Mountaineer,
my answer would be similar to yours too, there are just too many variables that decide whether an orchid will thrive or not.
Temps are my initial reaction however orchids I have lost to cold before I am not so sure were ultimately the reason, cold certainly stresses a plant and doesn't help but I am amazed how a well cared for phal that can't tolerate the cold is tolerating the cold during one of my experiments this year...
So, all one can do is recommend the basics of good care, no drafts, a steady daily day and night temperature, using rainwater is beneficial to tap water, checking PH and PPM achieves even better results. The substrate actually looks decent and so do the roots. Regular fertilizing is beneficial but from what I can see the main issue is with plant 1 which is a recent purchase from the reduced section. Sometimes it just is not worth trying to rescue a weak orchid, who knows it could have a virus, why is it in bad condition? I am hoping to save some myself but it takes years in some cases. In that time a healthy orchid could have ended up flowering more than once.
Plant 2 most likely had some dirt get in between the leaves, if water gets in there during watering it can lead to a leaf turning brown like that. Not ideal, I don't know if there is a recommended course of action but I would try to clean the spot (underneath the leaf axil) and then dry it thoroughly and try to dry it as much as possible. Any infection in that area will only spread if it is kept damp or too humid.
a bud spike aborting like in pic 3 could be a lack of sunlight at this time of year, additional lighting this time of year is also beneficial.
But you did well for 8 years which is a long time so you must have been doing most things right. Has a flower spike never dried up like on pic 3 before then? Is it a new plant or one that never had any issues?
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