Is this a flower spike or new growth on my Oncidium Sharry Baby?

[Utahorchidlover]

I purchased my first four Oncidiums in the last couple of months and this is the first new growth I've seen on any of them, this is on the Sharry Baby. I have searched through the web, and I still can't tell if it's vegetative growth or a flower spike. I'd appreciate any opinions from experienced Oncidium growers.

Thank you!

[Clawhammer]

New growth

[Diane56Victor]

Yes I think new growth also. The Oncids I have produce the spike right in the centre between the leaf and the pbulb, and the spikes have been more pointed.
I've added a couple of pics of a Oncidium Wild Wille 'Wonka'
Hope this shows what I've tried to explain.
This plant is a rescue as you can see from the pleated on the leaves, but it is coming good.

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

[SouthPark]

Flower spikes are generally sort of circular in cross section ----- so basically a cylindrical pipe that keeps getting longer and longer.

Leaf/bulb growths generally have those zig-zag features on the side ------ and generally not relatively thin and not cylindrical in shape as it develops.

[Orchidtinkerer]

It's defnetely a new growth as the plant is still too small to produce a flower spike. The new growth is good but that will still only make the plant have 2 bulbs and in my experience Oncidiums need a minimum of 3 bulbs before they start flowering. It will be a long thin tube growing right next to the new growth (once the new growth is developed) but only once the plant is big enough.

[Utahorchidlover]

Thank you for such an explicit and visual explanation! I read that they grow between the leaf and pseudobulb but the one on mine was slightly in the leaf but coming out, away from the center, this clarifies it entirely! Thanks!

Originally Posted by Diane56Victor

Yes I think new growth also. The Oncids I have produce the spike right in the centre between the leaf and the pbulb, and the spikes have been more pointed.
I've added a couple of pics of a Oncidium Wild Wille 'Wonka'
Hope this shows what I've tried to explain.
This plant is a rescue as you can see from the pleated on the leaves, but it is coming good.

---------- Post added at 01:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:10 PM ----------

Oh, that's very good to know! You can't see it from the angle of my picture but there's actually another pseudobulb behind the biggest one, hopefully I'm within a few growths of the next flower spike then Thanks!

Originally Posted by Orchidtinkerer

It's defnetely a new growth as the plant is still too small to produce a flower spike. The new growth is good but that will still only make the plant have 2 bulbs and in my experience Oncidiums need a minimum of 3 bulbs before they start flowering. It will be a long thin tube growing right next to the new growth (once the new growth is developed) but only once the plant is big enough.

---------- Post added at 01:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:13 PM ----------

Thank you so much!!

Originally Posted by estación seca

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

---------- Post added at 01:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:14 PM ----------

Awesome explicit details, thank you so much!

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Flower spikes are generally sort of circular in cross section ----- so basically a cylindrical pipe that keeps getting longer and longer.

Leaf/bulb growths generally have those zig-zag features on the side ------ and generally not relatively thin and not cylindrical in shape as it develops.