I assume you're asking where to cut an orchid's flower stem after the blooms fade.
If the stem itself has turned brown, it's dead or dying: the plant won't care where you cut it. Most people choose to trim these all the way down to the base.
If the stem is still green (most common on Phalaenopsis), then the plant may rebloom on that stem, or make a keiki there to propagate itself. In either case, it's perfectly fine to just leave the old flower stem in place and not cut it back at all. The most common places where it will develop keikis or new branches of the flower stem are at the tip of the stem, or at nodes near the base of the stem that didn't produce flowers while the plant was blooming. (Nodes are places where you'll see a tiny scale-like leaf on the stem.) So if you choose to trim a stem that's still green, make sure to leave a couple nodes at the base of the stem if you want to leave opportunities for the plant to rebloom on that stem. Cutting back past all the nodes will cause the stem to die back.
In any case, follow my advice on pruning orchids and try to use a sterile cutting tool, such as by dipping it in bleach beforehand; this can help to prevent spreading plant diseases such as viruses.
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May 13, 2012 Rating
broken stem by: Anonymous
I just received my first orchid, while moving it,
i accidentaly broke one of the stems. How do i repair it? Can i put the stem in a vase with water?
May 14, 2012 Rating
Cable's Reply by: Cable Thompson
It isn't possible to repair a broken flower stem, but putting it in a vase of water should keep the flowers alive for a long time.
If you're lucky, the plant might respond to the loss of its flowers by growing a new branch from the broken flower stem!
Dec 06, 2015 Rating
Cutting a orchidNEW by: Anonymous
I have had a orchid a couple years have cut it back and it rebloomed. I moved it to another place and the stem has turned brown and part of the other stem can I cut the stem back were it is dead?
Please help me
