I have a few dozen phals that are rejects from a florist friend or the reception desk at my husband's office. They are always just past bloom and I get them year round. It seems that some phals need a rest period to rebloom, some have a very specific seasonal cool down to rebloom and some rebloom several times per year. Since mine are all donations, they have no tags/IDs.

My best advice is to keep your pant outdoors out of direct sun and let it enjoy a summer vacation. In the fall, when lows get to the lowers 50sF consistently, bring it inside. That temperature change should help initiate a flower spike. BUT, if the plant is still in recovery mode from repotting etc, it might take a bit longer.

Good luck!

We all have had lots of supermarket Phals.

You need to tell us where you live. Advise differs depending on climate.

Jane

Of note is that commercial growers can force plants to bloom when they need them in bloom. They do this by manipulating light and feeding. Most of these plants will be out of their normal grow/bloom cycle and would benefit greatly from just growing and regaining their strength. Most phals will spike in fall and bloom in winter/spring with a few exceptions. To allow plants a recovery period, June is the time to remove spikes and allow plant to grow bigger than last year and improve its size... Eventually your plant can reach monster size and this when you will see its best blooming effort, such as a branching spike instead of a single inflorescence...etc

Thank you all for your help! Ok, I am in 6b-it is somewhat humid too in summer but not as humid as other places I have lived. I am in Johnson City TN. That said... we are having a continuous heat wave. It is starting to cool some, but the last 3 days, we have mornings at about 70-75 degrees, warming to an afternoon high of 90-99. I keep phal by window in kitchen currently. Not directly on sill-its by a NW window and is getting alot of very soft indirect light. House is 77 degrees. What do you all think is best for this phal? just let it go? Cut spike and let it work on roots? Cut a bit higher for blooms come fall? If I want to focus on this one getting healthy, and I desire one that will bloom in season, where should I order one that is dormant currently, so I can feed it and prepare for a fall bloom?

There is not a "season". Many phals will bloom over and over. Cut the spike and let it experience a cool down. From spike initiation to blooms is at least 2 months. I think many phals start to spike in fall (due to cool down) but actual blooms happen anytime from late fall to spring and can last for 6 months.

If you want one that's blooming during a specific month, you should buy one in bloom them.

There are other types of orchids that have a very specific bloom season, but phals aren't seasonal that way, they react more to temperature shifts than anything else.

The fastest I've seen a supermarket phal spike again after I've cut it down is about 6 months (I have two minis a friend left with me around Feb/March ... both have just spiked again). Most will take a year to get their bearings.

As far as when they'll decide to spike, I'll agree with Suzabanana: there is no season. There's the "typical" and there is what YOUR phal will do. Because mine are all in a controlled indoor environment, and the biggest light and temperature swing is around December/January, I used to get my annual spikes in February/March.

I've relocated them to an east-facing office. They spiked in December, flowered through April, and now are all flowering AGAIN. I think it's just the amount of light they get (a lot). As these flowers start fading, I often find that the end of the spike has produced a whole new set of buds.

I've realized this is really exhausting my plants. Subsequent flowers are smaller, leaves look duller. I'm relocating them further away from the window. Two blooms a year is nice, but the constantly producing buds has really stressed a few of them. I'm snipping the always-budding spikes and letting them take a break.

There is a season here and most will flower in spring. But although they are indoors there is no central heating in the house so the house does cool down in Autumn and I "warm" this room up a bit in winter.

There are some species Phalaenopsis that initiate budding in the warmer months of the year. In Primary hybrids that trait may continue.

Maybe in a constant Air Conditioned temperature environment light will be the main trigger.

There is a FAQ that discusses this subject and how professional growers get the plants to grow spikes for the market.

/professional-growers-notes-on-blooming-phalaenopsis-phals

Thank you all so much! Going to digest all this and then decide. I appreciate the info and links. :)