Question
QUESTION: Hi!  I have a Phalaenopsis Orchid.  I have had it for a few months now.  I purchased it with 4 flowers on it and 2 large leafs.  I've had one bud bloom only. Not that I've had multiple buds and only one had bloomed...but I have only had on bud in total. I now have 6 healthy leafs, 2 flowers and NO buds.  I am afraid that the last two flowers will be finished and I will have no buds.  There are two stems.  One stem is completely bare and the other stem has the two flowers on it.  If my remaining flowers go...no buds are there...what happens next?  Is this common? Also, since my purchase, the stems have grown.  I will have to now purchase   longer sticks to keep them up.  Any incite?

ANSWER: Christine, you are at or near the end of the annual flowering period for your phalaenopsis.  While there still is a slight possibility that the green flower spikes could grow longer and produce new buds, that is not very common.  As long as the old flower spikes are green you may either leave them on the plant or cut the off above a node (ie joint) on the flower spike. There still is a possibility that the old flower spikes could turn brown and die back-- that is normal for some hybrids.

Now, you need to conceentrate on growing your plant with strong new roots and leaves. It is desirable to repot it in fresh orchid potting mix following flowering.  This fresh potting mix should better support the development of new roots.  In unpotting you plant, check the roots for health and remove any that are mushy as they are dead.

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QUESTION: Thank you so much for your response!  My last and final questions...do I just cut at the last joint or do I go down to the leafs?  Also, am I to re pot every cycle?  Is a cycle per year?  Why do I need to repot?  Also, do I use the same pot with fresh moss or do I go bigger each time?  I should just go buy a book, huh??

Answer
Thanks for your followup Christine.  As long as the old flower spike is still green you can cut it off just above any node (it doesn't matter).  However, recognize that the old flower spike on some phalaenopsis hybrids just naturally turn brown and die back and then can be cut off at thier base next to the plant.  I'm telling you this so if it does turn brown it won't have anything to do with your cutting it.

With regard to repotting, this is generally recommended after a plant has finished blooming.  One of the way orchids differ from other plants is that the roots need access to air and a decomposing orchid mix limits the flow of air to the roots.  I do not recommend that you repot your plant in moss.  Moss can compact over time, hence restricting the flow of air to the roots.  It also has a tendency to either dry out excessively or stay wet too long.  Many retailers have their plants in moss because it is easier for them to maintain the plant in the short run-- they don't concern themselves with growing the plant after it finishes flowering.  Find a bag of orchid potting mix at a garden center-- even Lowes and Home Depot Garden Centers have it.  

As to pot size, it depends on the condition of the roots on your plant which you won't know until you unpot it.  You may have many dead roots-- in which case, after removing those, you may be able to repot it back to the same pot.  However, if most of the roots are healthy and firm, you may need a pot about an inch larger in diameter for repotting.  Remember to use a plastic pot with lots of drainage holes for your plant.

These are very good questions and I hope my answers have helped some.  Don't be shy about asking followup questions.  Those of us who have been growing orchids for a while take a lot for granted and have forgotten all of the learning we had to go through when we started.