To prune, prune a little, or not to prune... the pluses & minuses

[cythaenopsis]

Of course in the wild, there's nobody out there climbing trees and pruning wild orchids. They just grow by themselves and have evolved to do it in an optimal way, reactive to the conditions in their environment.

I understand that it's beneficial to prune some orchid types, like phalaenopsis, as it helps encourage additional blooming in a given cycle and conserve resources for the next blooming (not sending resources to spikes that won't bloom again). But I'm a bit confused about a few things I've not yet learned from all of the information I've combed from the Internet so far (including YouTube videos).

I did NOT prune my first phal after it bloomed. It is a young plant and when I got it there were 6 flowers. I watered it once every two weeks across the winter and ensured it got plenty of indirect sunlight. It got a little chilled during the winter, but never went below 50F. In the spring, there appeared buds galore. 15 of them stayed on and flowered! (shot1, shot2; taken after several flowers had finished and fallen) So, obviously I didn't need any pruning to encourage growth.

Question #1: It seems that a young phalaenopsis will do just fine in the second blooming without any pruning. But, generally after how many flowering cycles is it a good idea to start pruning? Are there certain telltale signs?

Question #2: I've read that a darkening & stiffening of a spike ending means it's ready to be pruned. Although some people say you should cut the spike a few nodes above the base, there are some who say you can cut a node or two behind the ending of the healthy part of a spike, usually where flowering took place. Does this vary depending upon the health/age of the plant, or personal preference? Is it best to cut as early as possible, or can you let the spike change color and redden before pruning?

Question #3: Does pruning higher on a plant spike end up giving you a longer flower spike? Or will a spike cut near the base still sprout a new spike that will grow about as long as the last one?

Question #4: Is there any advantage to a shorter or longer flower spike?

Question #5: What pruning practice will help cause spike branches to form out of a spike node? Or is it just a matter of the plant genetics in combination with good care, that it will branch spikes if it wants to or not?

Question #6: I've read about some people being very cautious about the sterilization of pruning tools, that orchids can easily catch infections and viruses. Some people apply flame to their blades, while others wipe in alcohol. Is that overkill? Wouldn't a good washing with soap and hot water do the trick?

Question #7: After pruning, there is the issue of that exposed cut on the spike tip. I've seen some people neglect to say anything about it, while some use techniques to help prevent infection. Some use an anti-fungal paste, but I've seen some people use cinnamon. Cinnamon is appealing because it is readily available, inexpensive, and natural. Does it really help? In any case, is it harmless to apply to a cut spike?


I know, a lot of questions... if there's a guide somewhere that addresses all of that, please post. And of course, any answers to my questions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[tucker85]

#1 If you're talking about a new spike from the old flower spike. Most large phals will only rebloom once, if at all. Some small novelty phal continue to bloom from the same spike for years. Usually the vendor will tell you if the plant is one that reblooms continuously from the old spike.
#2 This is completely up to you. If you want to see if it will rebloom you can just leave the spike or cut it back leaving some lower nodes. Or you can cut it off completely at near the base if you don't care about rebloom until next year.
#3 I've never paid attention to this. So I don't know.
#4 Not that I know of.
#5 Pruning does not affect branching. Some phals branch more than others.
#6 I use a torch to sterilize. I recently read that good cleaning with soap and water is effective.
#7 I don't use anything on the cut. But about half the time I don't cut the spike at all until it has turned brown on it's own. I've never had a spike get infected and I've never even heard of it happening.

[cythaenopsis]

^ Thanks for your replies, Tucker.

I apologize for being a little ambiguous with the first question. I didn't realize that the spike is whatever stem that sprouts from the base. I'd thought that this was the main stem and that offshoots are the spikes.

I like your idea of letting the plant spike turn brown before pruning it... I would expect that it'll brown down to a certain point and then you just prune in between that and the next node. I watched in horror in one video where the person suggested cutting a healthy spike, even with it flowering, in order to encourage more flowering. Perhaps that's a sign of a very inpatient person!

[dounoharm]

i always cut the spike down to the last few inches....and wait for a new spike to form for more flowers....i think it makes a neater healthier plant....

[cythaenopsis]

dounoharm, will a new spike usually appear from the base or will one form off of the cut spike? Are there ways to encourage one or the other?

How do you determine if your phal is the kind that can keep blooming from the same spike or needs to be cut back? If you witness the main spike blooming at least twice, does that mean it could continue doing so in the succeeding cycles?

[silken]

There are so many hybrids created these days that it is hard to know if one Phal or another will readily re-bloom from an old spike. If it is cut down right near the base, it won't re-bloom. The next time the plant blooms, it will send a new spike from the base. It can take several months to start growing a new spike from the old one. Eventually if it doesn't, just cut it back.

Some people say that the second bloomings from old spikes are often not as robust and the flowers not as big. So there is a case for cutting them down completely and waiting for a new one. I would likely only let my spike re-bloom once and then cut it right down so that the plant can take some time to grow more roots and leaves. That way it is getting ready for a big display next bloom season!

[cythaenopsis]

Thanks for the advice, silken.

The flowers on my phal were about the same size as in the first bloom I witnessed (I don't know if the main spike had another bloom before this), just much more numerous. I'll try giving the plant a little more time. Right now it's starting to produce a lot of leaves.

[Ray]

Consider that blooming is the plant's way of trying to reproduce and continue the gene pool.

In nature, if something breaks a flower spike ("prunes" it), the plant may grow a branch from the remaining part in a last-ditch effort to do that, but as has been stated, that can weaken the plant, as flowering is a tremendous consumer of resources.

"Forcing" blooming by trimming flower spikes is a sure way to get fewer, smaller blossoms, and often to "force" the plant to skip a blooming season altogether, and sometimes even kill it.

Branching and reblooming are genetic in nature, and a plant will bloom to its maximum potential if well-grown, and cannot be "forced" into anything better.

My preference is to leaf the inflorescence alone, and let the plant decide what it wants to do, cutting it completely off based on one of two conditions - it is starting to fade (browning), or like dounoharm, if I think it looks bad.

[cythaenopsis]

^ Thank you, Ray. That sounds very sensible and is more in line with my thinking. I prefer to do only minor assistance, like removing dead leaves/flowers, rather than anything aggressive unless there's a trauma to correct. When my phal went from 6 flowers to 15 on the next round with my only assistance being regular watering, sufficient sunlight, and reasonable temperatures, it really confused me because of all the orchid pruning advice I see layered around the Internet. My phal did just fine without any pruning whatsoever!

Certainly pruning must achieve some desirable effects because of the abundance of suggestions, but I have to imagine that it's based on a few important factors that may not apply to everyone. Perhaps some people would rather see a repeat blooming of fewer and smaller flowers rather than having to wait longer for the next cycle that would produce large and more abundant flowers. I'm fine with the latter.

And then there's the matter of a phal being predisposed to blooming many times from the same spike. From what I've read, some varieties do this. So wouldn't it be a shame for someone to cut back a spike that would have been just fine if left alone?