Oncidium Sharry Baby with brown spots

[Ashmelon]

Hi all,

I recently purchased one of my first Oncidiums (sharry baby), and I've noticed that there is a spot that is slightly mushy on the bottom. There is also a leaf that has a few black spots surrounded by a lighter brown spot that keeps getting larger. (See pictures). Not sure what I should do.

I can't see the roots either, so I'm relying on the pseudobulbs to tell me if it's underwatered. Are they looking healthy and not too shrivelled?

Any advice is truly appreciated.

[estación seca]

Did you repot it, or did it come in that bark that looks brand-new? Oncidiums should not dry out. It looks thirsty to me. They rarely develop disease issues in home environments. Problems arise from not staying moist, or having a bad root system.

Sharry Baby usually has a lot of spots. I wouldn't worry yet.

I wouldn't use large bark for an Oncidium inside a home because it dries too quickly. But, don't repot if it has new healthy roots clinging to the bark.

[Ashmelon]

I just purchased a week ago, so it came in this pot with this bark. Nothing has been changed. It was moist when purchased and I've given it another soak. I'll be giving another watering tomorrow.

I'm bouncing with the idea of repotting in a clear pot just so I can see the roots below.

[Roberta]

The ideal time to repot is when new growth (and new roots) have started. I would suggest just keep it watered (even if you need to do it every few days with that big bark) until you see that happening, then you can move it to smaller bark.

[estación seca]

I suspect the seller just repotted into that bark. If it's all that large I would water at least every other day, then repot into smaller medium when the newest growth first shows root nubs.

Fortunately Sharry Baby is one of the sturdiest hybrids and can bounce back from problems once receiving proper care.