Mine usually do a bunch of new growth... then there's sort of a slow period and then they spike and then they grow new growth again, like Sonya described but I have one that doesn't follow that rule. It's not always in fall either. My sharry baby is in spike now. It had spiked earlier in the spring, but that spike died so I was afraid it wouldn't flower this year. Now another one has cropped up on a pseudobulb that is I would say about 90% mature. I'm really excited to see how many flowers I get from it this year!