They can get very large. I have given many pieces away. When a stem gets too long it is a new plant. What is it now potted in? Pot size? If that old and large is the potting mixture still good or nothing left of it due to roots? These are pretty hardy Den's and if I am remembering it is a primary hybrid.

They will bloom every year from the pervious years bare stems. But the stems do not always have to be bare and will rebloom from the same stems. How much water in the summer (growth period) depends on your conditions, pot size, mixture used, heat, how you are watering (by hand, sprinkler) etc. Water flowing from the bottom is normal since general mixture is just bark. They like a good dowsing of water, not like potted plant which the soil holds the water. Mine gets sprinklers on every other day in summer for 20 minutes with fert once a week. Your conditions will be different but it gives you an idea on the watering. A cup poured on the top on the pot will not cut it. As for winter when not growth maybe once a month, it is its resting period, it will be setting its flowers when you see the buds forming at the ends on the flower stems I water as usual, in your area the temps will alter this if too cool and no new growth hold the water. Tell us how you are watering them now and what it is potted in.

Orchid126- Flowers are up & down the cane, so is decidious, right? Cut back on water and fertilizer in winter. I will remember the saying about watering too often!
Tab64-Pot is big...probably 12 inch circ. The tag says was repotted 10/2006. I've basically been giving it a cup every other day. I will stop until it dries out and then give it a good soaking. Thanks for your help.

"I'm attributing that to the shock of its losing its greenhouse home of 20 years, and I'm not too worried about that." I'm attributing you're right but thing is, you should be worried about 'that'. You should be absolutely terrified that an orchid used to greenhouse conditions for so long might react very badly to its sudden change of fortunes. Its not just the change in light but the wild swings of humidity and the uncontrolled drying winds that typify the North American outdoors. I personally would water every day or nearly so in summer IF the dend is getting four to six hours of SUN every day. A twelve inch pot is pretty big and there might be moisture left over at the end of a typical summer day but its no big deal. With regular (daily) SUN a more or less constanly moist situation at the roots is not harmful. As was said a cup of water is not nearly enough, what was not said is what would be appropriate. I would think a half gallon container full. Most will of course run right through and if you wish you can use much less water (quart) and run it through the pot several times if you have a way of trapping the spent water. Depending on the dryness of the media a couple to a few ounces of water will remain behind to hydrate and nourish the roots for the next days activities.

H

I have this orchid that does not fit in those neat categories Softcane/Nobile, Phal Type Den. and if well grown it is huge. Not a problem if you have lots of space, but it is a problem for me because it should spend summer in a shadehouse and winter in a glasshouse. That is for here, but what are you going to do with it once those winter chills set in?

So, it has to spend the year outside here. Low temp about 4C. High temps 40C+ once or twice a year.That last sentence is just there to tell you how tough it is. The advice in the above posts is pretty well spot on about the conditions required.
Beautiful flowers and spectacular when in bloom. But mature plant size a problem.

Den Gatton Sunray is a evergreen and gets long arching flower spikes, it is not decidious. It does get a winter rest but not to the extent of a nobile type,but it does get a rest. Are you sure it is a Gatton Sunray? Flowers are somewhat large for a den about 2-3", yellow with a red furry throat. The lip looks more like a pouch than most Den's. Long flower spikes near the ends of the canes holding about a dozen or more flowers.

The man who grew it said it was Gatton Sunray and it sure looks like the pictures I've seen. It has large yellow flowers with a red throat and the bottom petal is fuzzy. If I knew how to attach a picture here, I could show you. I plan to bring it inside for the winter in front of the big windows/doors that lead to my terrace.

Than it very well may be a Gatton Sunray if you saw the pitures on line. It was your sentence that the flowers were up and down the stem. A Gatton Sunray has a flower spike more like a Phal type evergreen Den (hard cane) with a long pendant flower spike holding about a dozen flowers. and not a nobile type decidious (soft cane) which has 2-3 flowers in each leaf node held very close to the cane, almost no flower spike.

Im not sure this link is still active. I have two Den. Gatton Sunrays bought from Oak Hill some years ago. They grow well, but this year particularly, the buds blast before opening. They are in a sunny southern-facing room that is generally good for orchids. Den. Phalaenopsis flower well without the buds blasting, so pollution seems unlikely. They get regular fertilizer. I have been growing orchids for some 45 years. I once had around 100 plants of a wide variety. Some might still be alive at the US Botanic Garden in DC.