should I trim the stem?

[billandalisha]

wonderful tips so far! Thank you, Right now the plant is bare with no flowers , I just trimmed it to the node. :edit: One of the stems was starting to get hard like an old wooden stick: So I trimmed it down to the fresh lively part..was this the right thing to do? I will replant this flower into a bigger pit with good drainage.

Right now it has 3 firm leaves but no sign of new leaves growing. When I replant I will keep a close eye on the roots.

Btw I lifted the clear plastic pot and I see a few roots starting to wrap around and sticking from the bottom holes. So I KNOW to replant it asap. Should I unwrap the roots or will it take care of that on its own?

[jkofferdahl]

Originally Posted by billandalisha

wonderful tips so far! Thank you, Right now the plant is bare with no flowers , I just trimmed it to the node. :edit: One of the stems was starting to get hard like an old wooden stick: So I trimmed it down to the fresh lively part..was this the right thing to do? I will replant this flower into a bigger pit with good drainage.

Right now it has 3 firm leaves but no sign of new leaves growing. When I replant I will keep a close eye on the roots.

Btw I lifted the clear plastic pot and I see a few roots starting to wrap around and sticking from the bottom holes. So I KNOW to replant it asap. Should I unwrap the roots or will it take care of that on its own?

With healthy growth the roots will wrap around the inside of the pot, and even come out through the holes. That's nothing to be concerned about, really. Of more importance is the overall condition of both these roots and also of the potting medium. If the medium is breaking down, repotting is important. If the roots are staying too wet but the medium is in good condition, just water less often.

And since the roots are sticking to the pot, when you repot the plant make sure you first lightly water, to moisten the roots, and then use a sharp knife to loosen then from the sides of the pot before you pull the plant out.

[CodiMN]

Originally Posted by billandalisha

wonderful tips so far! Thank you, Right now the plant is bare with no flowers , I just trimmed it to the node. :edit: One of the stems was starting to get hard like an old wooden stick: So I trimmed it down to the fresh lively part..was this the right thing to do? I will replant this flower into a bigger pit with good drainage.

Right now it has 3 firm leaves but no sign of new leaves growing. When I replant I will keep a close eye on the roots.

Btw I lifted the clear plastic pot and I see a few roots starting to wrap around and sticking from the bottom holes. So I KNOW to replant it asap. Should I unwrap the roots or will it take care of that on its own?

Good job trimming down the spike. Yes, when it starts to get wood-like, that means it's been discarded by the plant and will not be producing any more flowers from that section.
New leaves will come from the center of the plant with they grow.
An easy trick to get those roots free is to soak the bottom of the pot in some luke warm water until the roots are flexible, that way you can easily move them thru the holes and free the whole plant from the pot with little trauma.
You're doing a great job! You have good orchid instincts!