To cut spike or not to cut spike?

[TashaKarr]

Hello everyone,
I need some help on the subject of when, where and if I should cut my Phal spike back. A few weeks ago while in bloom one of my Phals leaves was dying. While looking up videos on what to do most said to cut and discard the leaf...so I did. Now that all my blooms are gone (not because of the cut leaf but because of falling off naturally) the leafs around the cut leaf are starting to turn yellow. My orchid is very mature (if I put the pot on the floor then it comes up to my waist naturally) and I’m afraid of doing something to hurt it. I was wondering if I should leave it alone and let it do its own thing in hopes that the yellow leaves will go away or should I cut the spike all the way down so that all the energy can be put into repairing the leaves? Sorry for the novel, I’m just very concerned.
Thanks

[sailortom2]

i would repot and check the roots for health

[johnblagg]

if all the leaves are yellowing you need to check the roots ...how long have you had it ? And when is the last time it was reppoted ?

[Zoi2]

I agree, the roots need to be checked. Can you post a picture or two?
Joann

[TashaKarr]

Hey guys,
I have only had my orchid for about two month so I don’t know when the last time it was repotted. There are three different orchids in the one pot but its only one of the orchids that have a few yellowing leafs. For some reason it won’t let me put up pictures at the moment. I looked at the roots and they look healthy.

[Paul Mc]

I see no one addressed your issue of when and where to cut the spike back to. This truly depends upon the type of phal you have. Some do not bloom again off of old spikes, while others do. Until you know what the blooming habits are, my suggestion would be to leave them. Once they have died and dried up, you can cut them back. Generally, you can cut them as close as to the phal as you possibly can, but you should always use sterilized equipment as the cut (even on dead parts) can cause infections or bacteria to get into the phal. Use a light dusting of cinnamon (store bought kind for cooking) over the cut area to assist your plant against infections and bacteria.