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Proper Orchid Pruning Techniques
Then comes the question, 'When is the right time to prune orchids?' Late autumn is a good time because dead branches are evident and easy to be removed. Pruning isn't recommended in late winter as the risk of removing flower buds accidentally increases and this reduces or eliminates flowering. If all the flowers wither away, then when should you prune your orchids or cut the stalk back and how far? These are common concerns of orchid growers. Orchids will produce no new blossoms or flowers when the stalk of the orchid changes from green to yellow or brown. At this time, this is your chance to prune your orchids to within an inch from where the blossom stalk originated on the plant. If potential blossom loss isn't an issue, you also have the option of pruning your orchid when the stalk is green. You may also remove the end of the blossom stalk to shorten the stalk, but remember to keep enough so that it may bloom again. If you choose to do this, only cut it back to about 1/4 inch above a node which is indicated by a small leaf-like bract clinging to the stalk. When pruning your orchid, you shouldn't be harming it, but you should be helping it. However, some orchids may produce new bloom shoots from the nodes on the old blossom stalk, while the other orchids may produce small baby plants (pups) from these nodes. When this occurs, the new plants may be removed from the mother orchid and potted once they have had a chance to develop roots. Obviously, there are orchids that do neither of these things. The bottom line is, if you remove old bloom stock, you may just miss some new blossoms or a baby plant. The eye of the orchid is the knot where the flowers emerges. If the mother orchid has the strength, usually one or two new spikes will grow again from the eye (knot). It is must be kept in mind that the mother orchid will not grow properly unless you prune the spike as soon as the flowers are finished or dead. When pruning Cymbidium, Dendrobium and other orchids, it's recommended that after the blooming period, you must lift the orchid from the container with great attention and care, prune off dead or damaged roots and then repot using a fine-grade fir bark and water. To prune a Phalaenopsis orchid, you cut the bloom spike to the base of the orchid when it has finished blooming. A year later and voila, a new spike will appear. Resources
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