Preparing to repot new 'cambria's

[Rowangreen]

Just wanted to update and say... the pink one has a new pulb! In fact it's been a week or so, but I wanted to be sure what it was. Still not totally sure from the top, but it's got roots growing out the bottom so I think it's not a flower spike...

I've been spritzing the sick plants around the base with water with KLN in (though this growth started before that), as I don't yet want to give them full soak.

The other sick Oncidium is still looking much the same, though one leaf did start twisting and that seems to have stopped, so I'm hoping that's a sign its stopped drying out.

The phal is not good. The one stumpy root it had has rotted. I got it out and gave it a good clean and found some life (including a tiny translucent worm) round the base. I've cleaned off every speck of sheaf etc I can, cleaned well with hydrogen peroxide, and it's currently drying a little on my draining board. Debating with myself trying bagging it.

[silken]

If you do sphag and bag, be careful that it can get some air, and mold seems to grow very easily for me when I try that. I would spritz the phal at its base with KLN water too. Setting it on a seedling mat could also help stimulate root growth. All of them might benefit from that.

[Rowangreen]

Phal has been bagged after a KLNing. Keeping fingers crossed, but I reckon it's probably gone.

On the good side my other phals are showing signs of reflowering from nodes on existing spikes: one definite and two I think I see swelling. 2 of them were only re-potted last week!

My healthy oncidium wildcat noid also has growth: definitely a leaf coming from the base, and I'm wondering if there's actually a spike in there which would be great! I wouldn't want the other two to flower right now, but that one's healthy looking, so if I get a spike, when I thought it was done for this year, that would be a very unexpected and lovely bonus!

I've never re-flowered anything, and have a long history of none-orchid plants sort of struggling on in that room. I thought it was abscence of green fingers, but it looks like I may have cracked it with providing a little suplemental lighting!

[silken]

for your sphag and bag, make sure you crack the bag open a bit for some air. And at the first sign of mold, give it a rinse under the tap in tepid water. Good luck. Post pictures if some spikes grow!

[Rowangreen]

Thanks, will do!

[Rowangreen]

'Pinky' now has two new growths! Both seem to be coming off the biggest/oldest pulb. Unlike the first this new one doesn't seem to have roots, so maybe it's a flower spike?!? I know I said I didn't want a spike, but I'm thinking if it's puttting both out, maybe it can cope? (And maybe it's not as unhealthy as I thought! Maybe it's just a naturally small plant... It's pulbs are all much smaller than the Wildcat noid.)

Pagan noid still much the same...

The phal isn't doing well. One leaf has rotted at the base. When I took it off there was a little green bump below, but it's already gone black round it. Not giving up yet, but I think it's had it.

On the other hand... years ago I gave a plant as a present, and I've been wanting one myself ever since. Just got one today! Ludisia Red Velvet *G* Hey, I got a none-noid! Does that count as a species plant too? It's got a couple of big strong stalks, both in flower.

[Rowangreen]

Update and pics!

The phal is still around but nearly gone... I've been keeping it out (found my room is quite humid anyway! And it was just going manky in a bag) and spritzing it. Still green but I don't think it's going to produce anything good before the water in it's leaves runs out.

Wildcat Noid: pretty sure now it's not a shoot, it's a pulb. Has roots from the bottom now I think: guess the pulb starts before they do.

Pinky Noid: on that basis, I think both growths on that are probably pulbs.

I guess I have to wait a bit longer for flowers, but growth is good.

Pagan Noid: still much the same! Am considering getting it out for another root trim, as when I brushed back the medium what I saw didn't look good. (It also looks like I have fungus knats. Grrr. Thought they were fruit flies)

Also got a gorgeous new noid phal, but started another thread for that.

Pictures:

My Ludisia Red Velvet *G* Not a great picture

Noid Possible Oncidium Colmonara/Oncostele Wildcat, new growth on left hand side

Noid Oncidium hybrid 'Pinky', largest new growth coming up between the existing pulbs! Smaller one is other side of same large pulb.

Noid possible Oncidium Colmonara/Brassidium Pagan Lovesong. The leaf on the right has grown slightly...

[silken]

Looking good! With oncidium types, the new growth usually is close to being mature before starting a flower spike. So maybe this spring or summer it will do that. If the last NOID is doing some growing and it was recently re-potted, I wouldn't unpot it again. They don't like being disturbed often and it won't likely grow new roots until a new growth starts and puts out new roots. Maybe mist it a bit to help with moisture and make sure it doesn't stay real wet as fungus gnats like that. There is a thread just on the new posts again on dealing with fungus gnats. I just water the media with Malathion which kills the larvae. Keep up the good work.

[Rowangreen]

Latest... I'm letting everything dry out at the moment, except for one 'trojan' pot of potting compost. The idea being the gnats will lay their eggs in that and I'll chuck it in a few days! Tried lots of other home remidies: I think I'll post in that thread. Don't want to use any nasties, as I avoid them.

Rootless phal is still with us, but unlikely to be for long. Wildcat noid's new growth has a definite root from the bottom. It's 4 leaves are also starting to spread out. Only the one new pulb, but growing strongly, and the biggest it has now has remains of 2 spikes.

Pagan Noid is still the same... the growing leaf has done maybe half an inch since I started this thread! I guess that's something. Brushed back the medium again today, and there are still some firm feeling (if black looking) roots down there. So it would still be something you could bet on... but I think a bet for it to survive might be a good one!

Pinky Noid... this is the real news! Besides tons of roots below the biggest new pulb, I had a good look and it looks like the count on new pulbs is now 3!!! The new one is coming from the tiniest of it's existing pulbs. I guess being a weedy looking little thing (the photos above do not give an idea of scale... it's much smaller than the other two) doesn't stop it being a vigourous grower. I think I could quite soon be offering divisions for people who have small spaces! Unless these pulbs grow up bigger of course! I think I'm going to have to be good and stop peeping now, as the roots are spreading and I'm risking disturbing them. So no more news on this one till the next two pulbs break surface!

[silken]

Great to hear. I agree, just let them do their thing now. It sounds like blooms are somewhere in the future once those new growths mature.