Question
Last Febuary, my boyfriend bought me a pot with Phalaenopsis Orchids and the flowers lasted for quite some time. Once they all died away he cut back the stem in which all the flowers were on all the way down to the bottom and since then no more flowers have grown. I know that the plant is still alive becuase it has produced to new leaves and recently there seems to be growth in the roots. I would say that it has been a good six months since there has been any flowers on the plant. Is there any way in which I can get the flowers to grow back?

Answer
Hello Melissa,

Your boyfriend probably did not do any damage to your phalaenopsis orchid plant when he cut off the spent flower stem.  

If it has been growing well and you have fed it once in a while, it should be starting to grow a new flower stem.  Look between the leaves to see if you can find a stem starting to grow, it will be green to reddish-green in color while new roots will be more white or grey with a green tip along with being fatter or plumper than a stem.  Hopefully you will find a green stem!  

If you do not find one at this time, don't despair as it might still do it in the next few months.  But, even if it does not, keep growing it and it should grow a flower stem next winter.  

Hope this helped a little.

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.