Pruning Tips For Phalaenopsis Orchids?

Pruning your Phalaenopsis orchid is crucial for its health and growth. It is best to start pruning after the orchid has completed its blooming cycle and there are no visible buds. Use a clean, sharp knife or garden clippers to carefully prune the top portion of the stem, cutting it back to one inch above a node. The bloom cycle of Phalaenopsis orchids usually lasts two to four months. If you want your orchid to bloom a second time within a year, prune its stem at the end of its blooming cycle.

Pruning is essential for maintaining a healthy phalaenopsis orchid. After flowering, cut off the stalk just above the second node (joint) beneath the spent flowers. A new flowering side-shoot may then sprout from the node. If no new flower shoot develops and the whole stem dies, cut it off at the base. The best time to prune your Phalaenopsis orchid is late in the fall season, when the flower spike is becoming yellow and the plant has stopped blooming. The ideal period for pruning is post-bloom, when the flowers have wilted and the spike turns yellow. In the spring, cut the shrub back to about six inch stems or stalks or branches.

If the shrub begins to turn brown, don’t trim it at all unless it turns brown. Orchids should be pruned only once the flowers have died off, usually when temperatures drop in fall. Fading flowers can be nipped off to keep the stem green. If it stays green for a while, trim to a node and wait. If it starts to turn yellow or brown, cut it all the way to the base. Eventually, cut the stems just above the node where you see a small bump or swelling to encourage new growth and can lead to another round of blooms.