After all of the blooms on a Phalaenopsis orchid have fallen off, the old spike remains. Cutting parts of the spike off just after a "node" can sometimes force it to send out a new shoot that will bloom again in a few months, but this is not recommended because the plant can bloom itself to death - particularly a young orchid.

A much better approach is to cut off the entire old spike and give the plant a rest, allowing it to send out a new leaf. This requires more patience, but the reward will be a much healthier plant that will have more robust blooms during its next blooming cycle.

Use a sterile cutting tool so you do not accidentaly transfer a virus from another plant. A single-edge razor blade is an inexpensive, disposable tool if you only have a few orchids.

Back to the Orchid Bloom article

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