Known as the butterfly orchid, the Phalaenopsis now adorns many living rooms. It is usually traded as a potted flower. Although the maintenance effort is not very high, the plant can hardly be described as undemanding or pruning-tolerant.

The butterfly orchid rarely needs pruning

Does a Phalaenopsis have to be cut regularly?

The Phalaenopsis is not one of the flowers that should be pruned regularly. On the contrary, it can be quite sensitive to being treated with a knife. From time to time a pruning may be necessary. However, you should never prune the leaves if possible. If they are wilted, they can easily be plucked off.

When should I prune my Phalaenopsis?

After flowering, cutting back the flower stalks can encourage the plant to flower again. To do this, cut it off about two to three centimeters above the third eye from the bottom. However, this only makes sense for older orchids. Young plants often do not tolerate a second flowering after a short time. Here it is better to cut off the faded stem directly at the base.

Cut the Phalaenopsis for the vase

It makes little sense to cut a Phalaenopsis for the vase, because the flower lasts about four times as long in a pot. However, if the stem of your Phalaenopsis breaks off during transport, for example, then the vase may be a good solution. In this case, cut off the stem just above the kink.

Then place your Phalaenopsis in a vase with lukewarm water. Occasional cutting and regular watering with lukewarm water can extend the life of the plant to about four weeks. The right location is also important for this, because even as a cut flower, the butterfly orchid is sensitive to drafts.

The essentials in brief:

  • cut as little as possible
  • Prune young plants after flowering
  • with older orchids, only cut off really dry or diseased parts of the plant

tips

With your Phalaenopsis, only cut off the flower stalk as far as it has already dried up, so that new flowers can form on the branches.

Category:

Indoor plants