phalaenopsis orchid

[tigi]

These are the orchids that you see on hairdressers desks and are placed on display as soon as you enter the garden centres! Does anyone know much about these? I have two. One flowered for ages last year, and now has a new stem starting to grow. The other I rescued the other week at a garden centre reduced to £3! This has lots of (now empty stems). Can anyone tell me if I should cut down the old stems and wait for the new to grow? The tips of the old stems now look like they are shooting, although the sides are bare.
thanks

got one of these for christmas 2005.
It flowered for a few months and when it finished I cut the flower stalk down by 2/3 (as directed).
This winter I had only 2 flowers but quite big. I have since cut it down again and repotted it and added a orchid fertizler.
I hope it produces more flowers this winter. The leaves look more healthy now.
As for yours I would be tempted to leave the flowering stalk if its in bud and see what happens. You are unlikely to get any flowers this season if you cut it down now.