Where to cut back Catt spike?

[judith_arquette]

This is my first blooming Catt so I'm totally lost. Now that the blooms have wilted I have no clue how to proceed...where should I cut the spike? What, if anything, do I do with the sheath? I'm sorry if the questions seem completely ignorant, I just want to make sure I do it right

[DeaC]

I cut mine all the way down to top of pbulb.

[Bulbofett]

Originally Posted by DeaC

I cut mine all the way down to top of pbulb.

Sometimes I get lazy and don't cut it at all. Doesn't matter either way you choose.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Either of the above suggestions sound good to me.

[MattWoelfsen]

There is anecdotal evidence that it is best to let the flowers drop and cut off the sheath to the leaf node after the spike is totally dried out. The reason for doing this is to eliminate the possibility of having an open green wound. If you let the plant dry out the stalk, it'll cauterize itself.

[judith_arquette]

I haven't done anything yet and am thinking I'll just let it dry up and do it's thing. Thanks everyone for all the input!

[tucker85]

You can let them dry out but I usually cut them off and I cut both the sheath and the flower spike about an inch from the plant because I don't want to cut so close that I may injure the pseudo-bulb. Always sterilize your shears before cutting anything on a plant.