equestris first bloom turns into keiki

[Phyrex]

I have a phal equestris v. rosea in a 2.5" pot and the leaf span is about 5" across the plant. It put out its first spike but due to underwatering the buds dried up. After about a week I thought it was putting out new buds but it turns out to be a keiki. Can the plant handle a keiki at this stage of it's own development as it's only 5" wide? Should I terminate the spike and kill the keiki to ensure that the mother plant grows stronger? There is currently no sign of struggle on the mother plant and she has a very good root system. What should I do?

[Alana]

I'm not an expert of any sort at all, but if the plant were mine I would just wait it out. If the plant seems fine, let it go, if it starts to have troubles, snip it off

[orchidlady]

I wouldn't worry about it unless the plant starts showing signs of distress. I have an equestris about the same size that currently has 2 spikes with keikis, a 3rd bloom spike that is blooming and is starting to put out a new leaf . The plant just keeps chugging along much to my amazement. I think these guys are just the Energizer Bunny of the orchid world.

Susan

[Sailler-Cipolla]

How do i get Keikis on my phalaenopsis?

[Phyrex]

People get keikis in several ways not always on the plant:
1. having a plant that's naturally inclined to produce keikis (lueddemanniana, equestris, pulchra, etc).
2. I've read to cut the tip of the spike so the plant feels distressed and might produce a keiki from one of the unbloomed nodes.
3. using some form of keiki paste to encourage keikis from the unbloomed nodes. Search for bikerdocs peoker post which will get you plenty on this subject.
4. I've read that some have taken an large screwdriver to the crown of a phal and turned it so the crown is destroyed, after a while it is said to possibly produce basal keikis (not something you want to try on your prized phals)
5. taking parts of a flower spike with an unbloomed node on it chopping it up and placing it in a sterile environment on fertile medium to encourage the node to produce a keiki.

[Lizgeo]

I had equestris twice. Both of them kept growing keikis, but didn'y bloom well for me. I had a pulchra too, only gave me keiki (lots of them over 7-8 years), never bloomed, and it was a blooming plant I bought

I don't grow neither any more