If you have a healthy plant which won't flower, you need to research your plant and learn what you need to do. Phals need good light, need a cool down in the fall. Please join your local Orchid Society or learn online how to grow this plant. Your leaves look very dark which suggests the plant is not getting enough light. It needs about 6 weeks of cooler temps in the fall to initiate spikes. Give it stronger light and put it in a cool room. Use lamps if you don't have a window in the cooler room. You want at least a 15 degree temp drop over 6 weeks to spur the plant to flower. Light and temps are your problem. Jane

Sorry I'm just now getting back to this thread, I forgot about it for a few days. We live on Okinawa right now, and everything is more expensive except orchids and sushi :) There were a couple dozen of these plants for $2.00 each stuck in the corner of a hardware store the other day. Right now, I've got it in an area where it gets bright but indirect light all day. It's very, very humid here all year, so no problems there. Right now the nights are getting coolish, but in the summer we might have problems because it isn't going to get below 80 at night. We'll see what happens--I can't run the air all night just for the orchid--it would cost a fortune. I probably won't repot. We're leaving the island in a few months and the plants will have to stay here. I'll enjoy it while it lasts and try to keep it going. Thanks for all the help, as always.

Hi jennie, "Tepid water ? What is this ?" Lukewarm ~ it's easier on the plant, than icy cold. The spray I used was called "Schultz Expert Gardener Houseplants and Gardens Insect Spray," but is no longer available by that name. The essential part is that the active ingredients are Pyrethrins 0.02% and Piperonyl Butoxide Technical 0.20%. You should be able to find Schultz's new product or one with the same ingredients at any garden center. The label should list your bug as a target insect and orchids as safe to use on. Just follow the directions on the bottle, but avoid spraying blooms, because they will not survive. I sprayed as noted in my first message, but picked the cottony bugs off of the plant and flowers by hand. You could also use any brand of insecticidal soap or neem oil listed for orchids (and mealybugs), but I have never used them. Maybe someone here can recommend a brand for you. The sap is called "honeydew." Some orchids put it out at different parts of their growth cycles. One of my Phals formed tiny drops of it around the edges of a half grown leaf this spring. It had no bugs, so I think it was just getting rid of a little excess water through little openings (stomata) under the leaf edge. Another Phal puts out a drop or two from tiny glands below the bud just before each bud opens. A third reason for honeydew formation is insect injury; so, when you see it, check your plant for sucking insects, just in case. It is ok to use a little alcohol diluted with lukewarm water to wipe up the honeydew--probably a good idea, too, since it can attract insects, as well as provide a starting medium for some molds. About watering ~ Because seasons and sun exposure change throughout the year, and because your plant uses water at different rates, whether blooming, growing, or resting, it is not really advisable to water on a schedule (like, every so-many days). It is important to take care not to overwater, as this is the cause of most root rot. To test for watering some use a dulled shishkebab skewer, left in the medium, pulling it out to check moisture level by touching it to cheek or lip. If it is damp or cool, the medium is still damp. Others can gauge moisture by how heavy or light the pot is when they lift it. I use the more direct finger test for moisture, described in my first message. Phals can take a little direct sun, but not as much as some orchids. If you lay your hand on a leaf exposed to the sun, and it feels more than a little warm to the touch, you may need to adjust its placement to prevent sunburn. Your Florida orchid sounds like it may be a Cattleya, about which I know next to nothing. If you can post a picture of it, I'm sure someone here can help you with any questions you have about it. I hope that helps a bit. Sweetcicely

Greenfingernail / smwboxer Thank you both for your responce.I've read all I can find about repotting,what type of soil... it just gets confusing because I read where some say it's ok for some roots to be exposed & some said it wasn't...is okay to repot next size pot but read where they like to be root bound.So with conflicting information, I just went with next size pot. (I also sterilized the orchid bark before repoting.) smwboxer,your comment about the old leaf makes sence....the leafs that are yellowing ARE the older ones..so maybe I can quit stressing about it :-) greenfingernail, yes I have brought all my plants in 2 days ago because our over night low was too chilly for them to be out.Thank you both so much for your input :-)