If the spike is brown cut it off completely. Frankly, I cut all spikes off after flowering. You get a much better spike of flowers and the plant spends its energy growing new leaves and roots.

Its a personal decision. However, if that spike is brown and drying up, cut it off.

Jane

The spike is not brown, it is still healthy and green. I was wondering how long one should wait before cutting the entire spike. I wanted to have a smaller amount of flowers this time around, hence not cutting to the bottom. Just wondering if some spikes will never grow an additional spike... Thank you very much for the reply! :) you can see the 3 plants in the photo and I have them labeled too :)

I agree with Dannie, impossible to say, especially these days when most Phals are sold with a description. Phalaenopsis orchid. Not very useful.

Link to FAQ because there is a instructive pic. at the end.

Why is it impossible to say? Because most Phalaenopsis specialists will cut the hybrid spikes down to the base, but there are some primary hybrids that are exceptions.

I gather that you want blooms most of the year rather than say the flush during spring.

Perhaps some readers will suggest some that initiate new spikes at times other than Autumn/Early winter.

Cutting Spikes FAQ

dannie317(7, NYC)
arthurm2015(Micro-Climate, Zone 10b Sydney, Australia)

thanks! That is what I was wondering! Thanks for answering my question, I really appreciate your advice! Yes, I am looking for blooms all year :) (for some of my phals, and cutting the stems entirely for some of my phals :) I am new to this, but my oh my do I love orchids!!!!! Cheers!

"Perhaps some readers will suggest some that initiate new spikes at times other than Autumn/Early winter- "

Yes, changing the temp should initiate blooms from what I hear if it becomes lower in temp it will shock the plant into it!

I believe this is what has sparked the second spikes this year: the AC in my building kicked in for the summer, so even though the long, warm days are here, the temps in this room have dropped considerably. The next temperature swing will be in February, which coincides with lengthening after days after winter ... I think this is how I've ended up with two bloomings per year, and spikes that grow more buds one month after the first series of buds have opened. I feel like a greenhouse tricking orchids to bloom out of season (except I'm not 100% sure how I'm doing it, lol!).

Oddly, my office had been in a south-facing, evenly temperate location down the hall for 7 years, and this never happened. My orchids faithfully had one bloom every year at the same time. Now I'm in an east-facing location, and the temp is all over the place, and it's a circus up in here, I'm never sure what to expect!

LOL! I am with you dannie317 my office is east facing and the temp is all over the place, so far my orchids are doing exceedingly well! My office was just moved though... not as much light here and it is facing west! yikes... I'm a bit worried!!!!!!!

I leave the spikes on, and sometimes they reflower, sometimes they don't. But it is harder on the plant not to get recovery time between blooms, and you might not get as many spikes next year.

This grow cycle I will be cutting my spikes to the bottom! he he!

With spikes left on and cut just below last flower one often gets more flower spikes much later, even a few years later. I often see them initate on old spikes when a new spike starts from the plant base. Thus, when flowering one can get multiple rather than a single spike.

Bromeliads and some other plants initiate flowering when ethylene gas (a plant hormone) exposure is given.

Anyone try an Apple in a plastic bag for ethylene exposure source, as done with bromeliads, such as indoor grown pineapples?

Cutting the spike will encourage the plant to produce more flowers and you can literally bloom your plant to death after a few years' time. Cut the spike back all the way to the base allows the plant to regenerate and often produces more than one spike. To get the plant to spike let it be exposed to night time temps of 55 degrees F for at least 2 weeks then return to normal conditions. Once the spike start to form it will take 180 days to see flowers form again.