Oncididium Splendidum with unusually tall but unblooming spike

[tmvp]

Hi...new the board officially but I've visited in the past for various orchid information. I realized that perhaps someone on here might be able to give me some suggestions for how to best nurture this one particular orchid I have a question about.

The image below is of an Oncidium Splendidum (I had to use our camera's panoramic feature in order to fit the whole thing into an image!). It started growing its spike maybe a few months ago and thought nothing of it until it kept growing and growing...and growing...to the point that I had to move it from the top of a book shelf. The book shelf is roughly 47 inches tall and the spike tip had finally reached the ceiling and was starting to bend the spike.

So again, I thought, "Ok this orchid is sure to pop out those buds any time now...I'll move it onto our spare desk." I didn't want to brace it yet against a bamboo stake to keep it upright, until I knew where the buds were going to pop. So I've been gently bracing it by nestling the spike within the leaves of a lucky bamboo plant we have on the shelf above it.

Well I'm going to need to soon need move this plant to the floor apparently because the spike is now about an inch away from the ceiling...again! The top of the desk is roughly 27 inches tall. So in perhaps less than a month the spike has grown another 20 inches!

I took out a measuring tape, and the entire spike is now roughly 56 inches tall. I'm 5'2", so if I place my plant on the floor, the spike towers over my head! It was amusing at first watching how tall this thing was getting but now it's getting a bit ridiculous...Flower dangit! LOL

I've had other Oncidiums spike successfully before but they've typically been perhaps 2 or 3 feet tall max before it bloomed. This is the tallest thing I've ever seen!...Does anyone have some good suggestions for getting those buds to finally pop before I totally run out of ceiling space and have to risk trying to put it outside?

I live in San Diego (CA)...and our weather has been unusually warmer this winter. It's been an indoor plant in a South/East facing room. I had been watering it every two weeks while it was colder but since it's warmed up, I've bumped up my watering schedule to roughly every week with a very light fertilizer/Superthrive mix.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Orchidlvr2012]

WOW!!!!!!!!! I can't believe how tall that spike is! Hopefully it will give you a lot of flower buds! Please post another pick of it when it is in full bloom?

[Discus]

Contact the people at Guinness!
Welcome to the board!

[Susie11]

O.M.G isn't that a tall one?! Can't wait for the flowers.

[camille1585]

Dang, that thing's also taller than I am! You're going to need to cut a hole in the ceiling. I know that spikes on this species frequently push 4 feet in height, but yours is well past that. I don't think anyone can tell you when it will set buds.
What sort of light is is getting? Low light usually leads to taller, leggier spikes, so if that's the case maybe putting it in a bright spot will encourage it to stop growing and bloom.
You are seriously going to set a record with that thing!

[tucker85]

Wow! Oncididium Splendidum often have very tall spikes but you may have a contender for the record. I don't know what will make it create buds but I would make sure it's getting good light. I find that more light often encourages oncidiums to bloom. Please post a picture when it does bloom. I can't wait to see that one.

[msaar]

About the only way you will stop this inforescence from growing until it's ready to stop is to pinch off the growing point. The other thing you can do is train the inflorescence by staking it in a circle. It's not really designed to stand vertically. The length of this would be really unusual if it were Onc. splendidum; it's not. Onc. splendidum is what's characterized as a mule-ear Oncidium (recently reclassified as Trichocentrum splendidum), with thick, erect leaves, loosely resembling a mule's ear. Your plant would be what is generally called a thin-leafed Oncidium. You won't be able to tell which it is until it blooms. There are any number of this type of Oncidium which grow extremely long; Onc. leucochilum, for instance, can grow 4 meters long. Post some flower pictures when it blooms, and we'll try to identify it for you. Good luck!

[silken]

How much SuperThrive are you using? Too much of that can cause abnormal growth and I have read that you should stop using when plants are in spike. Also does your fertilizer have a high nitrogen content? This may be contributing to this spike wanting to grow so tall. Good thing you at least live in a warm part of the world!! Where I come from, I would have to tip it sideways!!

[tmvp]

Originally Posted by camille1585

What sort of light is is getting? Low light usually leads to taller, leggier spikes, so if that's the case maybe putting it in a bright spot will encourage it to stop growing and bloom.

When this plant started growing it's spike and before I moved it, the book shelf it was sitting on is actually right next to the window. As I mentioned in my post this room is a South/East facing room. So it gets the most light out of any room in our house and is typically also one of the warmest too.

With it moved to the lower desk, it's now about 8 feet away from the window but still getting a good amount of light as the sun travels across the backyard through the window. The only way I can give it more light if you think that would help is if I move it back to the bookshelf near the window, or move it outside to the backyard.

If I move it to the window, perhaps I could try to gently train the spike to bend. However, only the top 1/4 of it is still supple and light green of new growth and the most willing to bend. The rest of the spike is getting firm and "woody." So it's not very pliable at this point, without me being afraid it's going to snap. I have a funny feeling I'm going to need to buy one of those circular tomato trellises especially if I give into putting it outside!

Originally Posted by msaar

About the only way you will stop this inforescence from growing until it's ready to stop is to pinch off the growing point. The other thing you can do is train the inflorescence by staking it in a circle. It's not really designed to stand vertically. The length of this would be really unusual if it were Onc. splendidum; it's not. Onc. splendidum is what's characterized as a mule-ear Oncidium (recently reclassified as Trichocentrum splendidum), with thick, erect leaves, loosely resembling a mule's ear. Your plant would be what is generally called a thin-leafed Oncidium. You won't be able to tell which it is until it blooms. There are any number of this type of Oncidium which grow extremely long; Onc. leucochilum, for instance, can grow 4 meters long. Post some flower pictures when it blooms, and we'll try to identify it for you. Good luck!

The thought had actually crossed my mind about what would happen if I just pinched off the tip...However, a part of me is of course rather curious to see how tall this silly thing wants to grow!

I wouldn't be surprised if the classification I've given it is wrong. I've received several of my orchids from the greenhouse at SDSU, and one of their botany students gave this plant to my husband to give to me, since I believe I recognize his handwritten tag.

However, this particular "plant expert's" track record in naming orchids isn't that great LOL...When I first got into orchids he gave me a plant that he adamantly argued to my husband was a mini Phal. species. However, due to the cane, leaf and flower structure it is obviously some sort of Cattleya species!

Originally Posted by silken

How much Superthrive are you using? Too much of that can cause abnormal growth and I have read that you should stop using when plants are in spike. Also does your fertilizer have a high nitrogen content? This may be contributing to this spike wanting to grow so tall. Good thing you at least live in a warm part of the world!! Where I come from, I would have to tip it sideways!!

When I water my plants I use the "green" Grow More orchid fertilizer or the 20-10-20 mix across all of my orchids since it's the most general purpose. I don't always have enough time to custom feed all of my different species (roughly 15+) with a 3 year old! So looking over the other fertilizer mixes I have, it sounds like you're saying I need switch to the "blue" Grow More 6-30-30 fertilizer for just this orchid, correct?

When I do water I fill a 2 gallon pitcher and put in half a tsp of fertilizer and half a tsp of Superthrive. I started using this light solution of fertilizer with every watering, I believe as recommended by Andy from Andy's Orchids, when we last stopped by his nursery a few years ago.

In any case I will most definitely post a picture of this if it does FINALLY bloom!

[camille1585]

I'll be curious to see the pic with the plant outside and the blooms up above the roof, disappearing into the clouds... This thing is sounding like the orchid version of Jack and the beanstalk!