Oncidium ampliatum Repotting

[AU77]

I bought this orchid in a bagged 4-inch pot yesterday at Lowe’s. It was wrapped in sphagnum moss and had pieces of styrofoam in the bottom.

I am planning on repotting it in a 6-inch clay pot with medium course orchid bark. I have never had an Oncidium before but know they don’t like wet roots. What do you think of this plan?

It will summer on my back porch with filtered morning sun. We have very high humidity here in the summer. It has been getting very hot, so I turn on the ceiling fan for air circulation.

[Roberta]

I'd use small bark. While they don't want to be sopping wet (air around roots is important), Oncidiums need to stay wetter than, say, a Cattleya or Phalaenopsis. Nice find!

[DirtyCoconuts]

Score. I found one too. I agree with Roberta. Where are you located?

[AU77]

I’m in Northwest Florida between Tallahassee and Pensacola. It’s hot and humid in the summer. Winters are usually fairly mild, though it can drop to freezing and below. We live near a bayou, so we really don’t get a lot of frost. But of course, we have had the occasional surprise.

[DirtyCoconuts]

And do you grow outdoors? And if so, under cover from rain or not?

I am in Broward county. I have spent a lot of time in the panhandle and I am jealous of very few poeple’s seafood….north gulf is one of those few…. Your oysters…heaven. At least before the dead zone and runoff

[AU77]

We have a large east facing back porch that gets filtered morning sun. After joining this forum, I realized it would be a good place for some of my orchids to summer. The only rain would be from a blowing rain.

I do have to say there is excellent seafood in this area. Nothing beats straight off the boat fish and shrimp.

A few years ago, we visited the Fort Lauderdale area and visited a park with a raised walkway and there, just growing wild in a tree, was an orchid in bloom. I had never seen that before. Gorgeous! I could do without the iguanas though.

[Orchid Whisperer]

You can also grow that species on a mount. Mine does pretty well that way.