Will an orchid with a completely cut spike bloom again?

[Jae]

Hello everyone.

So my boyfriend got a phalaenopsis orchid from his mother about a year ago and after it was done blooming he cut the bloom spike completely. He didn't know any better and I've just taken the orchid under my wing. This is my first orchid, so I don't know that much about them.

The leaves are healthy, roots look good from the surface (planning to re-pot to a bigger pot soon).

So my question is - will it grow a new spike and bloom again?
And what should I do to make this happen?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Optimist]

Sure because they all bloom from a different place on the plant. After the bloom, the orchid will get a leaf (or leaf and pseudobulb) on the "lead" node. The new flower spike will come from the new growth. Sometimes they have more than one new growth, and also sometimes they are very different in how they do things. (It is hard to explain unless we know what type it is because there are about 4000+ kinds of orchid, and many people here grow multiple kinds). Then about the same time next year, if it is still alive, it will bloom again.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Ease up on the boyfriend, he did the right thing (whether he knew it or not) to achieve a stronger new spike the next time.

Yes, it may be possible to get a second spike off of that first one, often these have fewer blooms than the original spike. Often the Phalaenopsis commonly sold in groceries, markets, etc. Are often young plants, that second set of blooms requires energy from the plant, it can take a while for a young plant to recover from blooming twice like that.

Cutting the whole spike may help the plant to recover more quickly and be able to produce a brand new spike sooner.

[Ray]

I know I've done it myself, but I think Optimist read more into your query than you wrote!

Phalaenopsis - which do not have pseudobulbs - do, indeed, bloom again. There are some species that can bloom from old flower spikes, and others that typically don't, so your boyfriend's "surgery" was of little consequence.

Many species that DO have pseudobulbs only bloom once per growth, but that is not "set in stone", either.

As to getting your phalaenopsis to rebloom, the most reliable process is to grow it very warm, humid, and shady, so that it can build up reserves, then let it experience about two weeks or so of a decrease in average growing temperature about 7-10C lower than the average temperature it had been experiencing, then return it back to the warmer conditions.

Abot six- to eight weeks later, a new spike should emerge.

[Jae]

Ok, thanks everyone.
I'm not being hard on him We both agreed he is unequipped (aka he doesn't want to) take care of it.

I just got worried because everywhere I looked it said to cut the spike at the 3rd or 4th node, not the whole thing.
So I'll do what I can and hopefully see blooms again sometime soon

[Benno]

Be careful when repotting, orchids don't do well if you put them in a pot that is too big as the media takes too long to dry out. They should only just about fit in the pot.

[Mountaineer370]

Just joining in to say don't worry about a thing. Your orchid will grow a new spike and bloom again, provided it gets its basic needs met. I typically cut my Phalaenopsis spikes after all the flowers have fallen off, but only when the spike itself has turned brown and dry. If the spike remains green, you can cut it back to one of the nodes and there is a chance it will bloom again from that same spike. If not, though, it will eventually produce a new one.

And by the way, welcome to the Orchid Board! Don't hesitate to ask questions any time.