dont phals get some sort of rest?

[diego_p]

thats really the big question on ths post, but let me explain.
i got an orchid a while back. big plant and two spikes with nice pale green flowers.
since i got it one spike finished booming and died back. the other had just three flowers left and i was waiting for them to drop but then she pushed out about six more buds with mor still coming. (i believe someone on OB described this as sequential blooming) i thought that was very cool but then a coule weeks later i see it is producing a new spike on the side the first one was before. another great surprise!
and now today as im looking it over and admiring it, i see its pushing out a new leaf!
will there be any period of dormancy for phals or is mine just 'unique'?

[diego_p]

here are some pictures
the first is the spike nub, second is all the buds in front of the first bud that opened. (remember there were three flowers left so this would be number four followed by the rest of the buds) and the third is the little leaf poking out of the crown.
the last pic is just for enjoyment. very simple, but still beautiful.
also just to correct the first post, its actually yellow in color.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Most Phals do not go through dormancy (although there are a few like P. parishii that lose their leaves during dry periods - sort of a dry rest).

I have a Phal. hybrid that, if I did not occasionally cut the old spikes, would probably bloom and bloom again from the old spikes, and also produce new ones. As long as the plant is happy and not stressed, I don't see the need to clip the spikes (but you could if you wanted to, to let the plant recuperate). If you do see some indications of stress, then cut the spikes close to the plant to allow the plant to expend less energy flowering.

[tucker85]

Monopodial orchids, like phals and vandas, grow year round without a rest period. There may be exceptions but that's the rule. Also, like Orchid Whisperer said, many phals can produce more buds and flowers after the first ones fade. The old spikes can also rebloom the following year along with new spikes. Not every phal does that but I leave the spikes on for a year so that I can determine if it reblooms from old spikes or not. Of course, if you'd rather cut the old spikes off, there's nothing wrong with that.

[diego_p]

i've read about the spikes reblooming. i want to leave mine on the plants, but if the spike dries up or dies back.

how long can an old spike get over the years? i hope to get mine as long as possible before its time to chop. that would be interesting to see.