2000 Q. I received a beautiful orchid with a tag attached identifying it as Phalaenopsis. The tag contained instructions on the care and feeding, but there was nothing to indicate whether I could save the bulb and eventually start new growth, once the plant finished its blooming cycle. Your Phalaenopsis can indeed be saved and made to bloom again, says UC master gardener Karen Scott.
Flower spikes arise from the lower part of the stem.
When the last flower has dropped, the spike can be cut to the base. Some people cut the stem to the first or second bract on the stem. This can allow the plant to rebloom from an existing spike, so it reblooms sooner. However, blooms that grow from an existing spike tend to be smaller. I have a large yard and garden that are being damaged by animals digging visible tunnels and eating my plants.