Oncidium Hilo Sparkler not growing - why?

[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 Dollythehun

My oncidium tribe does grow roots above the medium. Not all of them but, occasionally they do exactly what youre's is doing. Also, the pleated leaves show that at some point in time it's been underwatered.

Yes, even when it had 'better' roots when I first bought it it's like the just wouldn't go 'down' ever into the bark or small chips. I know they're not like phal's, but just mean the roots are much smaller, delicate and darn fussy...

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

This is what I would do: wrap it in some moss as best you can, put it in a smaller pot and leave it alone. Where do you live? Here I can flower them in a southeast window.

I'm in the rainy dark Pacific Northwest. I'll try the moss trick, someone mentioned semi hydro, not sure what that is, ummm do these kinds of roots 'take' to a long soaking? The plant was never all that healthy looking when I ordered it online. The pbulbs were never 'plump' and it's just gone downhill slowly as I've struggled to figure out what it wants.

---------- Post added at 04:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:03 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Dusty Ol' Man

I am not an expert grower like some of the others who have responded, but one thing I know, and it has been confirmed by those here, if it has roots growing, leave it alone. As far as the instability is concerned, get a stick (chopsticks work well for this size), put it in the pot near the center, tie the plant to it. Then just keep it watered until the roots take to the medium. If it has good roots, yes, even just one or two, it will be ok.

Thanks! I will stake tomorrow, the poor thing just sits on top and flops around, it does have two or three viable white roots, it's TRYING !

---------- Post added at 04:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:09 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Thanks DOM. I was going to suggest that too but, as is the norm lately, I forgot! It might not hurt to lightly tent it too. IDK what twinkie's humidity level is.

An expert is someone who comes from out of town with a briefcase. 😆

Hmmm! I was actually wondering about some version of 'tenting' yesterday. What's the pro way to do that? Would putting any old clear plastic bag over it do the trick? My humidity runs from about 68% to a bad low of 30'ish when the furnace runs on super cold nights. I usually mist the top moss and bark heavy every day and then run some water through every other. I've been confused if it's too dry, too wet, so yo-yo'd on that.

---------- Post added at 04:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:14 AM ----------

Originally Posted by 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.

Hmmm, well I went from the 'oncidium mix' from a well known orchid site because it was bone dry back to bark with spaghnum, not sure if I have 'new' roots but they're not very long, maybe 2". When I first got it it had many more roots but they were very thin, white and shallow, almost like garlic or leek bulb roots. The ones showing now are thicker and less 'shreddy' looking. Okay, so I could pot in a mix with more moss inside a smaller pot with no holes, tent, soak roots possibly with kelp max, I think I'll err towards over-watering side for now since it's dry inside here.
My phals are blooming up a storm, sending out so many new roots, arial roots this year and bigger better blooms and pfffffttt this oncidium is just not having it.

---------- Post added at 04:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:23 AM ----------

Originally Posted by 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.

Hmmm, I will search this semi hydro. Is there an easy nutshell answer how to do that? I even left this plant inside the pot in my soaking tub overnight a few times thinking I could magically get it to 'drink' and show me it could respond to something, anything by a prolonged bath session.
I do collect rainwater (free gallons here, my goodness it's constantly raining) and make sure it's indoors and room temp before soaking plants.
This plant will actually 'lift' right out of the darn pot and float up if I'm not careful how I introduce the water, it's never set down roots ( I know, I keep whining about that...lol ).
I thank you all for this help, am going to make an applied effort and give it a good 5-6 months. If I can't crack the code by then I'll donate it to an orchid rescue place in town. I don't like defeat though. Phals are super easy to grow, my Zygo is easy, everybody else just putts along except THIS one, and natch it's the one I most want to see finally bloom but we're very very far away from that event.

[Dollythehun]

Originally Posted by twinkie

Yes, even when it had 'better' roots when I first bought it it's like the just wouldn't go 'down' ever into the bark or small chips. I know they're not like phal's, but just mean the roots are much smaller, delicate and darn fussy...


I'm in the rainy dark Pacific Northwest. I'll try the moss trick, someone mentioned semi hydro, not sure what that is, ummm do these kinds of roots 'take' to a long soaking? The plant was never all that healthy looking when I ordered it online. The pbulbs were never 'plump' and it's just gone downhill slowly as I've struggled to figure out what it wants.

---------- Post added at 04:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:03 AM ----------



Thanks! I will stake tomorrow, the poor thing just sits on top and flops around, it does have two or three viable white roots, it's TRYING !

---------- Post added at 04:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:09 AM ----------



Hmmm! I was actually wondering about some version of 'tenting' yesterday. What's the pro way to do that? Would putting any old clear plastic bag over it do the trick? My humidity runs from about 68% to a bad low of 30'ish when the furnace runs on super cold nights. I usually mist the top moss and bark heavy every day and then run some water through every other. I've been confused if it's too dry, too wet, so yo-yo'd on that.

---------- Post added at 04:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:14 AM ----------



Hmmm, well I went from the 'oncidium mix' from a well known orchid site because it was bone dry back to bark with spaghnum, not sure if I have 'new' roots but they're not very long, maybe 2". When I first got it it had many more roots but they were very thin, white and shallow, almost like garlic or leek bulb roots. The ones showing now are thicker and less 'shreddy' looking. Okay, so I could pot in a mix with more moss inside a smaller pot with no holes, tent, soak roots possibly with kelp max, I think I'll err towards over-watering side for now since it's dry inside here.
My phals are blooming up a storm, sending out so many new roots, arial roots this year and bigger better blooms and pfffffttt this oncidium is just not having it.

---------- Post added at 04:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:23 AM ----------



Hmmm, I will search this semi hydro. Is there an easy nutshell answer how to do that? I even left this plant inside the pot in my soaking tub overnight a few times thinking I could magically get it to 'drink' and show me it could respond to something, anything by a prolonged bath session.
I do collect rainwater (free gallons here, my goodness it's constantly raining) and make sure it's indoors and room temp before soaking plants.
This plant will actually 'lift' right out of the darn pot and float up if I'm not careful how I introduce the water, it's never set down roots ( I know, I keep whining about that...lol ).
I thank you all for this help, am going to make an applied effort and give it a good 5-6 months. If I can't crack the code by then I'll donate it to an orchid rescue place in town. I don't like defeat though. Phals are super easy to grow, my Zygo is easy, everybody else just putts along except THIS one, and natch it's the one I most want to see finally bloom but we're very very far away from that event.

Going back to the beginning: Ray said to quit repotting. I agree. Put in the chopsticks, tent it w a vegetable bag, water more often, and give it a chance. It does need more light than phals, but, I have bloomed them in the same window.

[aliceinwl]

I agree, fine bark or moss, smaller pot with less ventilation, stake it and leave it be. Misting surface roots daily until new root growth takes off is also a good move. Be prepared to wait, even if it’s “happy” it’ll likely be a few months until you see growth. If you get Kelpmax, soak the whole pot in it overnight and drain it out in the morning: less trauma to the plant.

These really don’t like to dry out completely so finding a substrate mix that allows for constant even moisture while being airy is key. Pots with a lot of ventilation coupled with large grade bark can make this challenging. The skewer method outlined in the sticky post at the top of the forum really helped me when I started with orchids and I was trying to figure out when to water.

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[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

[DrDawn]

Ah, sorry I didn't see this thread earlier! I am mostly a phal-grower, branching out to oncidiums now. Here's what I've found so far...

I got a Onc. Kukoo about six months ago in the mail. Clearly had been a bit abused because the bulbs were shriveled and the leaves were creased, indicated not enough watering. I knew that in my environment, I tend to be a heavy waterer, so I repotted in small orchiata bark in a pot with holes on the sides and bottom and started watering daily. Within a month it was sending out roots (all over the place!) - some went down into the orchiata, some went into the air, some swirled around the pseudobulbs, it is basically a little poof of tiny roots! I still water it about twice as frequently as my phals and it is very happy and has a nice big flower spike. I use tap water, room temperature, for all my orchids and so far it hasn't seemed to bother it. I've also got Mtssa. Charles M. Fitch 'Izumi', Tolumnia Jairak Flyer 'MO 05', and Tolumnia Popoki 'Mitzi', and they all are also in orchiata. The Tolumnias get frequent watering, the Miltassia doesn't seem to care as much. But the little orchids really need to be watered daily in my environment so they don't dry out too much!