How to produce the most buds from an orchid spike?
 

I have a few phal's that are in spike. Last year I only had one orchid (a phal) and now I have over 40 of all different varieties. Last year when I successfully rebloomed my first orchid I was excited but as the buds began to form some of them stopped growing and dropped. I only ended up with 3 flowers off of two spikes. I did not do too well growing that one at the time. It had direct sunlight, infrequent watering, no fluctuation in temperature, old hard potting medium, and no fertilizer. This year how ever I cleaned up my act, I am growing under lights, I water as well as possible, I have created a temperature difference, offered more humidity while giving more air circulation, I repotted it, and have been fertilizing it. But, I am worried that it may do the same thing this year. How can I make sure it does not drop any buds this year?

It sounds like you are doing it right this year. The main thing in preventing bud blast is the temperature. Just make sure the room doesn't go from warm to cold all of a sudden or the plants are in a draft.
Joann

I agree with Zoi2. The best thing you can do is try to grow healthy plants. You sound like you're on the right track in that regard. Wait and see what your new culture techniques produce. And you might want to keep some notes on what you're doing and how it works out. Every orchid grower has some successes and some failures. Good luck.

Above suggestions are great and I agree and would only add consistency - not just in temperature, but in watering and fertilizing and light and everything. Once your spike is forming you want to keep things pretty much the same. It sounds like you are there with your conditions.

A short story on bid blast that did not happen. Last December my next door neighbor walked a NOID phal a good 100 yards from her house to mine in the middle of January when the temperature was in the mid teens. It was given to her and she explained she hadn't the time to fuss with delicate orchids and knowing I tinkered with them thought it would be a good idea I be the keeper of it. The plant was in full bloom and I explained that it was sure to loose all of its buds because of the temps etc. Well, to my surprise it did not. It carried it's blooms and buds well into March and currently is all budded up and beginning to bloom. My meagher , but varied collection, reside in a southeast facing sunroom where the humidity level never goes higher that 40 and the temps range from 58 at night to 74 during the day. Hardy Massachusetts orchids is my only explanation.

I completely agree with the info above regarding bud blast. Swings in temp and/or humidity has always been the issue for me. I'm told that the gasses emitted from ripening fruit (especially bananas) and from natural gas/propane combustion (like from a stovetop) can also cause buds to blast.

With respect to maximizing blooms on a given spike - I've always thought that by the time a spike shows up you've already done the work (or failed to do the work) that is going to give you lots of buds. Good culture, in particular, lots if sun, when the phal us not in spike tends to yield good bud count in my experience. Now that your phal is in spike it's just a matter of waiting to reap what you've sown.

Hope this helps. Post pics if you can!