Rooting Pseudobulbs - Orchid Board

Pilot · #1 04-03-2012, 01:42 PM

I have an Onc hybrid I bought at a show recently and sadly the roots were no good. I had checked them at the time of buying but suspect they were already on their way out. In so far as I can tell, this plant has no viable roots.

So my question to the forum is, besides repotting and trimming the dead roots, replacing the potting medium (I went with hydroton-- no roots to kill so might as well go with something I use), and keeping it warm, are there any other techniques to keeping the plant in optimal conditions for rooting? I have not been using anything like KLN or rootone or super thrive-- not convinced those do much.

Any thoughts? The point of pseudobulbs, as I understand it, is to carry the plant through periods of austerity, so I'm hoping the plant will decide to put out roots soon.

Appreciate everyone's input...

Wjs2nd · #2 04-03-2012, 01:57 PM

I have heard bagging the bulbs help keep the humidity way up. This is usually the sphag and bag technic. I don't know if you can use hydrotron for this. I would suggest using a rooting hormone. It won't cause any harm and it can/could help.

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #3 04-03-2012, 02:34 PM

I don't recommend bagging them. Too many problems with bacterial rot and fungal infections.

I think your Onc might pull through without the roots if it has enough energy in its reserves. I've had rootless Oncs before, and all I did was pot them up and grow them how I would normally grow them and hope for the best. Some make it, others don't. Those that do make it, bounce back immediately.

Rowangreen · #4 04-03-2012, 02:45 PM

I have an onc hybrid that's been sitting in a pot with about an inch of bad root for about a year now. It lost it's smallest pulb, other than that it's not done a thing. I'm hoping it will start something with the warmer weather! Shows how resiliant they can be though!

tucker85 · #5 04-03-2012, 03:01 PM

I've always stuggled with oncidiums but I do find that the roots are a little too small to do well in hydroton. I love hydroton for cattleyas and laelias but it dries a little too quickly for oncidiums. Right now I have all my oncidiums in a mix of coconut husk chips with a little sponge rock and a little charcoal. . In years past I've also had good luck with oncidiums in sphagnum but unfortunately, here in South Florida, it gets too humid in the summer and the sphagnum never dries. I've never tried to save an oncidium with no roots so I can't help with that. Good luck.

Pilot · #6 04-03-2012, 03:36 PM

Tucker that's interesting about your experience with oncs in hydroton. I have a sharry baby in sh and it's growing like a weed. I have another onc hybrid doing the same so I'm hoping and assuming this plant will follow suit. My hydroton, now that I moved everything to the basement where humidifiers keep the air nicely moist, doesn't dry out as insanely fast as it did in my solarium. I have loads of plants in my solarium but the orchids prefer the constants of the basement under the lights. In fact, I have had to add some pretty good sized fans to the set up now to keep fungus and bacteria issues from developing. My hydroton now stays a nice darker color, suggesting its not dry as a bone, but it's also not dropping wet.

I have found in my limited experience, the roots of oncs fill an sh pot really fast. Now, potting oncs with loads of roots already in hydroton I have never done. All of these oncs had very few roots before going into sh, but never with no roots like this most recent one.

As King says above, some make it some don't. I guess time will tell. I'm really beginning to love this alliance, though. Especially those with fragrances.

tucker85 · #7 04-03-2012, 04:04 PM

I'm sorry, Ryan, s/h is a whole different ballgame than what I was talking about. Because oncidiums like a little more moisture than some people think, I would imagine that s/h would be a good way to grow them.

Pilot · #8 04-03-2012, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tucker85

I'm sorry, Ryan, s/h is a whole different ballgame than what I was talking about. Because oncidiums like a little more moisture than some people think, I would imagine that s/h would be a good way to grow them.

Tucker I have a bad habit of speaking of these two interchangeably and I should no better! Now we are on the same page. Lol

WhiteRabbit · #9 04-03-2012, 04:20 PM

I've had good luck with Oncidiums recovering just by potting them and caring for them normally - keeping them warm and humid can help, and bright shade is better than direct light for the time (tho honestly I have had some recover doing nothing different than I would had the plant had good roots). Roots will not grow on the older pbulbs tho - you need to wait for new growth, and they will start roots. The old pbulbs will likely shrivel quite a bit as they plant uses the stored resources, but that's their job

Good luck!

camille1585 · #10 04-03-2012, 04:26 PM

I had a nearly totally rootless Miltionopsis that I stuck in S/H, put in a warm spot and watered every single day. Now 6 months later it's a very happy, rooted plant with loads of new growths.
I was actually quite surprised that it took off the way it did. I tried to save 5 other Miltionopsis in the past (always overwatered in shops, with a sphag core, so always rootless) and this is the first one I saved. S/H is not supposed to be a miracle cure to all ailing orchids, but in this case it was.