Expert: Wayne King - 6/14/2009

Question
My orchid started growing one stem about 4 mos ago. That stem kepps getting taller but no flowers. Now several other stems have started to sprout. Do I pinch back all but one stem to get better blooms, or just let it do its own thing?

Answer
Patricia, in part, it depends upon what type of orchid you have.  The most common orchid is the phalaenopsis orchid.  The "stem" on that orchid would refer to the flower spike.  If you have a strong, healthy plant with many leaves, I would just let it do its thing. Another possibility is that you have a dendrobium orchid.  In that case the "stem" would be a cane.  Each cane would have leaves along its length.  Again, let it do its thing as, eventually, during flowering season, the dendrobium cane could send out a flower spike.