Phalaenopsis Keiki Success Story: Office Atrium to Windowless Office, Fertilizer Advice

Question:

Wrote last August about office Phal with secondary spike—bloomed beautifully >1 month. Lived in atrium (indirect sun, air movement). Fall temps 50s → moved to windowless office, front of floor fountain, sparse watering. Jan: upper stem brown, cut above secondary stem, left 1.5' green stem. 2 weeks ago: leaf from top, now baby (no roots) with 1 leaf 3", 2nd emerging. Garden show "expert" said remove baby immediately—it'll drain mother. Don't want to kill baby—both look great. No fertilizer yet. Opinion?

Answer:

Hi Kim,

Great success story! Good care—moving indoors was right. For keiki: leave until several roots >2 inches. Prep small pot + media. Remove: hold stem + keiki, twist gently while pulling. Breaks in 3–5 twists; if not, cut. Pot in media, grow alongside mother.

Fertilize occasionally for energy boost. Balanced orchid fertilizer, ~½ label rate (Phals don't need much). For 1–2 plants: 1 level tsp/quart water.

Some growers believe remove spike post-bloom. Keiki takes energy from mother (like human pregnancy), but healthy mothers handle it fine.

NO!!!! I'm not responsible for your success—YOU ARE!!!! You do the work; I'm at my computer.

Keep up the great work!

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, CA