Snip a dying bloom or not? - Orchid Board

Mountaineer370 · #1 03-25-2018, 08:55 AM

I'm curious to know what common practice is concerning dying blooms. Is it better to let it dry completely and fall off on its own, or is it okay to snip it off at the base of its stem once it starts to look tired and "wilty"?

I ask because I just bought a pretty Phal. Little Gem Stripes that has 12 flowers and 24 more buds. When I got it home, I noticed one of the older flowers is starting to wilt. (I hope that's not a bad sign!) So I was thinking I'd like to snip it off, but not if it could possibly cause any harm. I'm worried that, if the stem itself isn't completely dried up, I've created a tiny open wound?

Also, is "stem" the proper term for the short piece that attaches the flower to the inflorescence? I'm trying to learn proper orchid terminology. I've looked all over and cannot find an anatomical drawing that actually names that part.

Optimist · #2 03-25-2018, 10:10 AM

I would take it off, unless you want it to fall on its own.

jcec1 · #3 03-25-2018, 10:14 AM

I let mine dry up and then I remove them for two reasons :

To allow the plant to recover any nutrients from the withering bloom.

It will form a natural break, so I don't leave any open wounds.

estación seca · #4 03-25-2018, 03:35 PM

Ha! If I'm lucky I have time to sweep up the spent flowers every month or two.

Roberta · #5 03-25-2018, 03:55 PM

When a Phalaenopsis flower withers, it is actually quite easy to remove. This is an aesthetic decision, with one exception... closely examine the faded flower. If you see a fuzzy/cottony thing on, or at the base of, the flower, you have a mealy bug, and there are probably more where that came from. They will destroy flowers quickly. Quick treatment - put a sprayer into a bottle of 70% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, and spray. Follow up with a cotton swab to remove any little brown bugs that were white before the spraying.

The green "stem" with the flowers is commonly referred to as a "spike", or more formally as an inflorescence. Once all the flowers are gone, you can cut this if it bothers you, but the plant can utilize the green tissue in that stem, so I am inclined to leave it until it turns brown. Also, the plant may produce branches on the old spike that can have more flowers. So don't be in a rush...

AnonYMouse · #6 03-25-2018, 05:07 PM

Pedicel? Not sure if it applies to orchids, though.

Mountaineer370 · #7 03-25-2018, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roberta

The green "stem" with the flowers is commonly referred to as a "spike", or more formally as an inflorescence. Once all the flowers are gone, you can cut this if it bothers you, but the plant can utilize the green tissue in that stem, so I am inclined to leave it until it turns brown. Also, the plant may produce branches on the old spike that can have more flowers. So don't be in a rush...

Roberta, to clarify, I was asking about the little piece that goes from the inflorescence to the bloom. It is my practice to leave an inflorescence intact if it is still green, just in case. The flower with the little piece attached, which I know is going to fall off anyway, is what I was wondering about cutting, just for aesthetic purposes, since all the other flowers still look so nice. I just didn't know if cutting that part when it is not totally dried up would do any harm. I guess probably not, since it's not uncommon for flowers and/or buds to accidentally get knocked off occasionally, with no harm done to the plant.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnonYMouse

Pedicel? Not sure if it applies to orchids, though.

In my searches, I think maybe I did see that part referred to as a pedicel, though I don't remember if it was a diagram of an orchid, per se.

---------- Post added at 04:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:27 PM ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by estación seca

Ha! If I'm lucky I have time to sweep up the spent flowers every month or two.

Ah, to have such a problem!