Potting up Dendrobium keiki's

Dendrobiums are one of the best orchids for producing keiki's. It is very easy to remove these and pot up.

1: You will need.


Select the keiki. As the photo below shows, it was quite a small one, but I selected this keiki because it had a reasonable root to go into the potting medium. Gently tease it away from the cane that it is growing on, using the sterilised blade if needed. When using the blade try not to damage the keiki.



2: Before filling the pot, attach the keiki to the support at the correct height. I use the bamboo skewers from chinese grocery stores and the plastic coated wire - twist the wire tightly around the skewer and make a loop for the keiki to sit in. Stand the support in the empty pot and adjust the height so that the cane of the keiki will sit on the surface of the compost when filled.



3: Fill the pot. I have used a mix of medium orchid bark and perlite (to help increase air around the previously aerial roots). I stop short of what will be the surface, add a bit of sphag moss (to retain some moisture near the top for new roots to "sniff" out) and place the keiki and support into the pot.



4: Carefully top up the pot up to the base of the keiki cane, being careful not to put any excessive pressure on the roots below the surface, as they are brittle.



5: Give it a ten minute soak in lukewarm water and remove. This is what the finished pot should look like.............



This keiki is from my Den. "Berry Oda", a Dendrobium kingianum hybrid. Below is one of my babies from 2010 flowering ..........



(Note to admin - feel free to move this to a more appropriate part of the forum if needs be - I'm still finding my way around)

 

Thankyou for the interesting info re dendro keiki Longk

 

Many thanks Longk. Its lovely to see this sort of detailed and practical information.

One of the greatest benefits that GC can bestow is the enthusiasm and knowledge of others that can inspire people like me to grow things I would never have dreamed of growing a few year earlier.

 

Thanks Scotkat and PeterS.

PeterS - thank my insomnia affliction (and the really annoying tickly cough that I have at the moment)! I'll no doubt have to tackle a repot soon (I keep putting that job off), so I'll do a similar post then too.
I'm growing plants that I would not have been growing three years ago thanks to members on another forum, so I try to share too. I received a tremendous gift box last week from a member on the other forum that I use, so it all evens out in the end!