Phalaenopsis Keikis on Old Spike: Remove and Pot, or Leave Alone?

Baby Plants on the Flower Spike—What Now?

After your Phalaenopsis finished blooming, you cut the spike back a few inches. Now it's growing long roots and large leaves at two nodes on the old spike. These are keikis (baby plants). Can you remove and pot them? How do you get the mother plant to rebloom?

Handling Keikis

• Wait until each keiki has 2–3 roots at least 2–3 inches long.
• Gently twist or cut the keiki away from the spike at the base.
• Pot in small container with fine orchid bark or sphagnum moss.
• Keep humid and shaded for a few weeks until established.

Mother Plant Reblooming

The mother Phalaenopsis will rebloom in one of two ways:

1. Branch spike: A lateral branch emerges from a node on the old spike (if it's still green).
2. New basal spike: A completely new spike grows from the crown between leaves—this is the annual bloom cycle, typically triggered by cool autumn nights (55–60°F).

Continue normal care: bright indirect light, water when nearly dry, weakly weekly fertilizer. The keikis are a bonus—you now have three plants for the price of one!