You can take a top cutting if you take two or preferably three nice roots. Leave at least a few roots on the stump. Put fungicide on both cut surfaces. One or more Kiekis will develope. I have also used Kieki paste with good results without topping. To get a beautiful display, just leave the kiekis on the mother plant and when they all bloom at once, stand back, proudly puff your chest out, and enjoy. If it is fragrant, your whole yard will smell. I have a V Cindy Banks that displayed 14 inflorescences all at one time. Unbelievable fragrance.

Birdboy, I have actually recently used Keiki Grow on my vandaceous orchids (ascocendeas, vandas, neostylis, etc) Keiki grow is a hormone like super thrive. The difference is that one stimulates the plant to make roots & the other stimulates it to produce kiekies! The instructions that come with the Keiki grow do not give suggestions for how to apply the formula to vandas, but with a few experiments (and no disasters so far) I have had success on several of my plants. I put 6 drops of kiekie grow into 1 cup of water & gave a nice, heavy misting on the plants I wanted to grow a kiekie on. When the water start running off & I stop (being sure to get the roots & crown nice & soaked). I waited for it to dry & I gave it another heavy spray & finished off the bottle (did it the day after if I recall correctly). It takes a while (I think my neostylis took like 4 weeks) to really start showing a couple leaves. Some of the other vandas have little bumps where the kiekie will soon start, so you have to be patient! Now one plant I had was not producing for me, so I just the hormone (1 drop only) into the crown of the plant (it was a Thichoglottis Brachiata) caused two of the large roots to dry up. The good news is that a couple weeks later a nice big fat root started & there is a kiekie bump starting!

As for top cuttings, I had to do this recently as well! I had a V. Motes Indigo that had crown rot on the lower, older part of the plant. I had to take off the Keiki that grew out of the top of the plant, it had 2 large roots. It is doing well, but as Albertan said, it needs to have at least 2 roots healthy roots to be viable. Just remember that when you cut the Kiekies that you use a fungicide paste or cinnamon to keep it dry & free of infection.

Using the Keiki grow will take a long time to make viable copies of your plants, but itÂs cheaper than buying them & itÂs easier than growing the plants from seeds. I hope that this information is helpful! If anyone else has a technique or recipe for using Keiki grow, I would love to hear it!!!!!

-Ray-

I have a vanda that is not doing well. it looks like a palm tree. had a bad scale problem. I would like to propagate this plant and try to save it. How is this done? I currently donot have keiki paste (but would like a homemade remedy). Thanks.

albert, I have keiki paste, and have a Vanda that I just love and want babies from for your exact comment, she smells so good and I want to smell it more than just at my front door, where do I put the paste to create a keiki on a vanda, please help. She is my FAV

Karen,

Did you look at the dates this thread was posted and the latest reply over 5 years ago.

You might have got more response by starting a new thread.

To get good responses you have to tell the people here where you are and how you are growing your Vanda.

Here is link that may contain useful information.

DividingOrchids info.