Off to the miniature section....

I like the Epidendrum parkinsonianum. It's the Bernoulli effect.

Yes, can't say if it raises my pressure or lowers it but there is a definite Bernoulli going on there. Have we coined new orchid jargon?

If the fluid is pink?

NOT! Now back to the Dendrobium aggregatum keikis from May Part I. Here it is. Unscientifically speaking, it seems that if you miss a narrow window of opportunity with Dens needing to be dried out and chilled (or conditions change while budding) your potential spikes stall in the swelling stage and become keikis. I'm careful to avoid nitrogen fert before bloom so that's not the issue but, where I was expecting more spikes, there are some spikes and some keikis.

Here's a larger one also growing on the second joint up and not coming from the base of the plant.

Very interesting! I have not seen that before.

Laurel, we are talking Den aggregatum here, not perhaps kingianum or superbum etc? Bigibbum keikis a lot for me, which I don't mind, it gives me more blooms this way.

I hate to say something really wrong here - I just looked again at my plant and all new pseudobulbs emerge from the base. Now please forgive me, but I really can't tell from your pictures where precisely the new growth emerges. I did study both pics carefully.
I myself don't really worry about fertilizing at the wrong time.

I would think the spikes or the lack thereof hinge on several factors:
Age and condition of the plant, cultural conditions as close as possible to those in nature. Many growers simply don't water the plant for ca 6 weeks starting in Fall, or give only so much water as to prevent the pbulbs from shriveling to death and then really soak the plant ( simulating the start of the rain season) and start watering.( as mentioned...) I never chill this one, thinking of the temps in its habitat. Full sun!

Anyway, this keiki thing on your plant is curious.

Well, suffice to say it's a curious event. The plant was dried from Thanksgiving 'til February. I followed winter weather patterns in South FL where Fuchs grows this orchid outdoors so beautifully. It's in the fifties and forties and dry there. I have full sun conditions. What I'm saying is that after a huge flush of new pbs last summer this plant bloomed beautifully on several spikes, which were previously posted, and now this. If you examine your plant, every pb has two jointed segments above the base. Flowers appear from spikes that originate behind yellowish, arrow-shaped notches at the joint lines. These new growths are occurring on the joint line directly below the leaves and originating from those notches. I'll try more photos.

Laurel, I take your word for it. I am sure it will rebound next year with tons of spikes.
I think I just got lucky this year with mine, ignorance is bliss!

I'm pretty sure all my keikis come from too much watering. When I didn't dry kingianum all winter it made lots of keikis but no spikes.

I have kingianum and it was handled the same way. No spikes. I have fimbriatum and there are no spikes. I have thyrsiflorum and there is one spike opening but I expected more as there are several promising broken nodes. I'm curious as to whether they will spike or keiki.

Most of my Dens have made keikis rather than buds this spring. And lots of roots!

Show some keikis, please. Very interesting.

Roots are good!

Janice - I just quickly pulled up one of my photos of Dendrobium bigibbum var. compactum. See the little plantlets forming roots? These babies/keikis can be potted up as complete new plants.

I can take a few more keiki pics....
Thought I post the Cattleya skinneri alba 'Debbie' FCC/AOS, it finished blooming on one side and shows off now a very delayed group of spikes on the other side of the monster plant.
A plant can be too large, I learned. I just don't have the room to give this plant the proper light conditions all around, hence the uneven blooming this year and sloppy display. I am sharpening the knives.....

Thanks, Ursula. nice photos and interesting.

Prepare the OR!

I would love to adopt!