A beauty! Way to go! You are actually caring for it right. Blooming is a sign of plant health and this one is BLOOMIN' up a storm! It'll keep budding and blooming for a while it looks like. If you want to you can start giving it fertilizer @ half strength each watering.

Hort, Thank you, I am prety proud of her, I didn't think I could get it to rebloom.

I started giving it VF-11 about a month ago. Then I saw the new leaf so it must have needed feeding. Since I put it on the water tray the leaves have gotten nicer, no yellowing. I did loose a leaf awhile back, due to lack of humidity I think.

Do they bloom about the same time every year?

Thanks again.

That's one nice Phal! Looks like your doing everything right. To answer your question, yes, they do bloom roughly the same time each year. They use the amount of light they get as a sort of calender for growth, ie rest, growing, and flowering. If your lucky, it'll bloom again this same year!

Congratulations on the blooms! Having an orchid rebloom under your care is the acid test, and the first time calls for champagne and balloons!

Your Phal can get direct sun from the east till about 1 pm. My suggestion is to move it closer to that window gradually - over about 10 days. Right up against the window is fine as long as the leaves don't touch the glass. It's unlikely to rebloom if left 5' away.

Orchids will put out new leaves in light that's too low to initiate spikes.

As for the previous conditions - direct light from the west is usually too strong for Phals. Also, if your kitchen light was incandescent, that was fine. Fluorescent light, though, may be too strong to allow an orchid to get the rest it needs and process benefits from light, etc., depending on wattage and distance from the plant. I'm not clear on the details of what happens at night but know orchids need about 8 hours without orchid-strength light.

Also, many experienced folks suggest keeping orchids slightly more moist when they're in spike, bud, and bloom.

What's VF-11? If it's an orchid fertilizer, you can use it at the recommended strength. If it's for other plants, the rule of thumb is to cut it to 25% recommended strength. Hort lvr, the 50% may be okay or not, depending on the specific formulation.

Add to the above some air movement; flushing out the fertilizer salts every 3rd or 4th watering, depending on potting medium; reasonable temp range (low 60s to mid-80s as we go into warmer weather, or even as high as mid-90s); keeping an eye out for nasties; cooperation from the Phal Angels:); and it'll spike again. Simple, no?

Keep us posted.

Whitecat8

Here you go - complete information on VF-11

Here is a link that might be useful: VF-11

Content analysis on VF-11 for anyone who's interested. I couldn't find it on their website, so thought I'd save everyone else some time searching.
~Jem

Thanks, Kay and Jem.

I'm clueless on the content analysis of fertilizers. Anyone know the implications for orchids? Do the ingredients and proportions make it okay to use with every watering and no leaching?

Thanks, WC8

My city water has more nutrients than the VF stuff :>)

Brooke

Whitecat, there is lots of stuff in the fertilizer thread down the page a bit.

Thanks to all of you, as always I got a lot of advise, which is why I love ths web site.

With that being said, I will continue to care for the two orchids I have, admire the ones you all show off, and resist from buying anymore.

I have a lot of house plants, now. I took a break from them for about 5 years, now I have over 25. I bought the orchids as a challenge, to see if I could be successful in keeping them pretty, happy and most of all alive. I think I accomplished that.

I would rather save my limited space for the plants that don't take as much expertice. Actually I am done buyiing any plants for awhile.

I will continue to visit this forum and drool over the beauties you all so proudly show off, cuz I do think they are truly a stunning plant.

Thanks again to all of you, and no you didn't scare me off, the sensible side of me says orchids probably aren't for me.

Whitecat8 & Maid, my information I gave about the fertilizer was a bit incomplete. I was referring to fertilizer specifically designed for Orchids to be at 50% strength. Sorry about that.

BTW Maid, I have NEVER gotten my phal to rebloom *that well.* Congrats!

Main, you gotta do what feels right at the time. Sounds like you've figured it out for now re: houseplants & orchids. Other kpeople seem to go through phases, too.

Hort lvr, my understanding is that orchid fertilizers are formulated to be used at full strength on orchids, but I could have gotten that wrong.

WC8

Whitecat, you have it right - they're designed to be used @ full strength, but many say to use every two weeks or monthly etc. I use mine each time at half strength. I have read from more experienced growers who do the same too. What do you do? Do you use at full strength each watering or only fertilize every so often?

Hort lvr, one option for fertilizing/leaching is here: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/orchids/msg0409350823224.html?8, final post. It's one option among at least a buhzillion.

WC8