My orchid has lost its flowers (two are still there but they are dead) and I’m planning on cutting the inflorescence. But I want to make sure I do this correctly. The close up picture shows where the flowers were (those are all used nodes). The second image shows where the leaves end. In the third image the whole plant is shown. Where should I cut?
I’ve never seen an orchid like this but I chop my orchid stems down to the bottom of where they’re coming out of the leaves, they’ll grow new stems so no need for them anyway, it would just waste energy
2 J'aime This is a dendrobium orchid 😁 Thank you so much! I’ll do that tonight
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Is this a dendrobium? If so, cut at the base of the flower cluster not the base of the plant.
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I agree. I’d cut just below where the last spent bloom is and above the potential new bloom. That’s all that’s needed. Excited to see her in bloom in the future.
2 J'aime Yes this is a dendrobium! I’ll make sure to cut at the base at the flower cluster, I was getting some conflicting info probably because I was getting tips for other varieties instead. Thank you so much!
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Cut it under where the first flower opened, right above the node right under that first flower’s former point they occupied.
1 j'aime Ok, thank you so much! I appreciate the tips
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I cut a spent inflorescence approx 1/8” to 1/4” from where it emerged from the cane. Dendrobiums not rebloom on an existing flower spike.
2 J'aime Oh ok, thank you so much! Out of curiosity, are there other orchid varieties that do rebloom on an existing flower spike? I have a young phaelenopsis that still has all its blooms and I’m wondering how different the process will be.
0 J'aime Yes phals can rebloom on an existing spike. In most cases (typically these are plants purchased from a grocery or home improvement store), you can trim the spike at around 1/4” above the topmost unactivated node. The plant may initiate a second bloom cycle, but I find the second show to fewer in number, and the following year not as numerous or large. Other growers don’t see any change in the amount or size of flowers. Some phals are subsequent bloomers, meaning they will continue to produce flowers on a flower spike. Typically these are species or simple hybrids. These are typically available from speciality shops or breeders.l
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