Keiki Removal Day

[mohi]

Dear orchid fans... Its been a while since the last time I said something here... Well my Cattlya is doing something inside one of the empty sheathes and a firm thing is swelling inside!... All other plants are fine, Including my white phal whose seedpod will be ready for seed sowing within a month...
Today I decided to cut off all keikis and give a try to the new method of water culture!... I started with my den... It has grown around 8 roots and they were reaching down for the potting medium... It just detached with a simple click... Then I went for the phals... One of them is recovering from root rot and as you can see, the keiki's roots are not much developed... Strangely, the rootless mother plant is producing two more keiki's... Talk about the struggle for survival!... AND my carelessness!... Anyway, its shriveled leaves are getting plump... The other plant now has 9 leaves and growing a new one but still no blooms... I think its keiki can say how big the plant is!... It has 4 long roots with another one just developing... Plus a new leaf just in the middle...
So I cut all these and put them in plain tap water... Still no fertilizer added... I try to keep the detachment scar right above the water level to prevent any kinds of rot... So, what do you think?... Any suggestions?... Have I done anything wrong?...

1) group shot
2) healthy phal's keiki
3) Den roots
4) recovering phal's keiki

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Looking great, Mohsen. I really like the look of the dendrobium roots. They all seem very happy. Good to hear from you too.

Cheers,
BD

[mohi]

Thanks Bruce... I'll get some liquid fert as soon as I get to the university... My current bottle of fert has grown some mold inside... I really don't know why!... So I'm afraid the whole plant will get moldy if I apply it!... Maybe a drop or two would suffice...

[rich63]

Everything looks good to me also.You could a a couple of drops of fert. into a different glass with water to make sure it isn't to strong (potent). Then use your dropper to place it into your plant containers. Have Fun,Rich

[cindiras]

You could also crush a vitamin tablet and sprinkle a tiny bit into the water for nutrients.

[EMos]

Nice experience, healthy looking babies! Gud job

[mohi]

Thank you all for your useful advices... I think plants only absorb nutrients as ions... I'm not sure if vitamin tablets would work, unless I use something like Centrum which has both vitamins and nutrients...
The recovering plant's keiki had a wrinkled first leaf but today that leaf is plump and good!... I'm so happy...

[ExtremeAcres]

very cool...nice looking little newbies... are you gonna grow them like this? or is this an inbetween stage ...before potting them ?

[mohi]

I think I'll keep them in water since its much easier to check the root's health... Converting my old plants to water culture is pretty hard though... Their roost are covered with microorganisms that'll party in water and make a real mess!... So I'll leave them in their own potting media...

[Slyjester]

I'm confused. So, it's OK for roots to sit in water?