Q: My phalaenopsis orchids have finished blooming. Should I cut the stem off or leave it on the plant?

A: It all depends on whether the flower stem is still alive. Scrape it gently with a fingernail. If the stem is green underneath the bark, make a cut just above the highest swollen node on the stem. The orchid may sprout a new flowering stem at that point. If the stem is brown under your scrape, cut it off at the base.