Hi everyone

I recently tried some Keiki Boost on all my Phals to try and get some keikis. WOW did it ever work but I think due to slightly low temperatures I only got new flower spikes forming. Two questions -

Anyone got any experience or tips with using this paste ie. temperature for keiki formation rather than flower spike formation. Are day and night temperatures critical ? Does length of photoperiod have an effect ?

Also is it good for the plants ? Some of mine exploded into flower spike formation to the extent that I am worrying that I may exhaust the plants.

I did have one keiki form naturally last year but this resulted in the parent going into decline as the new plant formed. Once it was removed the parent gave up the ghost and died, which kind of defeats the object of the exercise. Anyone else observed this ?

Also has anyone tried the Keiki Boost on any other species ? I have a large Alocasia that I want to propogate from and was thinking of trying the paste on a dormant stem bud.

Lastly I am reasonably new here but have found this to be a wonderful community, I have never come across such warmth and helpfulness from any other forum or site.

Derek

Hi everyone

I recently tried some Keiki Boost on all my Phals to try and get some keikis. WOW did it ever work but I think due to slightly low temperatures I only got new flower spikes forming

Lastly I am reasonably new here but have found this to be a wonderful community, I have never come across such warmth and helpfulness from any other forum or site.


If you only got flower spikes, did it really work?

From my research, higher temperatures equal plants. Temps above 25 C. Lower temps will often result in more spikes, as is the case with your plants. There is the risk that you can ehaust your plants. So maybe experiment with a couple plants that are expendable until you find out the optimum temperature.

As for using it on non orchids, should work. There is a Canadian guy who makes a simular product for orchids but also sells it to daylily people to get dorment buds to grow. Also it works on cattelyas. So I figure you should give it a try on you alocacia.

Hope that helps and my first sentence doesn't mar your opinioin of this warm and helpful community!

Derek,
Temperature could have been a factor, but it may also have just been the natural time for your phals to send up spikes. Many winter/spring bloomers put spikes up at this time of year in response to low temps, and increasing light levels.
Can you tell us what type of phals they are?

Personally I would rather have flower spikes than keikis anyways :Grin: