Post-Bloom Phalaenopsis Care: Spike Pruning, Light & Repotting

Green spike: Cut above 2nd/3rd node. May branch and rebloom.
Spike yellows/browns: Cut at base. Plant will grow new spike next season.

Elaine asked what to do when flowers fall: cut the spike? Continue water/fertilizer? Move the plant?

Spike Management: Genetics Decide

In bloom: Can be displayed anywhere.
For reblooming: Needs bright indirect light / some direct sun (east window ideal). Light must cast a distinct shadow on the leaf.

Freshly repotted: Weekly water + weak fertilizer (¼ tsp/gal) is fine.
Not recently repotted: Repot after flowering in fresh bark mix—annual repotting is essential for sustained health.

If the spike withers, the plant is not dead. It will send a new spike from the base annually (usually spring).

Orchids: Red Pigmentation on New Phalaenopsis Spike: Two Causes; Managing Multiple Phalaenopsis Spikes: When to Cut the Old Spike; Keikis on Phalaenopsis Spikes: Normal Propagation, Not a Problem; Phalaenopsis Spike After Bloom: Cut or Leave?; Wild Orchid Identification: Need Column & Leaf Close-Ups; Why Your Phalaenopsis Spike Is Yellowing While Roots Thrive; Broken Miltonia Flower Spike: Will It Still Bloom?; New Phalaenopsis Losing Flowers and a Leaf: Repot and Trim the Spike; Trimming Phalaenopsis Flower Spikes: High Cut vs. Low Cut; Why Miltoniopsis Flower Spikes Grow Zigzag & Break

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