Don’t know how to cut the discolored stem of your orchid ? You are in the right place ! In this article we will reveal to you all the secrets on the subject.
When to cut off the discolored stem of the orchid.
The orchid stem should only be cut when all the flowers have fallen off. You must therefore ensure that the entire plant no longer flowers before cutting it. It must be said that there are different schools of thought on the subject.
For example, there are those who think that it is advisable to wait for the “times” of the plant : they will be the ones to “decide” when to let the withered stem dry and, above all, in which places. You can also wait until the plant lets the entire stem dry out or wait until the plant completely reblooms and turns green.
The other school of thought, more widespread, is based on the fact that you should only act when the flower stem no longer has flowers, it is completely bare, after waiting about 15-20 days .
Which technique to choose
Generally speaking, we can say that the first school of thought is more “ natural ” and respectful of the plant . You will not cut the flower stem, but rather wait for the plant and its behavior. In this way we will certainly not impose any stress on the plant and we will obtain very abundant flower stems, but we will also have “contraindications”.
For example, we will have slightly smaller flowers: on the other hand, the numerous stems present determine a “redistribution” of energy towards a greater number of flowers. We will obtain a less stressed plant, with many flowers, but smaller in size. In addition, it must also be taken into account that the plant does not follow an ordered and regular growth, but that its structure can be unbalanced on one side: at this point it will be necessary to use a series of pots to avoid that it does not fall. on.
If, on the other hand, we cut the discolored stem about 15 to 20 days after flowering, we will obtain a maximum of two stems, very straight and balanced. At most, you may need to use a few clothespins, but the result will certainly be much neater. Needless to say, there will definitely be fewer flowers, although larger than in the first method.
Other useful information
It must also be said that if we wait for the plant to arrive, we could also end up with a plant that has not flowered for a year. Therefore, in some cases it may be more useful to proceed with the cut.
To carry out the operation, remember to use a sharp pruner ; These must be disinfected with ethyl alcohol and once this has evaporated we will proceed to cut a few centimeters from the second node of the stem