My First Oncidium

[SewPretty]

Hello!
I have been growing Phals for a few years and yesterday I got my first Oncidium.
it has flowers (tiny, white w/ purple spots) and it has 6-8 pseudo bulbs ranging in size from quite large to very small. I haven't taken any photos yet so I guess you'll have to trust me

so here's my question.
are there any differences in care between the Phals that I'm used to and the Oncs?

any advice is welcome

[got ants]

I'm no expert, but after killing a few, I think I found a happy choice for growing them for me. Might be different for you as I grow them year round outdoors.

Anyhoos, of all the ones I killed, they all seemed to have spagnum moss in them. I now repot immediately and remove any trace of moss. I repot in a mixture of charcoal, coconut chips, leca balls, and tree fern chunks.

What I have found is they need to dry out in between waterings, but since we have long periods of rain, they need fungicide treatments.

Light needs are generally full sun/ partly shade, unless in the harshest of our summers, then part sun, mostly shade.

I feed them once a week in the summer, every two weeks in the winter. I use non urea water soluble fertilizer with superthrive.

I have most growing in clay pots, but some in wooden baskets.

Good luck and happy growing!!

[SewPretty]

mine is in sphag right now but I'll be re potting in bark most likely after Christmas.
every Orchid that i have killed had been is sphag.

I let the Phals dry out between waterings so that'll be easy enough. I think i water them once a week - week and a half.

thanks for the tips!

[WhiteRabbit]

Moderate light - east or west window if that's where you grow yours.
I do not let mine dry completely. The nice thing I have found about most oncidiums is they are a bit forgiving in the water department. A bit harder to over-water than phals lol - in my experience at least.
If the foliage on new growth comes in pleated (horizontally) it is a sign that it needs more water. Increased watering will not 'un-do' the pleating, but newer growth should come in smooth.

And - welcome to OB lots of very nice people here who love sharing their knowledge

[WhiteRabbit]

Oh, not sure if your plant came with a tag ?
But it looks similar to this - Not sure if its the same ...

Pacific Orchid Farms Home Page

[SewPretty]

wow it really does look like that one! I'll write that down
none of mine have ever had a tag. I think this one came from IKEA and the others have come from hardware stores... I have an album of all of mine in my profile somewhere...

I keep mine in an awning shaded South facing window.

I'm SO glad for the advice!

[Tommyr]

I LOVE Oncs.! I am a phal killer however. I grow my Oncs. in LFS and give them bright, indirect Sun. They spend the summer outside under a roofed patio. Regular feeding. I leave them out in the early fall to get some night time cooling. Like you would do with Christmas or Thanksgiving cactus. I have a Sharry Baby blooming right now and a Carnival costume spiking: