Phals in spike out of season/in wrong conditions

[OrcishOrchids]

So, I got into the hobby by accident back in May when all the sad leftover mother's day phals went on discount. given that they were all in bloom at the time, I assumed they wouldn't bloom again for another year or more given their poor condition when I got them, but I now have at least 4 that have decided to put out fresh spikes.
my living conditions are NOT ideal, they sit in a south-facing window that is shaded by another building during the afternoon, and the temperature ranges from 70 at night to 80 during the afternoon. even with two humidifiers running I can only obtain about 55% humidity (curse this dry Texas air.) they are mostly potted in bark, with a few in high-grade sphagnum moss, and they get a very diluted fertilizer at every water. they all have small root systems because of misstreatment in the grocery stores, and have grown smaller set-back leaves since may.

ok, my concern is that my poor rescue phals are confused and this will set them back further, is there anything I need to do to support these flower spikes so they don't become a drain on the plants?

[fishmom]

It sounds like your culture is good. Phals will like the warm temperatures, in particular. If your spiking plants are REALLY in bad shape, they may be trying to insure survival with a last ditch effort to bloom. They may also just be grateful for some decent conditions. Personally, I would continue to give them the best culture I could and let them do as they will. Are you seeing any new root growth? That would be a good sign that the plants are making a recovery.

[OrcishOrchids]

lots of new roots and branching roots

[fishmom]

Then let them be. They know what they need.

[Mountaineer370]

I agree with fishmom. The plants sound like they are doing well in your care, and if I were in your shoes, I would just continue to do what you're doing. I have found that any orchids I buy, even those that come from reputable orchid greenhouses, take a while to get acclimated to the particular conditions in my home. Some have taken a very long time to rebloom, others have rebloomed long before I expected them to do so. You're doing just fine!

[Paphluvr]

Dry Texas air? You obviously don't live in Houston.

[JScott]

Yes, Phals usually bloom in the winter, but they can bloom other times as well. I have three that are in spike right now, and that's typical of those particular plants. They bloom in the winter, and then again in the late summer or early fall. The fact that they are blooming "out of season" is not a cause for concern. I agree with the rest. If they've got any good roots at all, and especially if they have new roots growing, then there's no reason to cut the spikes.

[OrcishOrchids]

Originally Posted by Paphluvr

Dry Texas air? You obviously don't live in Houston.

I live in DFW and I've spent a few weeks in Houston, to me it's very dry either way. But I'm from Florida so my yard stick is somewhere in the swamp
A humidity 70% or above is where I feel most comfortable.

[JScott]

I'm also in DFW

[Ray]

Granted, this has been blurred in hybridizing, but among species, those with white to pink flowers tend to be the winter bloomers And require the seasonal temperature change to bloom reliably. Those with yellow-orange-red flowers tend to bloom mostly in the summer and with less need of cultural stimulation.