No, Elaine. Air-layering is a distinct method to propagate plants, and they are generally more woody plants.
Not only do the Phalaenopsis form keikis but also my Oerstedella centradenia do. I am not sure those on the centradenia would be called keikis though. Those "seedlings" form off the reed-stem. Here is a picture of one. I have one of my centradenia coming into bloom now. They were last in bloom last winter/spring.
Elaine, I don't grow many Phal. Though I have a lot of different genera/varieties now, I still love the Cattleya alliance most. The nice thing about the Phal. is that they can/will bloom in 2-3 years rather than in 4-5 for the typical Cattleya. As you have noted, I am in the "business" and often will sell my seedling plants long before I ever see them bloom.
Heck, I have had dozens of varieties that I never saw bloom. I sold them all.
But I have blooming size ones too, just not nearly as many as the seedlings. I am trying to achieve more of an equal amount of seedlings and blooming size ones, but because I don't have very much space, I will never truly achieve that goal. I can grow 3-6 seedlings in the same space as a single blooming size. Space (or lack of) is everything to me. I am only a hobbyist.
