Newbie, has a problem....

[BobInBonita]

You've picked up on the biggest issue with orchids! Everyone tells you something different. That is the two edged sword that makes them unbelievably easy or impossibly hard to grow.

If ALL of your conditions or practices match where the orchid naturally grows, it is easy. The more varied, the more difficult. People adapt how they grow to more closely mimic the natural conditions of the orchids environment. Example - orchids dont typically grow in chunks of bark in nature, but it simulates the conditions on the tree (water, humidity air flow, etc) where they grow IF your watering practices are suitable.

Some people use more retentive media (like sphagnum moss), moderately retentive (various bark mixes), pretty dry (LECA or rock), or rapidly drying (bare root in baskets). All of these work very well for the right orchid AND the right watering style. Which you choose has to match your other conditions AND how you grow them. There is no one RIGHT answer for everybody. Example - I quickly kill anything I grow in sphagnum, others, including commercial growers, have great success with it.

The container modifies the media - bark in a basket dries faster than bark in a clay pot, which dries faster than bark in a plastic or ceramic pot.

I grow almost everything in wooden baskets outdoors. Depending on the orchid, it's bare root, bark mix, or LECA. The bark mix is usually a relatively coarse blend Special Orchid Mix from Home Depot or Lowes), sometimes with a little sphagnum mixed in. It's a relatively dry condition that requires more frequent watering than some people like, but saves me from rot (usually). I line the baskets with window screen to keep the mix from washing out in Floreida rains.

Many recommend repotting annually, most seem to believe that repotting when roots are starting to actively grow (spring) is best (unless immediately necessary because of root rot).

Roots - White with green tips is good. Black or dark brown or mushy is bad. How they look exposed can be quite different from how they look in the center of the pot.

I suspect a little cold damage and possibly drying - I've got one that looks virtually identical to yours that I've been attributing to the low humidities and higher winds drying it. I tried to check what it was, but they are still under canvas because of the cold last night and again tonight.

BOTTOM LINE - Pick a variety, try a couple of things, see what is easiest for you and then expand. That limits the variables. Be seasonably consistent so the orchid can adapt. Don't expect daily changes based on what you do (it's usually not good if you see that fast of a response).

[james mickelso]

Oncidiums and most of their kin. They grow flower spikes once for each pseudobulb then produce new bulbs. One and if healthy, two. They like to be left alone. And they like to grow crowded. White roots with green tips? Good. Very good. If you repot, make sure you use a smaller size bark or other medium. They do not like to be kept wet though. They have lots of fine thin roots if healthy but they also are very prone to mealy bugs and spider mites. Color should be on the lighter side. Light should be medium and grown medium to cool. Older bulbs lose their leaves. The bulbs wrinkle as the starches within the tissue is used up for the new growth (or because they were allowed to get too dry. Do not over pot the oncidium alliance family. Do not allow to remain too wet. And they bloom "once" from from each bulb. Older bulbs usually won't produce new roots once it has grown it's prescribed set of leaves. Last year my Brassia "Rex" grew two 3 foot long spikes with upwards of 30 flowers on each shoot from all 5 mature pseudo bulbs. My Oncidium "Sherry Baby" also grew two on each pseudo bulb. Hope this helps.