dsegel, Please post another photo of your plant looking straight into the side of the pot with the keiki on the right and the pale green new bloom spike on the left in the photo. I'm trying to see if the keiki is attached to the straight brown stick looking object immediately to the left of the keiki, or if there is a bloom spike that the keiki is attached to hiding under that brown straight object. I see no reason to be in a hurry to do anything with this plant immediately, so there is no rush to post the photo. I'm going to be very busy for the next two days, but will respond to your question when you get the photo posted. For now, put any cutting tools you have in hot stand-by away, no critical need for them right now.

Bill

Ditto.  The bloom spike and the kieki can coexist happily. No need to intervene at this point. Keep fertilizing as usual.

Thank you both for your prompt responses! I will post another picture in the next couple days. No hurry to respond to it. When I saw the flower spike I thought I might need to do something soon. Merry Christmas!

Tried to get a better picture. It's difficult b/c Mom has multiple aerial roots growing everywhere.

#1 is a plant stake that is holding the stalk that the keiki is growing on--the stalk is dead above the keiki but green below. Also the keiki has 2 leaves--the other one is very small opposite the bigger one.

#2 is the single, very long root of the keiki.

#3 is the new flower stalk that Mom is producing.

No hurry on your answer.

Thank you so much for your response! I am SO GLAD I don't have to cut the flower stalk off. Wasn't sure Mom could support both baby and flowers.

Yes, I was wondering how I was going to manage planting that keiki with the side growing root. I will try to train it in another direction as you suggest.

I would wait for spring, when light is stronger and the temperature is warmer. Cut the baby off, soak the roots in warm water for an hour then repot. Soaking will make the root more pliable and you could move it to, at lease lay on the surface. You could use a small bobby pin or a piece of twist ties to hold it down. That should entice the root to grow down into the mix.

I would recommend waiting until Spring to do anything.

Jane

I have a similar problem but the mother's roots seem almost all dead down in the pot. If you grab the crown you can feel it's all loose in the pot. Mom has a flower spike and 5 new roots sticking straight up on the pictured side and 3 growing down on the other side. Keiki has 3 good roots and a flower spike that will kind of point down if I cut it off and pot it. I live in West Central Florida so the weather is already springish here. I'm very new to orchids. I think I overwatered and killed the roots, then I moved it to a window it likes better and it started recovering like this. I can't figure out what to do with it.

Wow, that is really crazy that the keiki has a flower spike as well. I am original poster to this thread and my mother is now getting a 2nd flower spike. I'm in SW Florida . . . must be "something in the air." ;)

HU, Looks like you have an interesting opportunity, or pair of opportunities, with your phalaenopsis. Lets agree to call it a learning opportunity, because I believe that is what it will turn into. I'll be glad to throw my .02 cents worth in if you would like. First, this is going to turn into a multiple post back and forth discussion, and right now we are posting in the middle of an old post by dsegel that contains several posts made by me. That's probably going to make for some confusion as your discussion progresses, so let me suggest that we start a new discussion so everything will be on the same subject. Just click out of dsegel's discussion, and at the top of the orchid page you will find a place where you can start a new discussion.

Now, let me ask you a favor. I'm having a problem actually seeing some things in your currently posted photo that I would like to be able to see. Could you post another photo showing just the bloom spike/spikes, and Keiki? I'm having difficulty determining if we have one or two bloom spikes coming off the big plant. I look at the photo one way and see one bloom spike with a branch that comes up and terminates on the right side of the photo with what looks like new forming buds. On the same spike, further up, I see the Keiki with another bloom spike with buds. I look at the photo another way, and I think I can see a bloom spike rising from between the leaves, and terminating on the right side of the photo with newly forming buds at its growing tip. Then down closer to the pot, near where the two vertical roots originate, I see what may be another bloom spike that rises up behind the right side plant stake, and has a clip attaching it to the stake, right in front of the keiki with the bloom spike. My suggestions will depend on having these facts correct in my old brain.

Be patient with me, I have other irons in the fire, that may slow my responses down, but I will respond to your posts, and try to help you out as much as possible. Goal is to turn you into another one of us "crusty old orchid people." School's in session.

Bill

Thanks so much! I made a new post - "Advice for keiki and mom with flower spikes".