Help With "Baby" Orchid
 

I am in the UK and have four Orchids on my study window sill. They are about
3
years old and do very well despite me most definitely not having a green
thumb! One of them came to the end of its flowering cycle and dropped its
flowers. However very unusually it has grown another Orchid at the end of
its flower stalk. It is complete with leaves, trailing things (not sure what
they are called!) and a single flower. It has been growing for a few weeks
now and is quite healthy and getting bigger. None of my other Orchids have
ever done this. Can I cut it off, pot it and get a new Orchid or will it die
if I do this. Should I bend the flower stalk over and pot the "baby" whilst
leaving it attached to the stalk?

Help With "Baby" Orchid
 

Sounds like you indeed have a baby orchid, otherwise known as a keiki (baby
in Hawaiian). You're on the right track. If you have a few inches of roots
total (those *trailing things*, perhaps?) you can pot it up. The flowers
will be identical to the parent plant. And yes, you can bend the spike and
pot it up while still on the parent plant, if that makes you more
comfortable. Easier would be to wrap the roots in some spaghnum moss and
keep moist. Whatever you decide to do with it, remember that the roots on
the keiki need to be watered and fertilized the same as the entire plant.

HTH

Diana


"Port Admiral Haynes" wrote in message
...
I am in the UK and have four Orchids on my study window sill. They are
about 3
years old and do very well despite me most definitely not having a green
thumb! One of them came to the end of its flowering cycle and dropped its
flowers. However very unusually it has grown another Orchid at the end of
its flower stalk. It is complete with leaves, trailing things (not sure
what
they are called!) and a single flower. It has been growing for a few weeks
now and is quite healthy and getting bigger. None of my other Orchids have
ever done this. Can I cut it off, pot it and get a new Orchid or will it
die
if I do this. Should I bend the flower stalk over and pot the "baby"
whilst
leaving it attached to the stalk?