Where do I cut my Dendrobium after it blooms?

Wondering where to cut your Dendrobium orchid spike after it flowers? You are not alone!  We get lots of questions about Dendrobium spikes. Dendrobiums are very diverse anatomically and I suspect many folks simply aren't sure where the spike ends and the stem begins. So I am going to show you two common types of Dendrobium and where to cut their spikes. It's pretty simple.

Look familiar? The most common type of Dendrobium available commercially are the myriad colored hybrids that have Dendrobium phalaenopsis in their pedigree. They have erect stems ranging from one to two and a half feet tall. Their leaves are carried on the upper half of the stem.

The Dendrobium pictured above is ready to have its spike removed. Notice that the flower spike originates near the apex of the stem just above the last leaf. The spike itself has no leaves or bracts.

After your Dendrobium has finished flowering remove as much of the spike as possible without cutting into the leafy stem. Check my earlier post for more about cutting tools.

Old stems will not flower a second time, but DON'T remove them, at least not yet. Your plant needs them. A strong plant consists of minimum of three mature stems. The best time to remove surplus stems--typically the oldest stems that are leafless and yellowing--is when you are repotting. Once the plant is unpotted you can easily cut the horizontal rhizome that connects the upright stems and remove the portion with shriveled stems.

I love the Dendrobium nobile hybrids like Dendrobium Red Emperor 'Prince' (above) --they are some of my favorites for using in our annual Orchid DAze display; and I'm pleased to see that they are becoming more popular and more common in the retail market. You may have bought one last year at our Gently Used Plant Sale.

Notice that the Dendrobium nobile flowers are not carried on a single tall spike. Instead they are produced on short spikes of two to four flowers that appear at each node along the stem. It's easier to see the short spikes after the flowers have fallen (below).

The short spikes turn an unsightly brown (see above) after the flowers have fallen, so I like to remove them with a razor blade, cutting as close to the stem as is reasonably possible.

Dendrobium nobile and its hybrids are a bit trickier to grow than their cousins, the Dendrobium phalaenopsis hybrids--but they are SO worth it! Check here for How to Grow Dendrobium nobile.

Wondering where to cut your Phalaenopsis spike? Find out here.
click here to find out where to cut your Cattleya spike.
To find out where to cut your Oncidium spike, click here.

Where do I cut my Cattleya after it blooms?

I'm glad you asked! It's important to know where to cut your Cattleya spike after it flowers. Cattleya anatomy is a little quirky and it is easy to make a mistake. The good news is that there's really just one bit that requires an introduction--the bud sheath. Once you are able to recognize a bud sheath, deadheading a Cattleya or its close relative Laelia is a snap.

So grab your favorite cutting tool and follow along!

1. Locate the bud sheath. Have a look at the photo above. Both flowers are supported by a vertical spike. The upper part of the vertical spike is visible emerging from the top of a green bud sheath.  The sheath is sealed on two sides and open at the top. The lower part of the spike is faintly visible in silhouette through the backlit bud sheath.

The purpose of the bud sheath is to protect the young flower buds as they develop. It remains in place even after the flowers are spent. Bud sheaths are green or papery brown. Cattleyas and laelias are stealth bloomers--in many species the bud sheaths appear months before blooming, with the buds emerging just a week or so before opening. The flowers often take me by surprise.

2. Look carefully! If no flowers or old spikes are visible, carefully examine the bud sheath to make sure that it is an old sheath. You don't want to accidentally remove a sheath full of young buds.  Gently squeeze the sheath to make sure that there are no buds inside. The color of the sheath is not a reliable indicator. Some orchids, like the Laelia pictured above and below, have sheaths that remain green after the flowers are spent. Others produce bud sheaths that turn papery brown while the buds are still developing inside.

Each mature shoot--the pseudobulb, leaf and bud sheath--produces just one flush of flowers during its lifetime.  If you can still see the old spike with its spent flowers you needn't look for a second flush of buds inside the sheath. The show is over. It's time to remove the spike and sheath.

3. Find the spot where the bud sheath meets the stem. The bud sheath and its flower spike originate at the top of the stem (pseudobulb) and they are surrounded by one or two leaves.

4. Position your cut as close as possible to the base of the leaf. 

5. Make the cut through the sheath and spike.

6. Examine your plant for more old sheaths. Any pseudobulb that matured recently could have a sheath. You can use the same cutting tool to remove all the old sheaths on that plant. That's it! Don't forget to safely discard or clean your cutting tool before cutting another plant.

Why is it important to remove old sheaths?

Prompt deadheading of cattleyas and laelias is a high priority in our greenhouses. Old bud sheaths often fill with water and bacteria, becoming bags of icky aqueous goo. You can get away with being lazy about deadheading your Oncidium, but not your Cattleya.

Wondering where to cut your Dendrobium? Find out here.
Click here to find out where to cut your Oncidium spike.
Go here to learn where to cut a Phalaenopsis spike.

Where do I cut my Phalaenopsis after it blooms?

Where do I cut my Phalaenopsis spike? is on the short list of frequently asked questions at the Fuqua Orchid Center.

Yes, it's sad to say goodbye to your Moth Orchid spike. A year is a long time to wait for more flowers. But you don't have to wait an entire year. If you remove the spike in the right location you can produce a second flush of flowers from the same spike in a few months. It's easy!

1. Choose a clean sharp cutting tool. See my earlier post on cutting tools for orchids if you're wondering what tool to use.

2. Take a close look at your Phal spike. You will see a series of beige bands (called bracts) that encircle the spike at approximately 5" intervals. In the photo below one bract is visible just above the green twist tie. See where the beige bract widens and becomes shield-shaped? Beneath that protective bract is an inactive bud. 

By cutting the spike just above that bud you remove the inhibitory hormones that are holding the bud's growth in check. The cells inside the bud then differentiate into a flower spike. In a few weeks you will see the new spike begin to elongate.

3. Make the cut. Holding the spike securely with one hand, make your cut about one quarter inch above the beige bract.

4. What  now? Hang onto your bamboo stake as you will need it to stake the elongating spike once it is about eight inches tall.

Sometimes the bud produces a small plantlet, or keiki, rather than a new flower spike. After the young plantlet has produced a couple of roots about three inches in length before you can remove it from the old spike and pot it up.

Two additional things to think about:

• If your plant is weak or in need of repotting, it's best to repot and allow your plant to rest and recuperate this summer without the additional strain of producing a second spike. 
• Don't get too excited thinking that all of your orchids will produce a second flush of flowers in this way. Not true! Only a few--some Epidendrums and Oncidiums--do this.

Wondering where to cut your Oncidium spike? You can find out here.
Click here to find out where to cut your Dendrobium spike.
To find out where to cut your Cattleya spike, click here.

Where do I cut my Oncidium after it blooms?

Your Oncidium orchid has finished flowering. It's time to remove the flowers. Now you're asking: Where do I cut my Oncidium orchid after it flowers? Here is the answer in 5 steps:

1. Choose a cutting tool. The best choice is a pair of hand pruners or a single-edged razor blade. Which is best? See my earlier post about cutting tools for orchids.

2. Know what you are cutting. Spike or stem? The spike, or inflorescence, is the reproductive part of the plant. A stem is one of the vegetative, or non-reproductive, parts of the plant. You are removing the spike not the stem.

Below is an Oncidium-type orchid with several mature shoots. On Burrgeara Pacific Command 'Ekolu' a mature shoot consists of a oval-shaped pseudobulb (which is part of the stem) and two leaves. 'Ekolu' can produce several new shoots each year and every newly matured shoot can produce a flower spike. The flowers last about eight weeks before fading. Then it's time to remove the entire spike.

In the foreground, a finished spike with the leafy pseudobulb that produced it.

3. Ready to remove an old spike from your Oncidium? Trace the spike from the flowering end to its origin at the base of the pseudobulb--nestled between the pseudobulb and a leaf. [below]

See where the spike emerges near the base of the oval pseudobulb?

4. Hold the spike with one hand and make your cut with the other [below]. Make your cut as close as possible to the pseudobulb without nicking the pseudobulb or your fingers. It's okay to leave about an inch of old spike behind.

Cut your spike here.

5. Take care of your tools. Wrap your razor blade in duct tape before throwing it away; or clean and dry your pruners before putting them away. You're done!

Check here to see where to cut your Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid) spike.
Wondering where to cut your Cattleya spike? Find out here.

to find out where to cut your Dendrobium spike, click here.