Question
i live in WV and its janaury right now. in july i got an orchid that had already bloomed. well the buds fell off & by September it had already bloomed again.  But It hasn't bloomed since!  i wonder what im doing wrong..help please! i want my pretty orchid back!

Answer
Samantha, thanks for your question.  My wife is a native West Virginian (near Logan) and we travel there to see her relatives a couple of times a year.  I also have had occassion to purchase orchids at Lowes and Home Depot during those trips. You are  fortunate to get two blooming periods during the year.  Normally, phalaenopsis bloom (primarily) in the spring and, when done flowering, send out new leaves and roots for the blooming next spring. You need to concentrate on repotting your plant at this time.  The two retail outlets I cited above carry bags of orchid potting mix.  Once you have some fresh orchid potting mix, soak a portion of it while you unpot your plant.  Rinse off the roots and remove any roots that have collapsed (only firm roots that turn green when soaked in water are healthy).  Repot by lowering the root mass into a pot while rotating the pot so the roots follow the inner walls of the pot.  Then, slowly add the wet, but fresh, orchid potting mix, tapping the pot while you add it to distribute it amongst the roots.  Use a pot with lots of drainage holes in the bottom.  If most of your roots are healthy, you may need to use a somewhat larger pot than they have been in.  If you have had to remove several roots, the remaining healthy roots may be able to be repotted in the same pot.  After repotting, place the pot in an area where the excess moisture can drain and wait at least a week to start watering.  Potting mix that contains fir bark is ideal for orchids as orchid roots need to have access to both air and moisture. Phalaenopsis orchids should be repotted annually after each flowering. Orchids are not your typical houseplants.  In nature, they are frequently found growing in trees with their roots often exposed in air and rain so they need a potting mix that provides some of those same condtions.  Phalaenopsis like warm temperatures (65-85 degrees) and are most comfortable in an east window where they can get some morning sun.  It is still possible that it could send up a new bloom spike this spring to reward you for the extra care you have provided.