How to prune oncidium sphacelatum

After all flowers have faded and dropped, typically late spring to summer. Cut the entire spent flower spike at its base, close to the pseudobulb, with sterilised scissors or snips. Do not attempt to cut back to a node for reblooming — this genus blooms from new pseudobulbs, not old spikes. Remove desiccated backbulbs only at repotting.

Annually after flowering. Oncidium sphacelatum (dancing lady orchid) produces long, branching flower spikes that can be removed once all blooms have fallen. Cut spikes entirely at the base — unlike Phalaenopsis, Oncidium spikes do not rebloom from the same stem. Old pseudobulbs should stay until fully shrivelled, as they fuel new growth.

Cut the entire spent flower spike at its base, close to the pseudobulb, with sterilised scissors or snips. Do not attempt to cut back to a node for reblooming — this genus blooms from new pseudobulbs, not old spikes. Remove desiccated backbulbs only at repotting.