Q What is the best way to trim Epidendrum radicans'? Mine has finished flowering and the plant stands between 2 and 3 feet tall. It has begun sending out new shoots just below where I trimmed the spent inflorescences and these shoots are going every which way. Is there a method of trimming that will result in new growth all reaching skyward, thereby retaining a more organized and manageable shape?

A  I am not sure whether you really mean Epi. radicans or a plant of the reed stem-type Epidendrum that is becoming more readily available of late. The older type epidendrums were quite difficult to manage and made many keikis, often at awkward angles. They rarely ever could be maintained in a tidy plant for long. However, the new breeding lines in this group, tracing back to Japan, are naturally compact plants that have a short stocky growth habit with leaves close together on the stem. Some growers manage their plants by pinching out the upright monopodial growths to encourage basal branching, while in the high-light conditions of Florida we find branching will occur usually without any cultural manipulation. I would suggest you keep your plant on a high-light, high-potash diet and maybe try some low pruning in an attempt to improve its habit. As a bonus, when you prune, you will obtain some extra cuttings, which are easily rooted in sphagnum moss to give you extra plants. Late spring to early summer is the time to carry out this work. —Andy Easton.