Conclusion. Overall, trimming orchid leaves is not necessary for proper growth. Any cuts in the plant are open to infection and, therefore, should be avoided. However, if your orchid has been infected by fungal or bacterial diseases, trimming off affected leaves may help to save the plant.
Prune to Remove Rotten or Diseased Leaves
"It is best to remove them, because these conditions can spread and eventually kill your orchid," he says. Using sterilized scissors, cut out any rotten and discolored spots you see.
Ideally you should prune your orchid while the plant is in its rest state – when it is not blooming. If a leaf is withered and yellow, a very gentle tug might detach it from the plant. If the diseased leaf is more firmly attached to your orchid, use small pruning shears with sharp blades to cut the leaf at its base.
The first thing to do is to avoid removing the wrinkled orchid leaves even though they may look unsightly. They may still be helping the plant in other ways to gain nutrients and protection. Instead, do your best to gently remove dead or rotted roots, using sterile scissors to do so.
Trimming orchid leaves will help clean up the plant when the leaves have become large, heavy or too numerous and it will provide a healthier growing environment for the pruned orchid. If the plant becomes too tall or leggy, pinch back the stems to help promote a fuller orchid and new, healthy growth.
Overall, the most common reason that orchids fail to bloom is insufficient light. The Phalaenopsis and Paphiopedilum orchids are usually happy with the filtered light in a windowsill but many other varieties need more light than that.
An orchid with root rot will have brown/mushy roots while healthy roots will be plump and green. Very dark green leaves: Your orchid is not getting enough light. Move it to a place where it receives plenty of bright, indirect sunlight. White leaves: Your orchid is receiving too much light.
A healthy phalaenopsis orchid will have 3 to 5 leaves. In the home they rarely have more than 5 and 4 is more common. Once it reaches this mature size new leaves will grow while at the same time an old leaf falls off. The size of a mature leaf depends on the cultivar.
In the vast majority of cases, wrinkled orchid leaves are caused one ONE thing: a lack of water to the leaves which can be caused by either underwatering and ironically, it is also caused by “overwatering” and subsequent root rot.
Most orchids will have aerial roots reaching out into the air, rather than digging down into the potting media. These roots are looking for a tree branch to attach to. These roots absorb moisture from the air. Do not trim off these wandering roots, just let them do their thing.
Most orchids require a 4, 5 or 6 inch pot. There are seedlings and miniatures that require smaller pots, older specimen plants and some genera (Cymbidium, Phaius, large Cattleya...) that often require 8 inch pots or bigger but the majority of orchids sold in groceries, box stores, florists and the like are not these.
After the flowers drop from the orchid you have three choices: leave the flower spike (or stem) intact, cut it back to a node, or remove it entirely. Remove the flower spike entirely by clipping it off at the base of the plant. This is definitely the route to take if the existing stem starts to turn brown or yellow.
To get a new orchid flower spike, place the plant in an area with a lower room temp — about 55–65°F at night should do it. Placing your orchid in a window away from the heater might work, too. We've had best success getting new flower spikes in winter, when our homes and their windows aren't as warm.
Orchid owners can tell if leaves are older by checking to see if new roots are emerging from the stem where the leaves once occurred. Those roots will eventually form a mass of roots that will be visible.
The easiest way is to soak your orchid in a bowl of water once every week or two --- when the moss dries out. Unlike most houseplants, you don't need to keep orchid moss evenly moist; if it stays too moist, the orchid can rot.
Set your orchids on top of the pebbles and fill the tray with water, making sure water doesn't touch the bottom of the pots. As the water evaporates, it will humidify the air right around the plant.
While each growing environment is unique, and watering habits vary from person to person, it is generally a good idea to water about once per 7-10 days, when the mix gets dry. Too much watering leads to root rot, crown rot and other over watering problems like fungus gnat infestations.
Your orchid has tightly tangled roots.
This is a surefire sign your orchid needs to be repotted. Give plants breathing room by placing it in a larger pot every year or two with fresh potting soil.
Of all of the more commonly available orchids, only Phalaenopsis (the moth orchid) will re-bloom from its old spike. Phalaenopsis will generally re-bloom given a little extra care.
After a period of rest, the plant will send out a new flower stalk, which may come from the existing stalk or from new leaves at the base of the plant. Give the old flower stalk a chance to rebloom; there is nothing to lose. Take a close look at the old flower stalk.
In the case of orchids in Garden arrangements, too little water is noticeable when it leads to flowers getting wrinkly and the flower veins showing up and wilting. In worse dehydration cases, the leaves will be discolored, dull, thinned out, floppy, soft and rubbery.
New orchid spikes
Orchid flower spikes are usually greener than roots and have a flatter, mitten-shaped tip. While growing, spikes remain green along their full length. Orchid spikes usually emerge from between the plant's leaves, not from the plant's center.
Resting Up
Throughout an orchid's dormant time, blooms drop from the stem, and the stem may shrivel and turn gray or brown. The orchid's leaves gradually lose their bright green gloss and upright stance, turning dull and flattening out around the orchid's base.