new growth on Oncidium Golden Peacock

[Fran20]

I have some questions about my Onc. Golden Peacock. It grows indoors in bright diffuse light. Temps 74 deg. night and 79 deg. day. Please refer to attached pics:

1--What is that little green shoot growing out of the right side of the pseudobulb? It's grown pretty fast in the last week. Is it a new pseudobulb or a spike?

2--The old pseudobulb on the right had leaves that turned yellow and fell off (like the yellow leaf next to it). The bulb is firm and not mushy. Is this normal or is something wrong?

3--All the flowers have finished blooming and have fallen off the old spike. Will the old spike ever rebloom, or should I cut it off? If I'm supposed to cut it off, then where do I make the cut?
Any info is greatly appreciated!

[aliceinwl]

The shoot is the start of a new pseudobulb/growth. The spike won’t rebloom but the plant will reabsorb what resources it can from it. Unless its inconvenient, I usually wait to cut spent spikes until they’re brown and dry. I usually cut just above the first node.

With the old pseudobulb, plants trying to establish will pull resources from them. I suspect this is what your plant is doing. Eventually, it’ll go brown and dry.

[Fran20]

Thank you, aliceinwl!

[SouthPark]

Fran .... notice how the new shoot is sprouting at that angle? It is likley growing toward the light.

So --- if you want to intervene at any time ..... you could rotate the pot, so that the shoot then switches directions, so that - overall - the plant can then start to grow in an upward direction. This just means that you can use the knowledge of shoots growing toward the light - for making adjustments to the direction your developing shoot will grow.

[Fran20]

Thank you, SouthPark, for your suggestion. I will rotate the pot and watch what happens. I envy you enjoying spring time in Australia! Winter is looming large up here!

[ArronOB]

You’ve just prompted me to go out and look at my Oncidium. I have a few dozen including a few ‘Oncidium peacock’. Actually, I think they are now classified as Gomesa.

Did you buy that plant already flowering, and was it from a big box store? My point is that I’ve seen plants like that before and my thinking is that growers raise the plants from very small, and as they mature each lead produces two leads, so it branches and becomes a tight cluster of pseudobulbs of different ages (with several growing leads). When spikes emerge they split the plant up to maximise their profit, so each split has just one relatively mature pseudobulbs and a maturing spike - and one or two older pseudobulbs. It’s then repotted and sold in flower. That is the only way I can imagine you would get a flowering plant with just one functional pseudobulb. Remember the growers and the box stores are effectively selling flowers, not healthy plants.

The consequence of this grower marketing strategy is that the plant is fairly stressed, which is why it has lost its basal leaves (my peacocks retain their basal leaves through two or three generations of pseudobulb, so the basal leaves that emerged 3 years ago are still there and healthy). It also means it probably won’t rebloom from a cut spike, because reserves are low (although I don’t think it’s in the groups of Oncidium that repeat bloom anyway), and why the current emergent pseudobulb probably won’t flower (again, reserves are low so the usual defence is to skip a year).

My purpose in mentioning this is not to degenerate your plant or your orchid growing skills, but to put the plant in context. It will ultimately become a robust, healthy plant and peacock is a good hybrid.

Cheers
Arron

[aliceinwl]

I just searched for pictures and Oncidium ‘golden peacock’ looks a lot like a couple of my NOID Oncidium. This was one of my first orchids so I abused it terribly but it survived. I’m not sure if it’s specific to the environment I grow in (outside and relatively cool) but mine didn’t really take off until I moved it to a hanging basket.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by Fran20

I envy you enjoying spring time in Australia! Winter is looming large up here!

You're most welcome Fran. In North East Queensland right now, our spring is quite warm already. I equally envy your cool temperature right now hahaha.

[Fran20]

Thank you, ArronOB, for your informative post. The orchid was purchased online directly from a normally reputable grower in Hawaii. It arrived in Spike and the flowers proceeded to bloom shortly after arrival. There was no bud blast and the blooms lasted for about 6 weeks, whereupon the new lead started to sprout. Since you mentioned that you are growing several of these plants successfully, could you share some tips about the care preferences for this particular variety? Many thanks!

---------- Post added at 11:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:19 AM ----------

Thank you aliceinwl for your reassuring post. As a relative newbie, I'm happy to hear that there is a chance my orchids can survive despite my ignorance LOL I was informed by the grower that this particular Oncidium Peacock is a hybrid cross between Gomesa Summit GoldxGomesa Palmyre. Hope this helps you identify your noids.
Re: the hanging baskets. I have noticed that this particular orchid doesn't really like to stay moist all the time and perhaps the hanging basket allows for it to dry out evenly.

[ArronOB]

I grow mine outdoors year-round. Our temps (in Celsius) are in summer we get a few days around 40 but most days are 28-30. In winter it gets down to about 7-8 degrees but that is unusual and only for a few hours around dawn. Humidity is high.

I grow in a shadehouse. Bright light position. Potted in small pine bark, in slotted plastic pots, with a little sphagnum wound through just to keep them moist. I water from fixed overhead sprinklers, just tap water, about 2 of 3 days in summer and about weekly in winter. Fertilise weekly in growing period.

No pests seem to bother them.

I guess that’s a pretty basic care routine but it works well for all my Oncidium types. I’m mainly interested in cattleyas - the Oncidiums are welcome but only if they can look after themselves as I don’t have the time for individual maintenance.

One interesting thing is my O. Peacock are just finishing their flowering now. That seems odd if yours is also just finished - remembering I’m in the sthn hemisphere so seasons reversed.

Cheers
Arron