Adopted Oncidium needs help! - Orchid Board

orchid623 · #1 03-15-2012, 12:06 PM

A friend of mine gave me this Oncidium yesterday and since she recently cut the spike off, I decided it'd be a good time to re-pot it.

Well, I take it out of the pot to discover (of course!) a mass of mush. One baby bulb fell away from the others as I was picking out the moss from the roots.

I am currently converting an old pint-sized Talenti gelato container by punching holes throughout. It's just large enough for the roots to fit in (you can see it in the first pic). Should I plant the baby bulb with the others, or by itself in an even smaller container?

I see some scary black areas on some of the roots, but I don't have any Physan or brown Listerine on hand at the moment. Is there anything else I can or should do before I re-pot it?

OhioBob · #2 03-15-2012, 01:34 PM

I haven't had the best of luck with oncidium so you may want to wait for better advise. I won't plant the baby Pbulb with the rest of the plant. I had luck with this once but I suggest you leave the small one out of any media and allow the roots to air dry some. Once they are dry you can determine their condition and then put the plant in a pot with media. If you don't like the idea of the roots being out then you can spray/dip pour water on them so they can absorb water like they do in the wild.
As I said I had success with keeping an oncidium alive doing this for a month. If was after putting it in a pot that I had difficulty.

Leafmite · #3 03-15-2012, 02:06 PM

As Bob said, let the roots dry for a day. While it is drying, you can decide what to do with the onc. I have had a very easy time with these in large lava rock. I like to use net pots, alone, but, to be honest, these seem to prefer clay or the net pots set in plastic containers. The net pots let you see the roots, both these strategies allow for better airflow to the roots. Most people, however, seem to prefer a small bark mix but this might be because they grow under lights or where it is warm, so the bark dries quickly. I live in Ohio, where winters are cloudy and the house is cool (65'F) in the winter. Bark=Root rot. With the lava rock, you water when it looks dry. Others will be able to offer alternatives so that you can select the one that matches your climate. Once happy, these throw out new growths at a rapid rate.
I confess, I couldn't stand the leaves and they grew into such monsters that I gave them away to make room for others. However, in the past weeks, I just purchased a mini, Twinkle, and a hybrid, Burrageara Nelly Isler 'Swiss Beauty' because oncidiums really are nice orchids. Good luck with yours. Don't worry about the lack of roots--it will soon have plenty. Be certain to stake it firmly in the pot until the new roots can support it.

orchid623 · #4 03-15-2012, 08:22 PM

Ok, so I soaked some bark/lava/perlite mix overnight and re-potted the large plant in that after cutting off black roots and black tips of the roots. I re-potted the baby bulb in some moist sphagnum in a tiny clay pot. (So adorable!)

For now I thought of leaving them both on a windowsill that gets a good bit of morning light. The only problem is that there isn't much in the way of air circulation. Would it be better to put them outside just for that reason? It's been nice and warm during the day (upper 70s) and in the mid 50s at night here.

james mickelso · #5 03-20-2012, 05:59 PM

The small bulb is a back-bulb/previous growth and won't put out any new roots. But it is plump enough to put out a new growth. Do not water it except to sprinkle the spag a little. It has no good roots so won't take up the water. I'd place a small clear baggie over it to help maintain a little humidity. The others need to be kept somewhat damp but not wet. Oncidiums will get rot very easily so just let them alone for a few weeks. I usually dust the root area with powdered cinnamon to kill off any bacteria and fungus before planting. They need good drainage to start until the roots have emerged. So don't water it very much until you see the media become dry down around the bottom. Good luck.

orchid623 · #6 03-22-2012, 10:06 AM

Thank you, James.

Arenalbotanicalgarden · #7 03-22-2012, 10:59 AM

It looks like Grower Ramsey (or family)
Get rid of that container.
Cut the decaying roots off and put in a teak basket with nothing.
No bark. No moss. A few large lava rocks are OK to aid with keeping it still. Wire it tight so it doesn't move. Moisten the wood daily and.......wait. The roots will seek and find the moisture and latch on.

WhiteRabbit · #8 03-22-2012, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arenalbotanicalgarden

It looks like Grower Ramsey (or family)
Get rid of that container.
Cut the decaying roots off and put in a teak basket with nothing.
No bark. No moss. A few large lava rocks are OK to aid with keeping it still. Wire it tight so it doesn't move. Moisten the wood daily and.......wait. The roots will seek and find the moisture and latch on.

Bare root might be great in CR, but not so much in other climates.

Arenalbotanicalgarden · #9 03-23-2012, 08:51 AM

Here's where the oncidiums grow.
The only moisture they get for the next 3 months is iguana pee.

orchid623 · #10 03-23-2012, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arenalbotanicalgarden

It looks like Grower Ramsey (or family)
Get rid of that container.
Cut the decaying roots off and put in a teak basket with nothing.
No bark. No moss. A few large lava rocks are OK to aid with keeping it still. Wire it tight so it doesn't move. Moisten the wood daily and.......wait. The roots will seek and find the moisture and latch on.

Wow, OK. Will do! Thank you so much!