At the end of the flowering period, an important question keeps the beginner in orchid culture at rest. Can I cut off the spent panicles or not? Read here when the best time is and how best to do it.
When and how do I cut orchid panicles?
Be patient with orchid panicles: pluck withered flowers with your fingers, cut off the stem if it has dried out, and do not injure the leaves, bulbs or aerial roots. Clean cutting tools and disinfection are essential for correct cutting.
Patience is required when cutting orchid panicles
The most important domain in the successful care of orchids is patience. Anyone who perfects this discipline as a hobby gardener will be rewarded by the queen of flowers with a lavish display of flowers that repeats regularly. This is especially true when cutting wilted orchid panicles. How to do it right:
- Don't cut withered flowers, pick them off with your fingers
- Only cut off the flower stem when it is completely dry
- Cut at the base of the stem without damaging the leaves, bulbs or aerial roots
As long as an orchid panicle is still green when it has no flowers, the scissors are not used. Some of the most popular species and varieties, such as the Phalaenopsis orchid, like to bloom a second time. For this purpose, they sprout new buds from the side of the dead panicle. The part of the stem above dries up and can be cut off until it branches.
Correct cut requires meticulous cleanliness
Using clean cutting tools is just as important as the pruning itself. Before cutting off a wilted panicle on your orchid, please pay special attention to the scissors or scalpel. The tool should be freshly ground so that a smooth cut can be made without fraying. The blade is carefully disinfected with high-percentage alcohol so that germs, bacteria and fungal spores cannot penetrate the cuts.
Tip
Are you wondering whether the tiny shoot is a new flower spike or an aerial root? Then please pay attention to the direction of growth. A flower stalk emerges from a leaf axil and points steeply upward toward the light source. An aerial root, on the other hand, seeks its way downwards in order to grow into the orchid soil.
