Pruning

 The prolific phalaenopsis orchid we call "Tripod" had gotten too wild to fit in its pot any longer. 

Time for a trim.

Since I didn't have a larger pot available, and these orchids prefer to be cosy anyway, I scrubbed up the old pot.

At the bottom I found a forgotten collection of amazing rocks! Used to help drainage and lessen the amount of potting bark needed, I decided to only put a few rocks back and lighten the pot for handling during weekly watering.

Next, pre-soak the new bark...

...along with a sprinkling of charcoal for deodorizing.

And re-pot - wrangling most of the old air-roots into the pot for stability.

Looking much better!

This being the first time I've tried this invasive process on an orchid while it was still blooming, I wasn't surprised to see all but one blossom drop off soon after.

But I was surprised that the new spike I was watching emerge (and which precipitated this re-pot before having to wait months longer through another flush of blossoms) turned out not to flower at all!

Never before have my orchids grown a keiki (baby orchid) on a new, dedicated spike. Mine have always before come from old spikes that were done flowering.

Maybe the plant thought it was dying and wanted to reproduce first?! Instead, Tripod is looking better than ever, and my orchid nursery will need a new "crib" (little pot) by next year.

Hmm... how often do we feel that God's pruning and trimming things out of our lives through loss and pain are "the end of it all" - when they are actually just the spur needed for new growth?