How to Use Crazy Keiki Cloning Paste on Orchids
Crazy Keiki Cloning Paste is a specially formulated blend of hormones and vitamins that will convince your orchid to produce a baby orchid clone or extra flower stalk... naturally! It's super simple to use and a little bit of paste goes a long way. By using keiki paste you can grow your collection and enjoy more flowers. 1, 2, 3 & you're done. Here's how...
1. Find a node
First, locate a node on the orchid flower stem. Run your hands along the stalk and you'll feel a bump every couple inches. These bumps are the nodes. They look a bit like joints where the stalk merges together. There are several nodes on each flower stem and each node should work with keiki paste.
Southside Plants (the makers of Crazy Keiki Cloning Paste) have found nodes closer to the base of the plant are more likely to result in a keiki (baby plant), while nodes closer to the flowers are more likely to result in a new flower stalk. Choose one, two (or three) nodes based on what your ideal outcome is. Best not to apply to more than 3 on one plant though.
2. Prep the node
Before adding the paste, prep the node. On an Orchid, each node has a little bit of thin plant tissue (called a bract) covering it up kind of like a sock. The bract needs to be pushed down or removed before the paste is applied.
Use a tooth pick, tweezers or even your clean fingernails to peel off the bract. It might feel weird peeling off something on your plant, but it's just a little bit of protective tissue. You won't hurt your plant. When you're done peeling you might see a bright or light green dot underneath. This dot is the node! If you don't see the dot, don't fret. You are still in the right location.
3. Apply the paste
After applying the paste, continue watering and caring for your orchid as normal. It usually takes a few weeks before the paste starts working. After a couple of weeks you should begin to see some growth. Southside Plants suggests carefully take a toothpick to push aside the paste and see if something is growing if you're feeling impatient.
