Mold n spike?

[Vanda lover]

Try searching the internet under "water culture for orchids" I have found quite a bit of info that way.

[Angurek]

I'd say it's time to repot the plant. I'm pretty sure the medium is decaying by now.

[drone]

bobinbonita, here's my clean up photo. The roots were fine. The gunk was only on the top near the pbs. I think it might be the moss growing on the walls. Those are now black too for some reason. I soaked in hydrogen peroxide then later listerine. Maybe i should get some fungicide.



Those arent weeds on the oncidium. They are connected to the pb.

[silken]

Are there small buds on the ends of the thin grassy looking growths? Must be bloom spikes, but they look so grassy. However you said your camera was turning things extra green too.

[drone]

no buds. It does look grassy. This is supposed to be a common dancing lady. Do yours not grow these?

[silken]

I've never had a dancing lady, but have a few oncidiums of various crosses. I have never had growth like that. The bloom spikes are often quite thin and tall on mine. Maybe someone who grows dancing lady orchids can say.

[BobInBonita]

Your roots look very good. THanks for the pic. I would have guessed absolutely the other way from the first picture.

I have been hoping someone would chime in with an opinion saying the grassy growth is normal. Since nobody has, there may be another explanation (I've been hesitant to throw this out, because its a long shot). There is a parasitic leafless vine (Dodder Vine) that has a long thin smooth appearance like the grassy growth on your orchid. When first starting to grow it is green like yours, and if it gets established will turn more yellowish. I really don't know if what you have is an odd spike form that I haven't seen, or something like the Dodder Vine. If it continues to grow beyond anything expected of a spike, I would start to worry. Dodder can be tough to eliminate. I've never seen it on an orchid before, but as a true parasite it can damage and kill shrubs and bushes. Again, I'm not sure, but unless someone can tell you this is normal spiking behavior, I'd watch it carefully.