Home > Projects >

How to: New orchids from old

You will need: Secateurs, pot, orchid compost, plastic bag, rubber band.

Moth orchids (Phaelenopsis) vary slightly in their flowering habit. Some produce another batch of flower buds at the tip of the current flowering stem, while others produce side shoots from lower down the stem, especially if you cut the stem back. Occasionally, instead of flower buds, a miniature plant is produced, known as a Keiki (Hawaiian for baby).

Best time to do it:

Step 1

If your plant does not produce more buds at the tip of the flowering shoot, trim it back to just above the top stem bud.

Step 2

Instead of a flowering shoot, you may get a new plant forming, known as a Keiki.

Step 3

Once this has grown roots, it can be removed from the parent plant. Take a short section of stem with it, as this helps anchor it into a pot of compost.

Step 4

Pot it into moist orchid compost and cover with a plastic bag, held in place with a rubber band to keep it humid while it establishes. Within a few weeks, it should begin to grow and can be treated the same as other orchids.

Related FAQs

Ask a gardening question:

Latest Gardening News

How Rising Living Costs Are Impacting Britain's Green Spaces

Stiga's 'We Care That You Care' Campaign Continues!

Top 10 Plants Year round Fragrance

RHS Gardens Announce Summer Events with The Great Garden Adventure & Shaun the Sheep

Gardening Projects for July

---

How to make a Herb Planter

How to water when on Holiday

How to repair a lawn - Patches

How to take semi-ripe cuttings

Latest Gardening Videos

---

Five Essential Tips for Growing Lemons

Growing Peas and Runner Beans on your Patio

Growing Strawberries in Hanging Baskets

Gap Filling

Cultivating Melons

Supporting Heavy Fruiting Branches

All Videos

Explore Gardens from Around the World

Singapore Botanic Gardens
Singapore

Desert Botanical Garden
Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Aswan Botanical Garden
Aswan, Egypt

Saint Petersburg Botanical Garden
Saint Petersburg, Russia

Keukenhof
Lisse, Netherlands

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Richmond, United Kingdom