY6.127@trnddc02...
Yay!

I just looked and now the equestris keiki is in spike as well! :-) So,
you
were right Kenni, it will definitely bloom sooner. I really look forward
to
the "really great display" of mother and keiki plants. Can a keiki grow
a
keiki as well after it finishes flowering? That would be really cool,
too
(yes, I know now I am being greedy, but it is such a vigorous plant).

Joanna

"Kenni Judd" wrote in message
...
In our experience, that keiki will also bloom sooner, still attached to
"mom," than if it had been removed and potted up "on its own." When
mom
and
child both bloom at the same time, it's a really great display. Kenni

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
news:bjhZe.2086$211.1301@trnddc08...
I've got to brag:

My phal equestris has a magnificent keikie, which it developed about
a
year
ago. I have opted to keep the keikie on the flowerspike and not
attempt
to
pot it. It now has nine roots with the total root length exceeding 30
inches
and the longest of the roots being 6 inches or more in length (hard
to
measure since the roots curl quite a lot). The roots are really
healthy
despite being completely aerial without any medium). The keikie has 4
leaves
with a leaf span of 5 inches. And now the mother plant has started
growing
a
new flower spike -- it last stopped flowering in the end of April,
after
having flowered for 9 months. This upcoming flowering season will be
the
mother plant's 3rd flowering season (it keikied after the 2nd one). I
still
remember when the mother plant was a keikie itself, snipped off of
Al's
'mother of all equestris' in June 2003 (so 2+ years ago).

Aren't equestris magnificent?

In addition to the main purpose of this post (shameless bragging and
excitement over an orchid that is really doing well), this is also a
reminder to newbies: when you hear that a keikie can be separated
from
a
mother plant once it's total root length is 3" or 4" total, it's
worth
keeping in mind that there is no need to separate a keikie at this
time --
as long as both mother plant and keikie continue to thrive, why fix
it
if
it
ain't broken? And a vigorous keikie kept dangling on a flower spike
is
a
really neat sight!

Joanna