Mistake?

[Martine]

I just read something that said if a stem is still green after the flowers fall off, you cut it to 3 nodes from the bottom, but if it turns brown, cut it all the way down. Is this right? I was under the impression that no matter what color the stem was, you cut it all the way down. I have an orchid (phal) (which has a new leaf growing! Very proud that I've been able to keep it alive this long!) that had brown stems after the flowers fell off, so I cut them all the way down. I have another orchid (phal) where the stem was still green for while after, but I cut it all the way down, because I was told that's what your supposed to do. Did I mess up big time? Will this orchid ever spike again? I have another orchid that still has flowers, and I really don't want to mess up.

[BunnytheOrchid]

Hi Martine
Cutting the spike while it is still green is not fatal to the plant, just possibly disappointing if you wanted the phal to possibly rebloom from that spike. You're right if its still green that you can cut three nodes from the bottom to get it to rebloom (possibly). But cutting while it is green will not hurt the plant. It may have been helpful for that cute new leaf Less energy into flowering. Don't despair, with some TLC and love it will bloom again

[patticake]

I agree with bunny- To have it re-bloom from the same spike is nice, but exhausting for the plant. If it's trying to grow a new leaf, I would have cut it also. There are plants where you leave the stalk regardless, but I don't believe that applies for Phals.

[sandra]

A lot of people like to keep the spikes after the flowers are spent, hoping to get sub-spikes and/or keikis. Cutting the spike below the last node where the last flowers were on the spike will raise the chances of this happening. If it's still early enough in the season, I keep the spikes. If it's close to Autumn, I'll cut the spike all the way down and try to give it the most optimum conditions I can for it to grow a brand new spike for the new growing season. Without the spike, the plant's resources are spent in growing roots and leaves at a faster rate than when the spike is left. You did not harm the plant by cutting the spike, you're just left flower-less a bit longer, that's all.

[Martine]

Thanks!