Orchid Phalaenopsis question

[Anthony]

I've had this orchid going on 5 years now...the second year I got a flower and that was in the spring, here on the mid atlantic coast. Year after year, its getting taller and healthy looking...but not spikes. It is now about 2 feet high and maybe forced to repot, but a book i have on orchids recommends to repot only mid spring to mid summer...of course that depends on the area, i would assume, doesn't it? and it did not state that. I did repot it a year or so ago. Does anyone know what i am doing wrong in not getting any flowers? I fertilize every other watering and maybe that is why its getting so tall. Stopped now cause of Fall and its in a bright south window with water at its base for humidity. In fact, it has more humidity now than the year it did bloom for me under those same conditions..go figure.

[dr-solo]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Somewhere between zone 5 and 6 tucked along the shore of Lake Michigan on the council grounds of the Fox, Mascouten, Potawatomi, and Winnebago

[David E. Ross]

Mine blooms almost every year. It's potted in bark chips.

I feed it with an 18-18-18 orchid food every other week (your schedule):

1/4 tsp in a quart of water. I set the pot in a large bowl and pour the water through. What drains into the bowl, I use to water other house plants.

On the week that I do not feed it, I do water it but only once. I hold the pot over the sink with my hand blocking the drain hole. I carefully pour water into the pot until the bark on top begins to float. Then I uncover the drain hole. I am very, very careful not to allow even the tiniest drop of water into the center of the topmost leaf. I was told that water there will cause the plant to rot and die.

I keep my phal in a north window. Phalaenopsis needs good INDIRECT light but not direct sun. Since my house is not square on the compass and get morning sun on the north side in the summer, I hang shade cloth over the window from April to October.