Should p. wedding orchid be cut back?

[texan203]

I have a phalaenopsis wedding orchid, which has quit blooming. Should it be cut back? If so when, and how far?? Thanks.

[dgenovese1]

Hey Texan203...welcome to the OB!

As for cutting back an old spike on a phalaenopsis, there are a couple rules that folks go by.

If it has turned brown and dried up, cut it off at the base of the plant with a clean cutting tool. This spike is spent and will not produce additional flowers or a keiki (baby plant).

If the spike is still green, you can do one of two things. The first is to just cut it off at the base of the plant with a clean cutting tool. This way the plant can conserve its energy stores for its next spike (this is my personal preference). Alternatively, you can leave it on in the hopes that it will produce a keiki or additional blooms, either at the spike end or on lateral branches. Not all green spikes do this, but some do, which is why some folks leave them on the plant.

I hope this helps.

[RosieC]

I 100% agree with dgenovese1. My preference is to cut them off to conserve energy, but then you loose an opertunitry for a keiki or additional blooms. As you are not garanteed either anyway I prefer to let my Phal conserve energy to put into growing and into the next spike.

[camille1585]

I also agree with what has been said. Personally, I cut spikes off to have bigger and better spikes next time around. The only time a left a green spike was on my favorite phal which I wanted a keiki of. I wanted to have a back up of this phal in case anything happens to the first plant!

[Ray]

Spike Cutting

[Leisurely]

I think it depends on the plant. If I had cut my Phal. equestris spike off every time it bloomed, I would still have a single plant or at most a double growth. By leaving the spike on, I now have at least twenty that I grow in a sixteen inch shallow clay saucer and boy do they put on a show all through the winter and spring.