Phal. spike lengths and numbers of buds

[OrchidThief79]

I'm relatively new to orchids, but I'm proud to say I have managed to re-bloom several Phals. While I'm happy to have blooms at all, I noticed that the spikes didn't grow as long as they were when I bought them in bloom. And shorter spikes mean fewer blooms. So I have two questions.

Do the spikes grow in length, then stop and start to develop buds? So once the spike stops growing in length, it won't grow any longer once the buds develop, correct?

What factors are important in growing the longest spikes with the most buds? Would more sunlight help? Heavier fertilizing?

Thanks!