Oncidium Hilo Sparkler not growing - why?

[estación seca]

Oncidiums like evenly moist roots. Most people use either small bark or sphagnum moss. They only grow new roots from new vegetative growth. It's best not to repot unless new roots have just begun forming. When you repot you damage roots. If the plant repotted at the wrong time doesn't make new growth and roots for a while, it will struggle to take up enough water to survive.

Next time it begins making new roots, consider repotting into a pot with no holes, and either small bark or sphagnum moss. If you tend to overwater use the bark. If you forget to water use moss.

Edit: I meant to write to use a pot with bottom drainage holes and no side holes. Oncidiums need air at the roots, but pots with side holes dry out quickly.

And don't move sick plants to S/H. Plants need to grow a new set of roots to thrive in S/H. Sick plants might not be strong enough for that.

[Orchidtinkerer]

these crinkled leaves are an indicator things are not right.
I still haven't figured out what causes folded up leaves like those as it does not happen here but I have received a few oncidium type orchids with folded leaves like that - always on a weak plant. I suspect it is caused but I am not certain as I have never been present when it was done that it is caused by irregular watering or a complete lack of a root system due to rot.

It has been mentioned the substrate and the pot should be tailored to the state of the orchid. I like to use semi-hydro on orchids with few roots till roots reach down into the pot as a rootless orchid needs to be watered daily otherwise. Then once big enough it can be potted on so I will suggest semi hydro even if it might be the 6th repot you do, better to do 6 repots and find what keeps it happy than to call it quits after 5 and leave it in something it might not be happy in. Not saying it isn't happy, just that a near rootless orchid will need to be sprayed daily. No point picking something that needs daily care and a crisis stops that from happening, better to go for semi hydro which can be left for a week by itself.

Also leave out the fertilizer till it produces new growth. It should be getting rain water which should be all it needs. Tap water will not be as good as its PH will most likely be off, it won't have the micro nutrients rain water has and will have excess calcium causing other nutrients to get locked out so pick rain water if you can, then you don't need to compensate with fertiliser which a weak plant cannot handle well.

[twinkie]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Edit: I meant to write to use a pot with bottom drainage holes and no side holes. Oncidiums need air at the roots, but pots with side holes dry out quickly.

And don't move sick plants to S/H. Plants need to grow a new set of roots to thrive in S/H. Sick plants might not be strong enough for that.

Okay! Thank you! Do you mean 'S'= sun and 'H' = heat or Side Holes?

Thank you everyone for helping!
I stuck a short stake in and wired not toooo tightly, then put the pot inside this huge ziploc bag and left it cracked slightly. Will this work? It was the easiest thing I could find.
Am thinking to mist the top moss/bark while it is in there and also trying to not jostle it to water, maybe only water slowly from the top too and zip her back up in her pouch eheh ? I can't wait to see what happens!!

[Dollythehun]

Originally Posted by twinkie

Okay! Thank you! Do you mean 'S'= sun and 'H' = heat or Side Holes?

Thank you everyone for helping!
I stuck a short stake in and wired not toooo tightly, then put the pot inside this huge ziploc bag and left it cracked slightly. Will this work? It was the easiest thing I could find.
Am thinking to mist the top moss/bark while it is in there and also trying to not jostle it to water, maybe only water slowly from the top too and zip her back up in her pouch eheh ? I can't wait to see what happens!!

That's probably fine. Just mist when the moss is drying. And for heaven's sake relax.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by twinkie

Okay! Thank you! Do you mean 'S'= sun and 'H' = heat or Side Holes?

"S/H" refers to Semi-Hydroponic culture