"Pam Moore" wrote...

Bob Hobden"wrote:
"Roger Tonkin" wrote ...

SWMBO was given a Tesco's Phalaenopis orchid in flower last August.
Flowers lasted till about January, but now I'm wondering what to do.

This tip of the main stem where is flowered has turned light brown and
looks as if it is dying. A branch stem about 3/4 way up also flowerd,
but still is blackish and looks healthy.

There is one small bud about one inch along the spur, and a good sized
bud on the main stem below where the branch comes out.

Should I prune back and if so to which bud, and how close down to the
bud. Thanks

.....................................

They will flower again from old flower stems as long as the stems are still
alive, cut any brown dead bits back to just above a node (bud?) and wait
and
see.
One word of warning is that some (especially the white ones IME) can flower
themselves to death so if the plants looks anything other than in rude
health cut the flower spike off completely and let the plant build itself
up
again before it throws up another flower spike or two.

I've been given advice here before about my Phalaenopis, not white!
I've had it for years without flowers. It's made new leaves but no
flowers.
I don't feed very often, but if so it's orchid feed.
Lower leaves have been dying off.
I decided to repot.
There were quite a few aerial roots but no roots in the compost, so
I cut off the dead stem and repotted in orchid compost, putting the
aerial roots down into the compost.
I've obviously been overwatering. I'll see what happens now!-
I don't like giving up!

.....................................

Phals respond to temperature changes with regard to flowering so if you
usually keep it in the same place all the time perhaps a move to somewhere
else (cooler or warmer) will spur it into flowering. They also like more
light than often mentioned, if there is too much light they will simply go
red in leaf so plants getting enough light usually have a ruddy tinge to the
leaves. Personally I would not have put all the aerial roots in the compost
but left a couple out.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK