Pruning your orchid, at least annually, serves two main purposes.
Secondly,removing spent or dead plant partsreduces the potential for invading insects and diseases.
Effective pruning is accomplished with different methods depending on the growth jot down of the orchid.
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They grow in two ways defined as monopodial or sympodial.
A monopodial orchid, such as the popularPhalaenopsis, grows taller from a single stem.
Sympodial orchids, likeOncidiums, grow from pseudobulbs.
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Stems with a thickened base arise from arhizomelocated near the soil surface.
The rhizome extends horizontally and sets roots below the soil surface.
Eyes develop into pseudobulbs (above soil level) that produce flower spikes.
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Afterward, they enter into an extended rest period and may even go dormant.
Enjoy the gorgeous flowers and wait until the plant shows no sign of sending up new spikes.
Once all the flowers have faded or fallen, prepare to do your orchid housekeeping.
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Always cut back to where healthy tissue is visible and give the plant some time to recover.
The steps below tell you how to prune, whether you are removing damaged parts or completing post-bloom clean-up.
Use sterilized scissors to cut off the end of the flower spike just above the node.
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However, for more extensive pruningsuch as to remove diseased foliage and dead rootsremove the orchid from its pot.
Shake off as much potting medium as possible and examine all parts of the plant thoroughly.
Identify problem areas including limp or dried-out roots and damaged or spent leaves and pseudobulbs.
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Assess flower spikes to determine where to make your pruning cuts.
Orchids are fussy when it comes to hygiene.
Prepare and disinfect a clean surface for pruning and sterilize all tools with isopropyl alcohol.
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This plumps up viable roots and helps you identify any that may need to be cut back or removed.
Make a clean, concise cut 1/2 inch above this node with your sterilized tool.
This undeveloped node may still produce a flower.
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If the orchid is entering into dormancy or no new nodes are present, remove the entire flower spike.
Make a clean, concise cut leaving just one inch of spike attached to the stem.
Apply fungicide to any cuts, however, this is optional.
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When a wilted leaf fails to drop, you’re free to remove it with your pruners.
Cut at the base where the leaf joins the stem and treat the area with fungicide (optional).
You will need to isolate the plant, treat the disease, and allow the plant to recover.
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The appearance of a new leaf or aerial root signals the orchid is mending.
Trim them back to the plump, healthy, silvery green portion.
If the entire root has collapsed, remove it completely.
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Use your sterile tool to cut where it emerges from the orchid stem.
Treat the cut with fungicide (optional).
Repot the Orchid
Once pruning is accomplished, now is the time torepot the orchidwith fresh medium.
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Most orchids prefer to be slightly pot-bound.
It’s perfectly okay to return it to its original pot.
Inspect the pot for signs of mold or deposits and give it a good rinse.
Repot the orchid with new planting medium.
Withhold Water
Allow your orchid several days to recover before giving it a thorough watering.
Watering too soon can wash away your preventive fungicide and promote transplant shock.
Both are usually applied less frequently during the orchid’s rest cycle.
Look for extra long roots that extend beyond the main clump and cut these back to a manageable length.
The same pseudobulb is going to set the next bloom, so you want to avoid damaging the structure.
Treat the cut with fungicide (optional).
Sometimes orchid terminology can be confusing.
These are buds at the base of the pseudobulb that produce new growth.
Older pseudobulbs without an active eye are called backbulbs.
When you reach one, you have two choices.
It may take several months for a new node to appear.
Backbulbs that remain green but no longer produce leaves and flowers still have purpose.
They direct nutrients and energy into active bulbs.
Damaged or inactive backbulbs that have no green parts with few or absent roots are not likely to revive.
Cut the bulb out at the point where it emerges from the rhizome and treat the cut with fungicide.
Remove Spent and Damaged Leaves
The orchid will benefit from a little clean-up.
Examine leaves for damage or disease and entirely remove any that are affected.
This is a good time to also remove dried up sheaths, which encircle the base of each pseudobulb.
Practice care and refrain from cutting viable green parts of the plant.
Viable roots will be white, greenish-white, or silvery, and turgid.
Look for brown or black roots that appear dry or those that feel squishy.
Cut these out at the rhizome being careful not to damage the rhizome, itself.
Yellow roots on sympodial orchids are not uncommon.
They are often found in the center of large clumps of roots.
Lack of oxygen and poor air circulation causes color loss.
Some growers recommend removing them, while others caution leaving them alone.
you’re able to spray the roots with hydrogen peroxide and repot them with a looser medium.
Water gently but thoroughly, allowing excess water to drain.
Now you’re able to start a rest period maintenance schedule for your orchid variety.
