Why spikes stop growing?

[AuroraPhal]

I have this beautiful yellow, healthy Phal. Some time ago, spike started to grow, but after a certain point it just stopped :/ Since then, I got two spikes and blooms, and few days ago another spike started growing... But this old one is just standing there. Will it ever continue its growth? Should I do something? On the left is new spike, few days old, and bigger on the right is that old one...

[No-Pro-mwa]

I have no idea why this is. But the plant is very nice and healthy. I don't think there is anything you can do it looks as if you are doing everything right and it will start to grow when it is good and ready to.

Beautiful phal, love the yellow.

[dangerouseddy]

its doing quiet well, 4 healthy green spikes on the go

[AuroraPhal]

Thank you I hope that she will continue her growth

[lotis146]

Wow, great job keeping it happy enough to grow so many spikes! Question though, how often do you fertilize? When my Phals spike they haven't given me as many blooms as when I first bought, just a couple, even if I get two spikes. I've been thinking maybe I don't fertilize enough or simply I don't do something just right to really give the plant the energy it needs.

So I'm wondering if your plant is happy but needs something a little bit more...?

This winter my Wilsonara (Oncidium intergeneric) grew a spike, when it was still really small I noticed a second spike coming up, I was psyched!!!! But then as the other continued to grow the 2nd one never did. The first spike has long since flowered and died, and still the little spike has done nothing. I know I haven't watered this plant as much as it would like, which means I probably haven't fertilized it enough either. Meanwhile an older pbulb is growing a new growth.

One more example - bare with me - is my Zygolum which last year started growing three new growths. While two of them continued to grow, one of them 'stalled' (as I called it). Of the two one spiked the other did not. Then after the bloomed one was done the 'stalled' growth started up again and now has two spikes in bud. SO long story short, our plants clearly 'make decisions' concerning what it can and can't do with the nutrients provided it.

[AuroraPhal]

I am so ashamed to write that I don't actually fertilize. My oldest Phal is over 2 years with me and it blooms regularly, has lots of leaves (currently 7, it has most 14 I think) and healthy roots (that's Phal from my other thread, the one with those wild aerial roots . I read a lot about orchid, specifically Phal care, and I read that we need to be very careful with fertilizers, so I got some scares and decided to continue with what I am doing right now since it gives good results

Thanks for sharing your experience, it just shows how self-minded our favorite plants are, I love them for that