In order to grow young orchids on your own, there are a variety of methods that can be implemented on the windowsill at home. The vegetative propagation with offshoots scores with young plants that have exactly the magnificent attributes of their mother plant. This overview explains to you in a practical way how to succeed with children, cuttings and sinkers.

Kindel can be easily separated from the mother plant

Kindel make it big as young orchids

Offshoots of an orchid that develop in the immediate vicinity of the stem or bulbs are referred to as children. These seedlings have all the traits of their mother plant. In order to grow these tiny plants into magnificent orchids, patience is required at first, because you must not separate the offspring too early. How to do it right:

  • A Kindel is mature with at least 2 leaves and 2 to 3 aerial roots
  • Ideally, repot the orchid for easy separation
  • Use your fingers to first untangle any intertwined aerial roots to identify the best interface
  • Use a disinfected, sharp knife or scalpel to separate the baby from the mother plant

Since orchid seedlings have particularly sensitive roots, please use a mix of moist sphagnum and peat for planting in the first phase. If you don't use peat because of ecological concerns, put Kindel in a mixture of moss and coconut fibers moistened with lime-free water.

Properly separate and plant cuttings - this is how it works

Using unrooted cuttings to propagate orchids is rarely practiced. An exception is the climbing vanilla orchid, which is primarily replicated via this route. Monopodial orchids, such as the Vanda orchid, produce rooted cuttings from their main axis which - similar to Kindel - are viable once they reach a certain size. Separating and planting these offshoots is not difficult.

  • In the middle of the vegetation phase, remove non-flowering top cuttings with a length of 15 cm
  • Do not remove rooted stem cuttings until 2 leaves and 2-3 aerial roots thrive on them
  • Fill small pots with fine-grained orchid substrate (€8.00) coconut and wood fibers or vermiculite, peat and moss

Two-thirds of unrooted cuttings are defoliated and placed in the potting soil. When planting rooted cuttings, please make sure that they do not go deeper than the first pair of leaves into the substrate. Instead of watering, submerge the pots in filtered, lukewarm rainwater and allow the moisture to drain well to prevent waterlogging.

Caring for seedlings and cuttings properly - you should pay attention to this

Although seedlings and cuttings are obtained in different ways, they all pull together when it comes to care. Bright lighting conditions, warm temperatures and high humidity are required. This is how growth and root formation progress quickly:

  • Place the nursery pot in a heated indoor greenhouse or under a transparent hood
  • If using a plastic bag, use 2-3 wooden sticks as spacers
  • Place in a bright, not full sun location at temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius
  • If the substrate dries, briefly immerse the pot in lukewarm, lime-free water
  • Briefly ventilate the mini greenhouse (€7.95) or cover several times a day without causing a cold draft

The creation of a tropical, humid rainforest climate in the immediate vicinity of the offshoots contributes significantly to the development of further roots and new leaves. Until then, please do not administer any fertilizer. The cover can only be removed and the application of heavily diluted orchid fertilizer started after a fresh shoot. Children and cuttings usually take 2 to 3 years to flower.

Propagation the uncomplicated way - how to do it with sinkers

If an orchid species tends to climb and tendrils, like the terrestrial vanilla, it opens up the possibility for the gardener of propagation with layering plants. These are non-flowering, flexible shoots or tendrils that you encourage to form an independent root system using the following technique:

  • Pull a young, healthy shoot to the ground in early summer
  • Mark the spot to place a pot with airy, loose, moist growing soil
  • Plant the middle part of the vine 2-3 cm deep in it, but do not separate it from the mother plant yet
  • Tie the shoot tip to a wooden stick

While the orchid continues to supply the sinker with nutrients, a new root system sprout from the buried shoot. The process is accelerated if you score the bark very lightly with a razor blade. If a fresh leaf appears on the fixed shoot tip, the rooting is proceeding as desired. If the growing pot is fully rooted, you can separate the planter and care for it like an adult orchid.

tips

Seedlings will always turn into a younger version of their mother plant, with one exception. If a blue orchid gives birth to children, they will only produce blue flowers if it is a Vanda coerulea. Blue Phalaenopsis owe their color to a horticultural trick that only lasts for one flowering season. At the end, their seedlings develop a white flower dress.

Category:

Indoor plants