Hi, Keefer,

To add to Joanna's information, it is entirely possible for a Phal to
develop multiple crowns. Given the fact that the flowers on the two spikes
are different, I tend to doubt that's the case here, however. Once the
blooming has finished, it will be time to repot anyway, so if there are two
plants in there you can separate them at that time. It should be pretty
clear whether it's one plant or two, even if the roots are somewhat
entangled. Phal roots are the easiest to unravel, in my opinion, so you
shouldn't have a problem.

As far as branching spikes are concerned, I treat them the same as those
that do not branch. It's easy to see if a spike is throwing off branches;
you'll notice small growths at the nodes. The main thing to remember, I
think, is to let the spike go on its own, as many will put out new buds at
the tip after the first flowers have fallen off or are in the process of
doing so. Don't be too quick to cut back a Phal spike. Let it tell you what
it wants to do. As far as flower color is concerned, I have not heard
anything about yellow Phals as opposed to other colors, but none of us knows
everything, after all. One thing I do know about the yellows is that they
seem to be a bit more prone to attracting insects. Please don't ask me why!
I imagine that they are a bit more genetically fragile than some others, but
that's a guess.

Having said all that, I urge new growers to be cautious about encouraging
that second bloom on Phals. Your aim is a healthy plant that will bloom for
years to come, and the energy needed for an extra few flowers, which will
probably not be as spectacular as the first batch, will detract from the
plant's ability to produce new leaves and healthy roots. My advice: go get
another orchid! If you pick up just one blooming orchid each month (taking
care to add plants that like your environment), you are pretty much
guaranteed to have something in bloom all the time. That is also a wonderful
way to feed the beast!

Diana