Question
mini plants
H Wayne,
This phal has put out many mini plants for me. I've already snapped off two mini plants (they are both flourishing in their own pots).
However, as you can see, there are 3 more mini plants still attached. These mini plants have already sent out flower spikes twice in as many seasons. The main plant has only sent one flower spike in the last 2 years (no spike this season).
I left the mini plants on the main plant as I think that it is visually interesting.
My question is should/can I still leave this orchid in its present condition? Or should I cut off the mini plants and repot them?
What do you suggest?
Thanks in advance for your advice.
AnswerRosemary, Thanks for the picture. The question to you: would you rather have a visually interesting plant or a thriving mother plant?. The healthy keikis (ie miniplants) are connected to the mother plant's vascular system and, probably, extract some nutrients from the mother. This is one of two factors that will prevent the mother plant from thriving. The second factor is the ability to annually repot the mother plant. Repotting provides a fresh supply of nutrients and air to the roots.
One could argue that the production of keikis provides an opportunity for the plant to pass its genetic material on to future generations, and this, without the need for a pollinator. This is all at the expense of the mother plant, that, if carried to extreme, sacrifices the mother plant to ensure that its babies can grow and thrive.
If it were my plant, I would remove the keikis and pot them up. Then, remove the old flower spike and repot the mother plant. Be sure to stake the emerging flower spikes on any of the plants beginning to flower to achieve an erect and well formed bouquet of flowers. If you have more plants than you care to grow, you could always donate some to a local orchid society for a fund raiser and/or give some to a friend or relative. If a name tag came with the original plant, and you still have it, place labels in each of your pots with that name and the potting date.
