A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The House Plant Forum a SIMPLE orchid question

Hi everyone! Long time, no see!

(If you remember me, you may remember that I was in school, which is part of the reason I was so sporadic in visiting this forum. I have graduated with my English Education degree, and now I'm substituting in Boise until the job openings for next year are posted.)


I have a simple orchid question (relatively simple, I would think). I read and read and read up on orchid care, but never found the answer to this particular question.

My boyfriend's dad gave us an orchid that was sent to his dad's partner's funeral in August. His dad gave it to me under the condition that I don't kill it.

So far, it's been healthy, despite my failings to give the orchid a nice, humid environment. I've got orchid food, and only feed it with distilled water. It bloomed for quite a while, and I am suspecting it is now in the resting period. The green foliage is still dark green and extremely healthy looking.

The blooms have died, so did the stalks the blooms were growing from. The stalks dried up and turned brown, so I cut them off today after a long deliberation over what I should do with them.

Should you do this?

Thanks, guys!




In case you're interested--

orchid pics (taken the day of the funeral):

Hi congrats on the degree! I'm hoping to get to university this september. do you mean what to do with the stalk that you cut down off the orchid? I've never had much luck with orchids, but if the stalk was shrivelled/brown and you cut it off, it won't grow. You won't be able to root the stalk. I think you have a type of Oncidium (minax?) if that makes it easier to search.

This looks like a very helpful site; you might want to check it out
http://www.fortunecity.co.uk/amusement/frisbee/39/onc_gen_culture.htm

Gorgous orchid and congrats on the degree.

i agree with Kenny.

I got rid of the stalk, but I was wondering if I'd done the right thing. I want to know whether my orchid is healthy, I guess.

Other than the flowers and the stalks the flowers grew on,(that I cut off, the orchid looks exactly the same as in the pictures above. I'm guessing that the plant's fine.

I just know almost nothing about orchids.