Oncidium/Brassia/Miltoniopsis Many Spikes?

[dianecty]

Hi everyone!! I just wanted to know if it is possible for oncidiums, brassia, miltoniopsis to have multiple spikes in one plant.

I really like them but I always see them with just one spike and so when that spike is gone, you have to wait a long time for it to spike again.

If I want to encourage multiple spikes, what should I do?

Thanks again.

[quiltergal]

You need multiple new growths to have a chance at multiple spikes. The plant pretty much decides if it's going to send up multiple growths. The larger the specimen the more likely you are to get multiple growths.

[melatie]

I bought one a few months ago that had multiple spikes and it was a fairly large plant. Sadly, it doesn't look this good anymore. When I came back from vacation 2 weeks ago it was almost death due to overwatering

[dianecty]

Hi! Sorry to be such a ninny but what do you mean by multiple growths?

Thanks again.

Diane

[dianecty]

I guess what I am asking is is it possible to have multiple spikes on oncidium/brassia and miltoniopsis? The only ones I have seen for sale have 1 spike. I want to buy them but I feel it is a waste because after that one spike wilts then the plant is bare until next year.

What do you thnk?

[karren]

yes that is true. In general orchids bloom once a year. Ocidiums brassia only bloom once from a growth thereforeif you buy it blooming that pseudobulb will not bloom again. In order for the plant to bloom again it must grow a new pseudobulb. These new growths start at the base of the older pseudobulb usually the one that is blooming. It can take a year for this new growth to mature and be able to bloom. With good cultural conditions one can get more than 1 growth at a time and a chance for more spikes. That is the fun of growing your own.

[dianecty]

Now I understand. Thank you. It seems to me its not worth it then. I really like them but I feel that buying them is kind of a waste of money because it is "hard" for them to get multiple spikes.

[Lene Th.]

Originally Posted by dianecty

Now I understand. Thank you. It seems to me its not worth it then. I really like them but I feel that buying them is kind of a waste of money because it is "hard" for them to get multiple spikes.

I would not agree on this.
I got my first, and only, Cambria (mix of oncidiums, brassia, miltoniopsis) in november last year. It had only one spike. Shortly after the flowers wiltered, i could see two new growhts. Now these are almost as big as the old ones, and i hope to find it bloom this year, if im lucky with spikes from both.

But what i really disagree on, is that this plant is less beautifull, even without the flowers... Its a gorgeos plant, with long, nice leafs, and i belive its a real pearl just on its own...

[ipv6ready]

Hi why not buy two and put it into the same pot. Slightly different to what is following but you will get the idea.

From the one and only society meeting I went to a lady showed us what can be achieved. Dam I kicked myself for not taking my camera.

Basically the lady repotted a large specimen size plant with ten bulbs into a larger pot but latter realised that she had lost its tag.

So cut the rhizome in three sections and just left it in the pot and intending repot into smaller pots and give them away to friends.

And the story goes she forgot all about it till next year. The first year it had no spike so she just left it again. By the time she did notice it again the following year all three sections had new multiple growth.

Now full 3 years latter we were seeing the second flowering and WOW it has over 20 bulbs with 5 spikes and the effect was amazing.

yes it took time but it was worth it.

[dianecty]

So it only gets lots of spikes if it has a lot of pseudobulbs. but if one spike dies, only 1 pseudobulb is "born" right? So the only way to get lots of spikes is to have many pseudobulbs in one pot.

Is this right?