Phalaenopsis Orchid

I got an Orchid in Christmas 2007 and all was well until this year.

It flowered twice in 2008, and until yesterday it'd done nothing so far this year. I started feeding it again (forgot...clumsy!) a few weeks ago and yesterday a new shoot appeared.

Two questions. Because it has two years previous worth of old stem, should I cut these off to tidy it up? And why has the stem from last year gone a bit red? That's not as long as it was, I cut it back two notches after reading it somewhere on the web.

Any help would be gratefully recieved!

 

As far as I know with Phalaenopsis, you cut the stem back to a node to encourage the next branch of buds. If there are no more buds then that stem will not flower again and should be cut off. It then rests till the following year. The reddening of the stwm is probably die back and as I said, should be removed completely. They need very little feed.

 

I go along with Strongy on this.
The old flowering stems should be cut back to a joint lower down once the flowers fade.

I find secondary flowers on a stem are not usually as plentiful as the initial flowering.

I see the plant is in a window, I hope its not getting full sun at this time of the year, fine in winter but not summer.
The roots are always like that, untidy but normal.

Dont use feed at full strength, they dont seem to need it as far as I'm concerned.

 

Cheers all! All trimmed