How to Clone Orchids With Keiki Paste

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How to use keiki paste with the plant hormone cytokinin to encourage epiphytic orchids to grow new baby plants, also known as "keikis".

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Makes: 1 baby plant

Cost: 25.00

Choose a dormant bud on a flower branch of your orchid to propagate. Counting from the base, this should be the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th bud on the (not-in-flower) stem.
1 Orchid plant
Gently remove/peel off any leafy sheath covering the bud.
Use a chopstick to apply a scant amount of keiki paste directly onto the bud. Discard any excess.
Continue routine care of the plant. If a keiki (baby orchid) is going to form, you should notice the bud swelling and beginning to grow within a month.

See the article for important tips on choosing the best orchid to propagate, timing, and application of the keiki paste.