After the Orchid has bloomed?

[Cazza]

Hi there, sorry to ask this question if it's already been answered.

I have a couple of orchids that I'm very proud to say (and totally surprised as never seem to have luck with orchids!) have flowered for ages and ages, anyway their flowers have just fallen off so I'm left with just the stalk. What do I do now? Do I just leave them in the hope that they'll reflower or do I cut the stalk at a particular point? Thanks for any advice

[potato_masher1986]

Depends what type of orchid it is. If it's a phalaenopsis, leave the stalk to die back. It will stop at a particular node. When it has stopped, you can cut it off at that point. The plant may produce another spike from that node.
I tend to leave all the spikes on my orchids to die right back anyway, I never cut them off while they are still green.
Hope that helps and that I haven't confused you too much

[orchidaddict789]

Orchids other than phalaenopsis (and sometimes psychopsis) grow spikes that do nothing after the flowers fall off. They look like green sticks for a while, then become yellow, then dried and dead. It's all for aesthetic reasons--whether you like to see spent spikes on your plant or not. I tend to cut them off with a sterile cutting tool near the base. Orchids to cut: oncs, dends, intergenerics, vandas, cattleyas...

Phal spikes not only can produce spikes out of the nodes but also more baby plantlets! Keep in mind that growing side spikes may not yield full-sized blooms, and let keikis grow only if the mother plant is strong and healthy.