| Hi and welcome to the forum Mellymom. Wonderful people here with all kinds of
knowledge to help you. I would just leave the stalk intact until the blooms
that are curently on flower and eventually die and fall off. Then I would cut
the stalk off about 1-2 inches from the base of the plant. This will help
the plants energy source for the blooms next season. The ripped leaf should
not hurt the plant. I received a Phal that had 2 ripped leaves on it. The old
leaves will eventually turn yellow and fall off on their own and you will get
new leaves growing from the top. Just keep it from any direct sunlight and
water consistantly. Not too dry and not too wet. In the middle to late fall,
try to achieve a 10 F difference from day to night temperatures. This will
encourage a new spike for the next blooming season. Good luck and good
growing.
PS A dusting of cinnamon after you cut the spike will help prevent bacterial
and fungal problems. |