--- title: "Hey everyone!! Question… should I have trimmed my orchid? It has lots…" description: "Hey everyone!! Question… should I have trimmed my orchid? It has lots of off shoots with flowers now from the same stem but I haven’t seen many orchids like…" url: "https://getplanta.com/community/JmTUi1iSQr6-tX35luAMXQ/M7XtXNiMSpyhCQQrxpIvfA" community: "The Orchid Oasis" author: "Allison" published: "2024-05-22T20:34:42.748191Z" language: "en" image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/XgCVw8Y0c__vwmgbWRWsIFw8AzTD5IHtV8L6sAzgy7A/kT2YtkgqRAmzFoB_Pw01Yw.webp?size=large" --- [Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [The Orchid Oasis](https://getplanta.com/community/JmTUi1iSQr6-tX35luAMXQ.md) # Hey everyone!! Question… should I have trimmed my orchid? It has lots… _Posted by Allison on 2024-05-22_ Hey everyone!! Question… should I have trimmed my orchid? It has lots of off shoots with flowers now from the same stem but I haven’t seen many orchids like this. Did I miss a trimming before the summer came and the buds started to grow? Also any recommendations for where I should cut it after all the flowers die? I had another stem previously that withered and died before the winter. It hasn’t grown back though. I’m worried if I cut this one, that will be the end of this orchid. What do you recommend? Thanks!! ![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/XgCVw8Y0c__vwmgbWRWsIFw8AzTD5IHtV8L6sAzgy7A/kT2YtkgqRAmzFoB_Pw01Yw.webp?size=large) ## 6 comments ### Bee K. commented on 2024-05-23 It’s gorgeous! ### Jen commented on 2024-05-23 You have a very prolific bloomer there! As far as the spike that dried and you pruned- that’s totally normal. You should and it seems you did cut it all the way down to the base. Once the flower spike dries, it will not rebloom, and it will not regrow. That growth spot on the plant is sort of ‘used up.’ Am I right in reading that you cut this flower spike back after the last flowering, and this is the result of a second blooming from the same spike? Or is this a new one that grew from the stem of the plant from scratch? #### Allison replied on 2024-05-23 Hi Jen! This was a new spike that grew while the there was still a green spike left from the first flowering. However, nothing was happening with that one so I cut it as well like the first dead spike. Was I maybe not supposed to? Do flowers come back on green stems that previously had flowers die? If I cut this one then I would need to wait for a new green stem to grow I suppose. #### Jen replied on 2024-05-23 There are 2 schools of thought on this… You can cut a spike back to about a 1/2 inch above the first growth nodes before flowers began to bloom, and you MIGHT get a second flush of flowers. However, I advise the second rule of thought, which is that when your flowers drop, cut the spike down to the base. It gives your orchid time and resources to grow essential leaves and roots, in its regular vegetative growth time. Then you’ll get a fuller more elaborate blooming next season. If your orchid is constantly putting out the energy of flower growth- it will eventually deplete itself, and the blooms will be smaller, fewer, and the health of your plant will suffer. Yours looks super healthy and a vigorous hybrid, so I wouldn’t worry about it reblooming next season if you cut the spike completely when it’s finished blooming. ### Riley commented on 2024-05-23 Many orchids take a few years to start blooming regularly after the first flowers die, but as long as they’re getting good care and the stems are trimmed they will rebloom! #### Allison replied on 2024-05-23 Okay! Great to know! --- _Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). Reading is open to everyone. To post, comment and like, get the Planta app: https://getplanta.com/download_