Question re: Cutting back old spikes while a new one is growing

[NytroJen]

Hello from Rhinebeck, NY (about an hour and a half north of NYC, straight up the Hudson River).

I'm pretty new and I have a question. My orchid has two old spikes. I never cut them back because they still looked fairly green and alive. But now there is a new spike growing, and I want it to get all the energy it can. Is it okay to cut the old spikes now, while the new one is growing, or will it upset the whole plant too much?

Thank you so much! I have been trying to grow orchids for many years and I've never been successful (hot, dry apartment). Finally I have two that seem happy and healthy and I want to keep them that way.

[Grautier]

You can safely cut the old ones. It won't upset the plant.

Some Phal do grow side-spikes freely on spent spikes, some reassume growing at the tip, some just stay green and don't move ... Some do all of this.

Welcome to the Forum!

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

Or you could leave them. It won't prevent flowering from new spikes. It's a matter of taste.

[SouthPark]

Just allow it to stay there. I often don't even cut the spikes even when they've dried up. Mainly because .... out there in the wild .... nobody is going to come along to do some trimming.

Although ..... in our growing area ..... it definitely is optional ... to cut or not. But it is true that existing flower spikes that previously produced buds .... can produce more buds later. It can either do that .... or it can later dry up after a long or short time of doing nothing.

[K-Sci]

Originally Posted by NytroJen

Is it okay to cut the old spikes now, while the new one is growing, or will it upset the whole plant too much?

First, congratulations on a well grown phalaenopsis. It is obviously doing quite well in your care.

As was said previously, cutting off or trimming back the old spikes will not have any negative effect. If you trim them above a node about half way down, none, one, or both may start growing a new shoot. At this point, I'm inclined to say none, but it is definitely possible.

If it were mine, I would completely remove both old spikes but only because I think having multiple spikes probably won't result in a larger total flower count. A lot depends on the genetics of the particular plant.

-Keith