Shriveled Pbulbs on Oncid. Type

[butterfly_muse]

Afternoon, all. I have an oncidium intergeneric, beallara, and its pbulbs have gone SO shriveled on me!

I got it a few weeks ago and it was potted in moss. I watered it when I got it home and then left it alone until I got some CHC...which I soaked overnight and repotted it in last weekend. Since I soaked the roots of the plant itself in some KelpMax before repotting, AND the CHC was damp from having been soaked, I didn't water it.

When I initially got it, its pbulbs were nice and firm and fat. And now it looks like this. It's also very floppy and sad, which I guess is an indication of it disliking the light it's receiving? It looks so sad and miserable, I feel awful.

How do I help it? I watered it as soon as I noticed, but...I've never had one of these before and now I feel really bad. It's in a west facing window with lace on the window and a tree outside. Is it not getting enough light?

Thanks.

[FSUOrchids]

It's probably not getting enough water if that's happening

[cbuchman]

Oncidiums can be picky about being re-potted and may it take a little while to settle into its new medium. I would not be too concerned. The wrinkled pbulb is supporting the newer growth right now. Hopefully the Kelpmax application will encourage new roots soon.

As a general rule, oncidiums with thin roots require more water than those with fat fleshy roots. They key is to learn when the medium is almost dry befor watering again.

[butterfly_muse]

Originally Posted by cbuchman

Oncidiums can be picky about being re-potted and may it take a little while to settle into its new medium. I would not be too concerned. The wrinkled pbulb is supporting the newer growth right now. Hopefully the Kelpmax application will encourage new roots soon.

As a general rule, oncidiums with thin roots require more water than those with fat fleshy roots. They key is to learn when the medium is almost dry befor watering again.

I have a skewer in there that I check all the time...=\ Are these the type that want to be moist a lot (but not soaked, though not dry)

[WhiteRabbit]

Water when skewer is barely moist. It is also using stored resources in the older pbulb towards the new growth. Older pbulbs don't usually re-plump.

[butterfly_muse]

So is it normal? Because when I pulled the skewer out today, it was barely moist, as you said, so I watered it. But it wasn't bone dry and the roots didn't look bad...but the pbulb has literally done this over just this week. Is it because of the medium change or is it natural for it to do this?

[WhiteRabbit]

It looks more shriveled than I would expect just from age and new growth - but it's not horribly bad. If the new growth is coming in well (no pleated 'accordian' leaves), it is probably fine. Honestly, my one Bllra I had, I seemed to have a heck of a time getting the watering right. I think too much water is worse than erring on the side of slightly less.

[butterfly_muse]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

It looks more shriveled than I would expect just from age and new growth - but it's not horribly bad. If the new growth is coming in well (no pleated 'accordian' leaves), it is probably fine. Honestly, my one Bllra I had, I seemed to have a heck of a time getting the watering right. I think too much water is worse than erring on the side of slightly less.

Its new leaves and growth is not coming in like that, but all the existing pbulbs are like that. I will try to pay more attention to it as far as water. I am afraid of overwatering it, so I tried to be conservative with it..but maybe it is too conservative.

Also, now that the pbulbs are shriveled, have I damaged them to where they can't/won't hold as much water as before?

[Nanuca]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

It looks more shriveled than I would expect just from age and new growth - but it's not horribly bad. If the new growth is coming in well (no pleated 'accordian' leaves), it is probably fine. Honestly, my one Bllra I had, I seemed to have a heck of a time getting the watering right. I think too much water is worse than erring on the side of slightly less.

Just noticed that you mentioned pleated 'accordian' leaves. I have this problem on my Dendrobium nobile, the new leaves are very pleated and seem to slowly recover (become unpleated) as they grow. What is the cause of that? I bought the Den in that condition already, but didn't think it might be a problem. The leaves look green and nice.

My other question reffers to the shriveled pbulbs: if they become shriveled due to lack of water, should they recover if then watering is done properly?

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by Nanuca

Just noticed that you mentioned pleated 'accordian' leaves. I have this problem on my Dendrobium nobile, the new leaves are very pleated and seem to slowly recover (become unpleated) as they grow. What is the cause of that? I bought the Den in that condition already, but didn't think it might be a problem. The leaves look green and nice.

My other question reffers to the shriveled pbulbs: if they become shriveled due to lack of water, should they recover if then watering is done properly?

Dendrobium nobile hybrids are among my favorite plants ever!

They need TONs of water while actively growing.
The pleated leaves you see on them are due to underwatering.
If you corrent the watering, the pleated leaves might recover, but not completely. You will still see somewhat of accordion look on the leaves depending on how sever it was before.

Give lots of water so that they can grow to their full potential. Leaves will grow larger and the cane will thicken with proper watering.

Then cut down on watering once you see the top leaf forming. This does not mean drying them. You still need to water the plant good, just not pouring down on them as you want to don while in growth mode.
Keep those fat cane plump.

---------- Post added at 11:40 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:32 AM ----------

Originally Posted by butterfly_muse

This plant had very firm, plumb pbulbs when I bought it 2.5 weeks ago. It was potted in sphag until last Saturday, and the sphag was very moist when I got it, I watered it anyway, and then I left it there with a skewer and kept checking it but it stayed moist. The skewer was even moist when I took it out of the pot last weekend, and the sphag I removed was slightly damp. I soaked the roots in some KelpMax, and the CHC had been soaked. I watered it very thoroughly yesterday...but I didn't soak it. Beyond that, I did not water it, and I was afraid to water it while it was in the sphag because it stayed so wet.

Should I soak it just incase when I get home?

Edit: Yes, my house is air conditioned all the time, and no, I did not cut any roots, they were all healthy and pretty looking.

You might have overwatered it since the plant came with very moist sphag and you watered it when you got the plant. But, since the roots looked fine when you repotted, I don't think roots were affected by overwatering. Let's not even call it overwatering.

It is now in chc. Did you soak chc before using it?
While chc retains moisture well, just like bark chips, chc can do not soak well and stay rather dry for the first couple of months.
So the plant might be suffering underwatering moving from moist sphag to dry chc.
Good watering alone do not recover the wrinkled pbs or sufficiently wet the chc (when new and not presoaked).

Chech the chc when you go home and see how dry or moist the chc is.
If dry, then you want to soak, not just letting the water through the pot. You will waste lots of water that way and still not giving the plant enough water.
Let the entire pot immersed in water for good 10min minimum. Repeat when chc seem not as moist.

Potting mix staying moist is perfect condition for oncidiums and many other orchids. You don't want to bone dry them.
Now wet is completely different thing. You will kill the plant in wet mix very fast.