I love this orchid! I started with a few keikis and ended up with FOUR pots! I don't mist them or do anything special. They rock!!!!!! ( I'm in Colorado)

The blue pot was separated into the little brown pot, now there's 5!

In bloom....

Its also hardy outdoors in the bay area. A great little porch Orchid where it can get some sun and winter rains are kept off for best blooms. But,its very cold tolerant so if you wanted to try mounting it or keep a pot outdoors in part sun..its fine.

Annamarie, this orchid is adapted to survive adverse conditions. Too much TLC and it will grow rather than flower.

Here is a link to a long thread about culture in your area.

previous garden web discussion

Thank you Nicole, Stanofh, Arthurm, for your valuable info.! It's just about 2 inches now and starting to open up into a new set of leaves. Can I separate it any time and should I use the same conditions I created for the mother plant?

Always grateful

Annamaria

Over watering produces more kikis, which is what I think your trying to achieve? When the kikis have long roots, enough to support the new plant, then gently pick it off the mother plant and put the roots into the potting medium next to the mother plant, standing it upright.

If you want a pot full quickly.....I'd purchase them. Once their root bound/established, they bloom.

I saw at the Hayward Farmers Market...a bunch of dark purple D.kingianum. I think they were $5. I got a nice Dendrobium for $8. Cymbidium,Yellow for the same.

A good place for budget Orchids. No taxes,no shipping cost...carry them to yer car-lol.

Nicole......I wa not thinking of producing more kikis....but it's not a bad idea....I can grow more of them without buying a regular size one. Will the mother plant or the new One produce more kikis ? How many can I use to fill the 2 1/2 inch pot?Thank you for the suggestions and tips !!!

Always grateful,

Annamaria

Sounds like we have some Bay Area folks here. I lived in Hayward for about 25 years (1978-2004) then retired here in Kauai, HI in Nov of 2004. Kept orchids and Plumerias for 5 years in Hayward, and have been growing them since.

IMO, Dendrobiums are the easiest to grow of all the orchids and they pretty much take care of themselves with minimum care. Most people I know grow either Dens or Phals for this reason.

More challenging are the Cattleyas in which I have about 80 of them. But since the discussion here is about Keikis and Dens, I will try and keep the subject to that.

I usually wait until Keikis are about 6-7 inches in length with plenty of roots before I pull them away from the mother plants. Then I will start them in a 4"-8" (depending on what I have laying around) clay pots filled with mostly coarse perlite and a bit of sphagnum moss. Water them once a week and watch them grow. Fertilize every couple of months.

You need to have patience when growing new keikis because it may take a while for it to get big and they will, depending on the pot they're in and their type. And they love to be tied to a tree trunk with some sphagnum moss and angel hair hanging on them. Below are pictures of Dens (keikis with the mother plant) and pots of: most of which were started from keikis.

I don't know if I can show pix in sets here, so I may have to create more comments to post all the pix. We'll see! First, the mother plants. I have a whole row of these beside the sidewalk leading to my front door.

Next kekies still attached to mother plants:

More to follow.

OK, now several stages of growth with all started as Keikis growing in clay pots:

Next Dens tied to the trunk of my Areka Palms. Note that all of these started out as Kekis.

Ooops, this top picture is a Cattleya which was in distress, so I tied it to the tree! Just goes to prove that you can grow orchids almost anywhere as long as the environment is right.

Enjoy!

I just started lately with the Orchids here in Hayward. Some I have had years- Cymbidiums. Now,I want better quality Cymbidiums. I also Kauiguy like the idea of mounting Orchids on tree's.

I find Laelia princeps to so well. Epidendrums. I have some kind of mini Cattleya hybrid I got at Trader Joes three years ago. Bloomed last year,this year the buds fell off. I now have it back where its getting more sun.

As common as D.nobile is? Its not common outdoors here!..and I wouldn't mind a few more tried here and there. Including tree's.

Kauguy- DId you ever try Plumeria in ground? I have a few large ( for here) ones in pots and a nice P.obtusa that's spent two winters outdoors...held half its leafs and is now flushing again.

The bay area has changed...its not getting deep freezed. Not since 1990.

Hi Stanofh;

No, I never tried Plumeria in the ground and had it in an oak barrel with wheels so that I could roll it in and out of my greenhouse if needed.

If I were to plant one there in the ground, I would create a mound, Perhaps using bricks or stone, I would create a raised bed (round) that at least 2 ft high and line the first 6" with gravel for drainage. Plumerias are like orchids in a way that they don't like much water and they like loose soil. In fact my Plumerias here are planted in 1/2 soil and 1/2 perlite. LOL! If you look at the picture below I have a Plumeria cutting that's flowering just leaning against a tree and not even planted in the ground! LOL.

BTW, I used to live above the college right off oaks drive. Had a huge koi pond and everything. When I first moved here, I collected several different plumeria cuttings and had at least 24 different varieties going. LOL But I have cut down to just 4.

My favorites are: Singapore (white/yellow) Celladine (White/yellow), Donald Angus (red and gold) and Daisy Wilcox (pink and white). Enjoy the pix.

This is Daisy Wilcox and when planted in the ground and it grows into a tree, the flowers get huge to about 3-4 inches.

Here is a cutting (from my tree) of a Celadine plumeria. Note that it's just leaning against the tree but flowering. LOL!

My Celadine Plumeria tree.

Donald Angus

Singapore.

Enjoy!

Thank you, Kauaiguy..Stanofh..... I have used mini bark for this D. little pot, do they like to be root bound ? Soooo....I can actually have them on my Eastern/Northern back porch, in the sun ?

Kauaiguy....Iove your collections of Dens and Plumerias, I have my plumerias in pots too, so I can keep them small enough to carry them in and out of my back yard.

Stanofh....where is the Farmer's Market located ? I live in Foster City and would be close enough for me, I would like to check it out !!!!

Thanks to both of you for your infos and tips,

Annamaria