How Do Phalaenopsis Orchids Grow Keiki (Side Shoots)? A Detailed Guide to the Different Situations

Phalaenopsis growers have probably all had this hope: if a healthy orchid would just send up a little side shoot, it would feel as lucky as winning the lottery! After all, one more shoot means one more chance to bloom, and you might even be able to divide it into two pots. But side shoots don't just grow whenever you want them to - there are quite a few little tricks to it.

Whether a Phalaenopsis produces side shoots has a lot to do with the variety. Some varieties are naturally prone to growing side shoots. For example, the common "Big Chili" - if you care for it even slightly well, small buds may appear on the flower spike; but more delicate varieties like "Snow White" don't like to branch out and focus all their energy on the main plant. So if your Phalaenopsis never grows side shoots, first check the characteristics of the variety, and don't worry yourself unnecessarily.

The most common side shoots generally grow from the base of an old plant. After a Phalaenopsis's old pseudobulb has been grown for a second year, a small bump may swell up at the base and slowly develop into a side shoot with aerial roots. This usually happens because the old plant has stored up enough nutrients and has no pressure to bloom, so it wants to "have a baby." At this point, don't disturb it - give it a little diluted orchid fertilizer and the side shoot will grow quite fast. But note that the old plant must be healthy; if the leaves are yellowing and the roots are rotting, never mind side shoots - it will struggle even to survive.

There's another situation that's quite a pleasant surprise - side shoots growing on the flower spike. With some Phalaenopsis, after blooming, the flower spike doesn't wither, and a small shoot suddenly appears at the tip or between the nodes - this is a flower-spike side shoot. This mostly happens when the temperature is suitable (20-25°C) and the light isn't too strong. When this happens, don't cut the flower spike too early - it might just give you a little surprise. But not every flower spike can grow shoots; if you don't fertilize in time after blooming, the spike will quickly shrivel and naturally won't produce shoots.

If you want your Phalaenopsis to produce more side shoots, what we can actually do is create the right environment. Don't let the temperature get too low - below 15°C in winter it easily goes dormant and won't want to grow anything new at all; but it can't be too hot either - above 30°C it's prone to root rot, let alone growing shoots. Don't water too frequently - wait until the sphagnum moss or bark is half dry before watering. Too much water causes root rot, and then no shoots will grow at all. Give it a light fertilizer regularly, especially phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, to help it build up nutrients, and side shoots will naturally appear more easily.

But a word of warning: don't mess around just to get side shoots. Some people hear that "withholding water and cutting roots can force out side shoots," so they go at it hard, and end up killing an otherwise healthy plant. Phalaenopsis itself grows slowly - from a side shoot emerging to growing into a large plant that can bloom takes at least half a year. Be patient, give it the right environment, and what's meant to come will come.

Growing side shoots on a Phalaenopsis is something that happens when all conditions are right - variety, plant condition, and environment are all indispensable. All we can do is not fuss over it, take good care of the basics, and maybe one day while watering you'll find that long-awaited little shoot quietly sprouting!