Question
I got my orchid about 2 months ago when my son was born, it had about 6-7 blooms on "what I'm going to call" a blooming stem and about 4 leaves.  Since we have gotten home, the plant is still very healthy, but my blooms have died and fallen off and I'm wondering, do I cut back that foot long stem the blooms were on, or do I just continue to let it grow taller?  Does it grow taller, or do you have to cut it back to promote next years blooms?  Thanks for your help!

Answer
Hello Tiffany,

Congratulations on the new son and new orchid.  Although you did not say what kind of orchid it is, I'll take a guess that it is a phalaenopsis orchid plant.  If the leaves a somewhat oval in shape and thick fleshed, it probably is a phal.  

On most phalaenopsis orchids, it is a good idea to cut the stem off once the flowers have all fallen off.  The exception (there always is, isn't there) is for the few phalaenopsis that bloom several years from the same stem, growing longer prior to blooming.  The way to tell if yours is one of these is to wait a month or so to see if the stem begins to turn brown from the tip downward, if it does then cut it off but if it remains green to leave it alone.  To cut it off, follow the stem down to where it grew from the phal, go back up an inch or two and cut.  

The normal bloom time for phals is late winter through spring but since yours was in bloom the past two months, the grower probably forced it to bloom out of season.  If you are lucky, it may start growing a new bloom stem in the next few months, look for a green growth to appear between the leafs, as it grows longer it would remain green or reddish green in color but if it turns grey behind the green tip that would mean it is a new root rather than a stem.  If no new stem appears within the next few months, it will probably be next year when it will.  Just be patient.  In the mean time, take care of that son and enjoy him - they grow up so quickly.  

Hope this answered your question.  If you have other questions or would like more information, write back.

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.