I am new with orchids but based on my general horticultural knowledge, I'd want to see how the roots look inside the pot. When was the last time it was repotted?

I don’t remember when I repotted it last. It is certainly root bound. I planned to repot this spring after the blooming had stopped.

Maybe your humidity is too low right now for aerial roots to form on it.

Florida, that may be true. Indoors with the heat on, the air sure gets dry. I will let it go and see what it does once it goes outside. It has no roots, so I can't remove it now. Laticauda, thank you for your ideas. I am not comfortable popping it out now, but will definitely repot it come spring. I do think it is a bit root bound, but the plant looks otherwise quite healthy. The leaves are shinny and dark green, the roots look good from the top. I do wonder if it is the lack of humidity that impeded root growth. Usually those little plants grow leaves first, then roots...this one wants to show off :) . I guess there is nothing I can do now, but I was curious if anyone else has seen flowers coming off a baby like that.

If your media is breaking down and rotting your roots, you won't be able to see it without looking inside the pot. Popping it out to peek won't do it any harm if everything is healthy in there.

You can see the media better than I can but it looks very broken down in the pictures and not solid chunks anymore.

Oh, I only just saw your question about the keikis blooming. I saw it in a video the other day but the plant was mature and growing almost like a bush lol. It was pretty crazy looking that's for sure!

I have a planter like that one and it just couldn't hold moisture properly. Do you soak it or just run water through it? I lost many roots to dry rot from where it wouldn't keep the roots moist enough for long enough. It was very distressing (more for the plants but also for me).

Laticuada, what makes you think something may be wrong with her mature plants roots? Her concern is the keiki not producing roots of it's own. The condition of the mature plants roots wouldn't inhibit the keiki from producing roots.

Florida-jones, I believe the plant has sent out this keiki and flowered from the keiki because the mother plant is distressed and is trying to put all her energy into reproducing to preserve her genetic material should the mother plant decline/die. The roots don't look too good, even the ones you can see. They aren't dead but they do appear chronically desiccated.

laticauda, I just enlarged the picture. You're very much right about those surface roots looking dessicated.

Laura, with that in mind, I would have to agree about not waiting until spring to see what's going on in that pot.

Cool... I've had many, many phals produce kiekies. For me it is usually a genetic thing (equestris or pulcherima in the background) not a cultural issue. I've got a phal with a kiekie blooming now, but it is a basal kiekie not a spike kiekie.

If it were mine, I'd try to rig up some type of pot to place under the kiekie. Allow the kiekie to rest on the media (spagh or bark would work). Keep the media slightly damp and hope for roots. Once roots appear and seem to take hold (2 of at least 2") then you can separate the kiekie from the mother plant.

As far as repotting, I'd wait until spring when new roots are forming. Those exposed roots and associated media don't look too bad to me and my guess would be that the roots are probably in better shape below surface. Never hurts to pop it out and look though.

Good luck,

Bob