Repotting Phals

We have a phal which has performed well for the last two and a half years. Since the anniversary of receiving this gift, it has had a succession of bloom with a new spike about every three months. We are pleased with the results but know it's beginners luck and apparently a good location (east facing kitchen window). I confess that I haven't been fertilizing out of ignorance and fear, but I have remembered to water it thoroughly once a week. Any new leaf growth it has produced for us (four total in the two and a half year period) has been healthy and progressively larger in size. How do you know when to repot with new bark/soil?

It came in a 5 1/2" clay pot with a plastic liner filled with a bark-like material. Should we wait to repot until after the current flowering period ends? Right now there is a new spike among several aerial roots.

On Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:45:35 -0800, eclectic wrote (in article <kDD2j.5$ snipped-for-privacy@news.sisna.com>):

Good for you! You must be doing the important things right.

You could repot now, but if the plant looks that good, I'd suggest you hold off repotting until this spike flowers and has faded. But it would be a good idea to begin fertilizing it, "weakly, weekly," as the adage would have it. About 1/4 the recommended strength of any orchid fertilizer, every week or two when you water it, with a good flush of plain water instead to remove built up salts every month or two. If it's in bark or a bark mix, it's important to at least check the medium and the roots every 2-3 years or when the plant fails to thrive. Remove any soggy, dark roots, scrub and rinse the pot, and then place the orchid in fresh medium, to just below the lowest healthy leaf. The lowest, oldest leaves will naturally yellow and be shed as the plant grows upward. Tom Walnut Creek, CA Nikon D200