Orchids bloom again after cutting the stem.
1 What to Do With an Orchid After the Flowers Fall Off?
4 My Orchid Is Wilted: What Do I Do?
Orchids (Orchidaceae) enjoy different climates depending on the variety, but many types thrive outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11. Most gardeners grow their orchids indoors to control conditions such as light, temperature and humidity. In the right environment, your orchid puts on a dazzling display of colorful, exotic-looking blooms. After a few months, though, the flowers fade and the orchid seems like it's gone dormant. Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis blume) are the only type that will bloom again on the same flower spike if you cut it back. You can also cut the stem of any orchid variety at the base to prompt strong root development.
Sterilize your cutting tool by coating it in rubbing alcohol if you're not using a new blade. This will kill bacteria that can infect and harm your orchid.
Allow all the orchid's blooms to fade and drop off the plant.
Make a cut between the the lowest bloom on the stem and the node just below it. The node looks like a small bump protruding from the stem. This node should put out flowers in eight to 12 weeks.
Dab powdered cinnamon over the cut area. Cinnamon's antifungal properties will help protect your plant as the cut heals. Alternatively, use a bit of melted candle wax to seal the cut.
Wait for the orchid's flowers to fade and fall off the plant.
Make a cut about 1 or 2 inches above the base of the orchid's stem using a sterile knife or scissors.
Seal the cut with powdered cinnamon to prevent fungal disease. In several months, the orchid will send out a new stem and blooms.
You should cut off the entire stem if it ever turns brown or yellow.
According to the American Orchid Society, Phalaenopsis orchids are the only kind that will rebloom from an old stem.
American Orchid Society: Where Do I Cut the Flower Spike When It is Finished?
King, Melissa. "Orchids: How to Cut Back the Stalk." Home Guides | SF Gate, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/orchids-cut-back-stalk-71011.html. Accessed 23 April 2019.
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