This cutting back to the node advice is given to people buying their first Phalaenopsis and I have given that advice in the past at orchid shows. But really your objective should be to make it re-bloom as per its potential and not fiddle about getting another bloom stem from a node which might give you three flowers when the original stem had say seven blooms. To answer your question. If there is a healthy node on a green stem it has the potential to make a keiki or a make a bloom stem. All you can do is wait and see what happens. This post was edited by arthurm on Sun, Jul 6, 14 at 0:15

Yes, remove the old spike at the base.

Hello I have been in battle for about three years, your hibiscus has Thrips and could possibly have Hibiscus gall midge. I have 20ft x 15ft hibiscus (tree). I have been dealing with this for several years. The gall midge is easy to tell put your fallen buds in a ziplock bag and look at bag after 12 to 24 hrs you will see tiny yellow worms. I find the larve like to go to the top of the bag where the zipper is. Thrips are usually the reason for cut looking buds. I personally never had a cut worm attack my hibiscus they like other stuff in my yard better. Spraying the tree will work for the Thrips Bayer 3 in 1 is good but unfortunately the Gall Midge is way more difficult. The adult midge is a tiny fly they lay eggs on in the new buds the egss hatch and the larve eat the inside of the bud, when the bud falls to the ground the larve immerge from the bud into soil where they remain until they are adult midges and fly, then the entire cycle starts all over. Treating your hibiscus with a systemic is the best way to rid your hibiscus, but fallen buds MUST be picked up. I go shake my hibiscus several times a day trying to get the buds before they fall off on their own. Those worms in the picture are gall midge larva. The midge larve is capable of jumping several feet. I just recently had my hibiscus trimmed of 90% of the buds and I'm currently using a two part control system treating soil and treating the tree with two different insecticides off setting each weekly. I hate pesticides but all my other avenue's of natural control or mild cotrol have failed miserably so this is my last ditch effort. The most common insecticide that is a systemic is Imidacloprid the same stuff my neighbors use for ficus whitefly and I believe that my midges are immune to imidacloprid. I wish you luck and hope you only have Thrips.

Terrisofla, I have the same problem with a few of my cuttings, they shrivelled up even though I mist them twice a day. This one in particular was spotting an inflo and I let it grow for a couple of weeks but the top just below the tip is hollow and getting more so by the minute, so I decided to cut the inflo off, but its still hollow, itt does get plenty of sunshine...any help or input is greatly appreciated!!! Thanks in advance. Nikki T