My phalaenopis has a bloom spike arising out of the apical crown of the plant. What effect will this have on future flowering?

Probably this means that your plant has reached full maturity, and it will cease to grow and flower after this spike is finished. However, we've seen some plants resume growth, and thenceforth act in a normal manner. Some say this atypical flowering results from too much light; others blame insecticides, especially the systemics. A plant that does not resume normal growth will usually throw one or more new plants or "keikis: from the base of the plant, so don't throw it away. Until it does produce new plants, continue to treat it in a normal manner.

My phalaenopsis plant has grown quite tall. How can I "top" it?

Select where you will cut the plant by examining it carefully, and determining a point where the cut will leave the top half with an ample root system to sustain it until it becomes established. You can remove the bottom part and repot it, or leave it "as is". To pot the top, be sure to cut off any leaves that will be below the potting media, and of course, use only a sterile knife. Remove any flower spikes to force growth energy into the division. Seal all wounds and cuts with a tree-seal paint. Withhold water from the bottom half for a few days to allow the injured roots to heal. Then keep it slightly on the dry side until one or more "keikis" appear - from one to six months. They can be removed when the roots are one to two inches long. As long as the bottom half remains alive, it will continue to produce, perhaps as many as six or more "keikis". You can give slightly more water than is usual to the top half until it is well established.

When buying phalaenopsis seedlings, what kind of shape and color should I look for in the leaves and root tips to assure fine flowers?

We know of no correlation between flower shape and size, and the shape of the leaves or color of the root tips. On our bench of stud and award plants, you can find every type of leaf shape: pointed, rounded, long, short, etc. Certainly, in buying seedlings with color expectancy, you'll want a plant with some pigmentation in the leaves and/or root tips. But again, there doesn't seem to be any correlation between the amount of color visible in the plant, and the intensity of color in the flowers. From our experience, the only assurance of fine progeny comes from the use of fine parents. Of course, there is no hard-and-fast guarantee of success but the odds are in your favor.

My phalaenopsis plant grows quite well, but doesn't bloom. Why?

One reason could be too high temperature. We find that phalaenopsis flower quite well at 62 degrees F. If you are growing the plants indoors, artificial lights nearby might cause long days and thus inhibit flowering. If the plants seem to be growing well, water and fertilizer applied as directed, temperature ideal, and still no flowers, then not enough light is probably the answer. Gradually increase the light intensity until you have about 1000 to 1500 footcandles, or roughly all the light the plants can take without burning. If growing in the home, move the plants to a nice, bright windowsill that receives an hour or two of direct sun in the very early morning or late afternoon.

My pahalaenopsis never quits blooming, and is badly in need of repotting. What should I do?

Repot it - now! We repot year round as the plants need it. If the plant is healthy and robust, you can leave the spike on. If, on the other hand, the plant is a seedling, is weak, has a poor root system, or if you are apt to damage a goodly number of roots in repotting, then sacrifice the spike to force growth energy into the plant.