Is it normal for the bulb to grow on the stem of the orchid plant?

Question

Is it normal for the bulb to grow on the stem of the orchid plant?

Answer 1

Hi hayashi,

It's hard to give you a precise answer without looking at your plant. But I'll try my best.

I suspect what you are talking about is keikis. Keikis is a baby plant that grows from an orchid flower spike. The plant will grow with roots and mature like a regular orchid. The flower that the keikis eventually produces will be the same as the mother plant.

Wait till the keikis have enough roots (3 inches or more in total length, e.g. three 1-inch roots or two 1.5-inch roots, etc.) before you cut it off the mother plant. To ensure its survival, you can even leave it on the mother plant for longer.

Use a very sharp knife or razor blade to cut the plant off, making sure that you don't cut the roots. Then plant this baby plant in orchid mix and grow it like any other orchids.

Keikis usually happens in Phalaenopsis (moth orchid), Dendrobium and Vanda type of orchids. Usually the plant is trying give you flowers, but since the light level is insufficient, it ends up giving you a keikis instead. So if you want your orchids to bloom instead of producing more keikis, increase your light level a bit more (but don't increase so much that it will burn the plant). Alternatively, you could be providing too much nitrogen in your fertilizer. Nitrogen is the first number on the fertilizer label. For example, 30-20-20 means it has 30 parts of nitrogen, 20 parts of phosphorus and 20 parts of potassium). Find a fertilizer that is more balance, such as 20-20-20 or one that has a higher number in phosphorus (second number). And some orchids are prone to produce keikis than others. It's genetic.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Kennis

Answer 2

I don't think so. But I would let it grow and see what it does.