Favorite Oncidium resources?

[Onyx]

I'm sure everyone is familiar with this tale -- I went to the hardware store and I ended up coming home with an oncidium that isn't even a NoID! That was pretty much my requirement for getting more plants, all need a real name to jump into the cart. I figured that considering that most of the stores here don't have IDed plants of the varieties I'm looking for, it'd totally keep me from spending money... Well, so much for that. Tag says "green valley sweet." Assuming it blooms like the ones that show up when you google that variety (it had just finished blooming, unfortunately) it looks like it's a really pretty plant. Poor thing was sitting in an inch of water at the store though.

As far as I can tell it only really has cosmetic damage, no big uglies (standard tiny black spots), and needs a bit more cleaning to remove dust and hard water spots from the leaves, but that's no biggie. It's a massive plant. It's trying to escape a 5" pot and I count 13 pbulbs at least -- there might be a few more hiding -- and has new growth. I think instead of substrate it is 90% roots (but really, it probably is in sphag). Needless to say, I'm pretty sure it needs to be repotted/divided, but I'm going to give it a week or so to get used to conditions here (and not be so waterlogged) before doing so. Not to mention it gives me time to do research!

What are your favorite detailed sources for oncidium care? Like besides the things that show up in the first few google searches for "oncidium care," hehe. I checked out a few of those, so I am pretty sure I'm not going to kill it in the next few weeks at least. Specifically, I'm looking for stuff regarding repotting and dividing. More the latter, obviously, because I think having it in a 6" pot would start to get a bit unwieldy for my limited space.

[vjo]

Your BEST resource is right here! Go to the forums. Plenty of help there....Jean

[Silje]

That looks massive to be one of those hardware/supermarket purchases!

I'll also suggest the forum. I can't help you with anything onc related, except to kill off your plants. I'm VERY good at that. Love them, but can't ever seem to get the care right for oncidiums.

[Onyx]

Yeah, this plant was at least twice the size of the other ones at the store. It was also mismarked (somehow it ended up in a phal's cachepot, thus had the wrong barcode), which I think might have saved it from some of the ill treatment the others got -- namely that its plastic pot was held up in the air, and thus it was barely touching the inch of water in the bottom. I think the plant got really lucky. Gonna probably hit it with some fungicide after repotting too. A couple of spots towards the inside of the plant look like minor victims of cramped quarters and poor air circulation.

The forum is a great resource, indeed! I'm just hoping maybe someone knows of some specific awesome threads or something, too. I have done some searching both here and elsewhere across the web, but at least so far I haven't managed to find a like.. how to guide for dividing them. Other genera, sure. But I don't exactly know how similar/different it would be. I'm not fond of that kind of surprises, haha. I do kind of feel like there's significantly less about oncidiums than say, phals, though -- it'll just make it an adventure.

[WhiteRabbit]

Nice find!

Be prepared to divide frequently ... I got a similarly sized Onc Sharry Baby (is that what this is?) less than 4 years ago (very snug in a 4" pot), it's currently trying to bust out of it's 10" pot... The pbulbs themselves are huge, so even a few pbulbs take up a fair amount of space.

Oncidiums and Onc alliance are often prone to leaf spotting.

When dividing, it's generally recommended that all divisions consist of at least 3 older/mature growths plus one new one. Cut the rhizome with sterile blades. You can put cinnamon on the cuts, using care to not get cinnamon on roots.

Keep media lightly moist. Moderately bright light.

[Onyx]

Nope, not a Sharry Baby, but very similar. Apparently this one is a Green Valley Sweet, is supposed to be less prone to leaf spotting, more compact, and a slightly different flower shape. Didn't get it from that site, though, so I'm just trusting the tag. The dried flowers looked about right though.

Is it okay to remove pbulbs that are ugly looking when dividing? Would it benefit the extra space so the new growth isn't quite so cramped? I mean, it's not like I have a shortage of plant, haha. I'm sure curious how it'll look when I take it out of the pot and get a really good look at it. I wish that brick & mortar stores had the clear orchid pots -- it'd make things a lot simpler for small numbers of plants. I have no idea how many pieces this one would get split into (probably 2?) nor how big a pot said pieces would need. I really doubt my couple of 3" and smaller pots would fit it, heh.

Also, do you happen to know if the common orchid viruses can hop to other species of plants? I have a couple of begonias arriving later in the week and am curious how cautious I have to be while arranging them under my light setup while they're all under quarantine, regardless of current lack of symptoms. I'm only a little paranoid.

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by Onyx

Nope, not a Sharry Baby, but very similar. Apparently this one is a Green Valley Sweet, is supposed to be less prone to leaf spotting, more compact, and a slightly different flower shape. Didn't get it from that site, though, so I'm just trusting the tag. The dried flowers looked about right though.

oh ... I checked that out! I want one! Really great find!

Is it okay to remove pbulbs that are ugly looking when dividing? Would it benefit the extra space so the new growth isn't quite so cramped? I mean, it's not like I have a shortage of plant, haha. I'm sure curious how it'll look when I take it out of the pot and get a really good look at it. I wish that brick & mortar stores had the clear orchid pots -- it'd make things a lot simpler for small numbers of plants. I have no idea how many pieces this one would get split into (probably 2?) nor how big a pot said pieces would need. I really doubt my couple of 3" and smaller pots would fit it, heh.

I guess if you can make divisions without those "ugly" pbulbs, you could do that.

Yeah, looks like - despite being described as "more compact" than Sharry Baby - that the pbulbs are quite large, and even "small" divisions are likely to need 4" or 5" pots. You could check ebay for smaller quantities of appropriately sized clear pots. I do like to be able to see the roots, but shipping charges keep me away from buying the clear (or opaque) orchid pots... I use the ones I already have, but new pots are plastic azalea pots I can get locally ...

Also, do you happen to know if the common orchid viruses can hop to other species of plants? I have a couple of begonias arriving later in the week and am curious how cautious I have to be while arranging them under my light setup while they're all under quarantine, regardless of current lack of symptoms. I'm only a little paranoid.

hopefully others can help!

[Abbie9]

Originally Posted by Onyx

That was pretty much my requirement for getting more plants, all need a real name to jump into the cart. I figured that considering that most of the stores here don't have IDed plants of the varieties I'm looking for, it'd totally keep me from spending money... Well, so much for that.

I should start holding myself to that rule before I run out of money....and space.

[Bill U.]

I am so jealous of you! 'Green Valley Sweet' has been on my To-Get list for months now!

Of course the forum is a great resource for just about any needs, but I have also checked out the various care guides given by some orchid distributors (Norman's Orchids (orchids.com), Carter and Homes Orchids, OrchidsbyHausermann.com, etc.)

Look around and see what you can find. In my experience, I have found that the things that are most repeated across your reading are the things that have the most "weight" in terms important things for plant care.

As far as I know, orchid diseases are not very prone to just "hopping" over to other plants. I think what you would have to be worried about with all new plant arrivals is the transfer of mold, fungus, insects, etc. I am not an expert, but those are things that I have found most common with my plants, especially from ordering online (I have a collection of 4 phals, 1 phrag, 1 lavender, 1 tropical hibiscus, gerber daisy, chrysanthemums, a fukien tea bonsai, and seed trays containing tomato and columbine seedlings all living happily next to each other with no spread of disease- sometimes some spider mites do jump though).

[Onyx]

Haha. Bill, I'd give you a piece if you lived closer!

Since this plant is a little rough around the edges, I think I am going to get it and another of my three orchids tested for viruses when I have the chance. I'll do the third later, assuming it recovers from having its roots nuked by MiracleGro mix, yay newbie errors -- number 4 wasn't so lucky. I'm being super safe with sanitation between them, or at least as safe as I can be. I'll have to read over Critter Creek's site in more detail this weekend -- don't think I have enough plants to justify buying strips (3 plants, 5 strips, hmm!). I'll feel a lot better with peace of mind. My begonias arrived today and one of them has leaves bigger than my hand if I spread my fingers out. Okay, the plant itself isn't very big but those leaves! My lighting setup feels like the giant plant zone right now, haha. Wikipedia does suggest that CymMV only affects orchids, but the ORSV article sounded more like that one might be able to. But then again maybe not? Someone should just invent plant vaccines.

Looks like I'm possibly starting to see the effects of the plant having sat in an inch of water at the store, though. One leaf of a more central pbulb is turning yellow. I mean, it's one of the leaves that pops up on either side of the pbulb, not the big one out the top, so is that normal oncidium aging process or unhappy roots? Pbulbs make things more complicated, haha!