Question
QUESTION: I started  a keiki using keiki paste, now it is about 1/4 inch long and the stem has died below the keiki. I cut it off because it was wilting - by running water over it and keeping it in a plastic bag it looks ok. Can it keep growing? How can it get nutrients to grow? I really want to save it (from a special orchid for a friend. I has no roots yet. Help!
Thanks,
Joni

ANSWER: As with any premature birth, the survival odds are not 100 percent.  It is possible to keep it going in a bag with high humidity such as might be provided by placing several strands of wet moss in the bag with it and sealing the bag (try to avoid contact between moss and plantlet).  Because it is so small, it doesn't have a large photosynthetic leaf surface with which to manufacture the food it needs to grow.  However, never underestimate the power of nature.  I think you are using the right approach, but with the modifications I have suggested.

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QUESTION: Thank you so much! Should I try bathing it in any weak fertilizer? Or try rooting hormone to encourage root growth at this stage?
Thanks again,
Joni

Answer
Joni, at this stage, it is such a small plant I wouldn't look for any significant effects. You could try a foliar plant food but it should be very dilute and I would be concerned about fungal infection if the leaf remains wet too long. You could try a rooting hormone, such as Rootone, as it is applied as a paste.