oncidiums & cambria leaf cutting

[verian]

I watched youtube about oncidiums that said to tidy up you can cut off the leafs after flowering as it will not flower again until the new growths are large enough, does this also apply to cambrias.
Ian

[Ray]

First of all, "cambria" isn't really a type of orchid. It is a very generic term used in GB for any number of Oncidiinae intergeneric hybrids involving odontoglossums. The name originated with Vuylstekeara Cambria - which was a trigeneric cross involving cochlioda, miltonia and odontoglossum.

Now that I bored you with that, you are correct; it blooms once from each mature growth, but I would not be in a hurry to remove leaves - they are the plant's primary solar collectors, after all.

[verian]

Originally Posted by Ray

First of all, "cambria" isn't really a type of orchid. It is a very generic term used in GB for any number of Oncidiinae intergeneric hybrids involving odontoglossums. The name originated with Vuylstekeara Cambria - which was a trigeneric cross involving cochlioda, miltonia and odontoglossum.

Now that I bored you with that, you are correct; it blooms once from each mature growth, but I would not be in a hurry to remove leaves - they are the plant's primary solar collectors, after all.

No Ray you have not bored me it is all part of my learning curve, thanks for the information.
Ian

[RosieC]

I only remove leaves if they are looking like they are going to die back and/or are very damaged anyway. Some of them get scrappy when they are out in the greenhouse in the summer and I remove the scrappy almost dead looking ones from mature growths but leave any that look OK.

Like Ray said they are the plant's solar collectors so it's best to leave them unless there is a reason not to.