Orchid

[dollymay]

I was given an orchid in flower in November. A few weeks ago the flowers started to drop and now they have all gone, leaving a bare, dead looking, stem. Should I cut this stem/spike or leave it and hope new flowers grow from it. The leaves and base look healthy, the roots are silvery.

[Barmaid]

Cut the flower stem down.

One or more of the roots should start growing upwards. Train it and the new flowers will come off that.

I've got four of them, they are lovely plants.

[ummmm]

I had one. I eventually managed to kill it. It flowered twice a year without me doing a thing to it.

[woofgang]

barmaid, it may look like it but its not the orchid root that produces flowers but a flower stem. they do look alike but the roots will never produce flowers no matter how you train them.

http://www.gardenworld.co.uk/resources/uploads/case_studies/pdf/How%20to%20get%20an%20orchid%20to%20rebloom.pdf

[Barmaid]

Thanks Woofy, I've learnt something today!!

Tbh, I used to kill these with alarming regularity. My cleaner has been gently training me in "how not to kill house plants".

[Tuvok]

I read once that you should cut the stems.

On one orchid where I didn't it now has 2 baby orchids growing on the stem.

[woofgang]

it depends....sometimes the stem dies and dries right back to the plant...those you can cut off. If the stem stays green then cut off just above a bump on the stem where there is what looks like a tiny leaf or scale. This will usually make another flower stem

[zebo]

I have one that's about 8 years old and this year it's gone absolutely crazy, full of flowers, far more than when it was given to me! All I do is ignore it, put some water on when it's about to die although I did pot it up a size when it split the pit it was in. I also clip off any dry looking stems.

[Prudie]

I have 4 different orchids and they all constantly come into flower. I never cut the stems down, sometimes new stems grow up from the bottom similar to the silvery roots but sometimes stems with new flowers branch off the old stems. Apart from trying to only use rainwater I give them no care at all and have never repotted any of them in 4 or more years.

[dollymay]

Many thanks for all your advice. Seems there is no one best way! However I will try cutting the dead looking stem down and hope for the best!!

[anthro-nerd]

Mine is looking a bit sad too, I wondered if it was because the room was too warm? Heating has been on to the max this past week! Brrr!!

[woofgang]

they don't mind a bit of heat but it will dry the air out. Mine live on trays of gravel that I keep well watered, the gravel not the orchids