How to Prune????

[RosieC]

I usually cut as close to the plant as possible, but you DO want to be careful to not cut the plant by accident, and so the advise to cut maybe up to an inch above where it starts is good advice.

To prevent infection you could dab the cut with a little cinnomon (yes the spice). I think some people also use Listerine (yes the mouth wash).

[Amanda L]

When my stems start to turn brown, I usually cut them all the way down to the leaves, about an inch is the best way to go. I don't usually put cinnamon on mine, I read somewhere, I think it was here, that the stem is pretty much a one way street and that nothing travels back down to your plant once you cut the stem. If you want to, you can put cinnamon on the cut part, just to be safe. It is better to be safe than sorry.

P.S. WELCOME TO THE ORCHID BOARD!!! You are gonna love it here!!! Beware the enablers (that would be EVERYONE).

[Ross]

Originally Posted by anaorchid

Thanks for the comments! I am stressing a bit, because I really love my plant. When you say cut the entire spike, does that mean i go all the way to where the stem starts and cut it off? Also, what is the best way to prevent infection? Sorry for the numerous questions.

We get this question a lot. Feel free to cut the flower stalk off as close to the leaves as you feel comfortable (use scissors). You'll do no harm. Keep it watered and fertilized (that's another whole topic) and next year it should send out another flower spike.

[lostonthebeach]

deleted

[Mondrak]

I was doing a search for whether or not I did the right thing by cutting the stems right down.

How long will it take for the plants to regrow, and should I keep watering the plants or just spray them?

Thanks

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by Mondrak

I was doing a search for whether or not I did the right thing by cutting the stems right down.

Cutting the inflorescence back is fine. If you remove them while they're brown and dry, there's no need to sterilize the cutters. If you remove them while they're green, the cutters need to be sterilized.

Originally Posted by Mondrak

How long will it take for the plants to regrow, and should I keep watering the plants or just spray them?

Thanks

Re-grow what? Roots? Leaves? Inflorescence?

[Mondrak]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Cutting the inflorescence back is fine. If you remove them while they're brown and dry, there's no need to sterilize the cutters. If you remove them while they're green, the cutters need to be sterilized.



Re-grow what? Roots? Leaves? Inflorescence?

How long would it take for the stems to regrow. Thanks for the quick reply on a topic that was last posted on a couple of years ago :-)

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

If it hasn't already started putting out a new inflorescence (aka "stem" - what you're calling a stem is not the plant's true stem, it is the inflorescence), then it should do so by the next blooming season (which would in general be towards the end of fall for most Phals).

Again, this is a generalization, but is a fairly reliable guideline for many Phals.

[Mondrak]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

If it hasn't already started putting out a new inflorescence (aka "stem" - what you're calling a stem is not the plant's true stem, it is the inflorescence), then it should do so by the next blooming season (which would in general be towards the end of fall for most Phals).

Again, this is a generalization, but is a fairly reliable guideline for many Phals.

Ah, thanks very much.

[Daethen]

Phals can take a rest some times and skip a season. And yes, we are ALL enablers.