I don't know if it's normal but it could be either. If it is a keiki eventually it will grow roots and more leaves. If it is just a leaf roots never form and no additional leaves appear, it will die when the spike dies. Brooke

Thank you so much, 126, so much good information to go from. I didn't know about the tight fit issue. I'll repot soon. There is healthy green to the stalk above the Keiki so I'll hold out hope that maybe the mother is still vital. I'm thinking that the mulch medium isn't staying soggy at all as they hang outside and we're less than 1000 feet from the Atlantic, there is always a nice breeze. I wait about 7 days in between watering until the dead heat of summer, then about every 5 days, and when I water everything is fairly dry. Does that sound like a good schedule or should I change that ? Can you quantify the nitrogen that I should be looking out for ? Or maybe just recommend a readily available fertilizer ? I also have Cattleya, would one single fertilizer suit both plants needs ? Thank you so much.

I found the instructions on the internet.Apparently it will take 6 months to have several leaves and a nice root system before planting in bark. I am excited to be having a replica of the mother plant. It is my best orchid so I hope it all works out.

I would let them grow together. You get a nice big plant with lots of blooms that way. Also, separated keikis are tender and slow to establish sometimes. Does it happen often? Depends on the ancestry-- doritis put out basal keikis like crazy. can form big clumps. I have had a doritis keiki just a few months old form another keiki. I think it's phal schilleriana that also can form keikis from the roots. So, depending on the ancestry, it would be not be uncommon.