When to cut phalenopsis spikes

[Mere313]

I have a phalaenopsis that I've had for about a year. I think it's starting to put out a new spike, but it's still to early to tell for sure. However, my phalaenopsis still has two spikes from when it was previously in bloom. They never got brown and hard, so I never cut the spikes back. If it turns out that this new shoot is a spike, should I cut back the previous spikes? Or is now a bad time (too late in the cycle) and I should wait until my orchid is done blooming?

If I do need to cut it, I believe I cut it at the second node. Is this the second node from the bottom/base of the spike? I've never had a phalaenopsis make it to the point of growing new spikes before, so this is new and exciting for me!

[wintergirl]

Welcome to Orchid Board!
If the older shoots are still green and not brown and dried, leave them. I leave mine all the time and they rebloom off of old spikes.

[NYCorchidman]

Great answer and that's exactly what I do.
I never cut anything green unless they turn brown on their own.

If the old spikes are not making any flowers and you find them get in the way of the newly developing spike, then you can simply cut the old ones all the way down at the base and get rid of them.

[wintergirl]

The phal whose spike I cut is doing nothing, all the rest that I didn't cut have new buds. I did a little experiment on which was best...