Me - the oncidium killer

[Silje]

I can't do oncidiums apparently. It doesn't matter what kind of pot I use or what kind of growth medium I use, I always kill my oncidiums by giving them root rot from over-watering. I've tried everything from LECA to sphag and the result is always the same. It bothers me, because I really like oncidiums and would love to grow them.

During my morning check-up in the greenhouse I looked at my (flowering?! some kind of last desperate attempt to spread the genes, I suppose) Beallara Peggy Ruth Carpenter and my odds and ends of NOID wildcats etc...and then towards the end of the morning check-up I came to the mounts close to the door where the rodriguezia venusta is growing happily with her messy roots and lush, green leaves on a...mount! A mount!!!

Haven't ever tried mounts on any of my oncs before. The rodriguezia seems to be the only orchid in the oncidium family that is happy to be in my care. it could of course be because she's a tough bugger and has a cat's number of lives, but I'm considering whether more of my onc might be happy on mounts.

I don't think I've ever heard of anyone growing beallaras on mounts before. Or colmanaras for that matter.

What do you think? I was thinking that I perhaps should be a bit more generous with the moss and the coir than I normally would be with cattleyas, for instance, but do you think they could be happy like that?

If I am to do it, this is the right time of the year. Several of them are making new growth right now and I know that they are growing new roots at the moment (that I then kill, but still... )

I'm considering making it my weekend project.

Has anybody tried this? Did it work?
____________________________________________

The poor oncidiums in my care is sighing in relief. What used to be cruel mistreatment and sure death has in the past few months turned into something endurable. Yey!

This is a picture of the NOID onc that I decided to mount, since pots just never really worked well with me and these guys.

[dendro king]

Worth a try! Update us on how it goes!

[My Green Pets]

I love the candor in your posts.

I say do it, especially if they're going to be killed anyway! This might be their only chance!

[tucker85]

I feel your pain. I've been growing orchids for ten years and I've always had trouble with oncidiums. I mounted one Onc. Sweet Sugar on a piece of tree fern fiber about eight months ago. I didn't use any sphagnum but I'm sure it can be done that way. It's been growing very well and put out six new growths. The only problem is that oncidiums require quite a bit of moisture so I wind up watering mine almost every day. Good luck.

[Silje]

Originally Posted by tucker85

I feel your pain. I've been growing orchids for ten years and I've always had trouble with oncidiums. I mounted one Onc. Sweet Sugar on a piece of tree fern fiber about eight months ago. I didn't use any sphagnum but I'm sure it can be done that way. It's been growing very well and put out six new growths. The only problem is that oncidiums require quite a bit of moisture so I wind up watering mine almost every day. Good luck.

I'm going to try it!

I should be able to water them on a daily basis. I anyway have vandas and bare-root aerangis that need water often, so I'm used to daily splashings.

[nutgirl]

Originally Posted by Silje

I can't do oncidiums apparently. It doesn't matter what kind of pot I use or what kind of growth medium I use, I always kill my oncidiums by giving them root rot from over-watering. I've tried everything from LECA to sphag and the result is always the same. It bothers me, because I really like oncidiums and would love to grow them.

This could be my post.....sounds so familiar!

I also, have been thinking about mounting as an option. I did try it with an onc. cheirophorum this year and it's doing well - so far.

I would give it a try if I were you.

Maureen

[tucker85]

One word of caution. Oncidiums are very slow to attach to the mount. Mine grew lots of roots but the roots didn't grab the mount very well so I had to leave the ties in place even after eight months.

[butterfly_muse]

Let me know how it goes, I've been contemplating mounting my own oncidium type (beallara) because it hated its sphag but also hates its coconut fiber (it was like OH DEAR GOD HELP ME THE MOISTURE IS GONE! QUICK I MUST ABORT MY PBULBS AND DRAIN THEM COMPLETELY! and now it's floppy and awful looking no matter what I do for it *sigh*). My cats keep chewing on it too, and I've had to mount my phals for that very reason. But the beallara is just so....large......that I don't know where I could successfully hang it. And I don't know how to keep its floppy self upright. So replying to follow! I want to see this!

[james mickelso]

If you are overwatering, try potting them in a very coares media. 1/2 inch or larger. Same as mounting but gives more humidity. My oncids are in bark/sponge rock/lava cinder or straight lava rock and they never miss a beat. If you do mount them, try making a rescue board like the pic here. Very easy and the roots will attach readily. Before I sold them I had a couple oncids and beallaras on them and the roots just went right through the holes. Good luck.

[nutgirl]

Originally Posted by tucker85

One word of caution. Oncidiums are very slow to attach to the mount. Mine grew lots of roots but the roots didn't grab the mount very well so I had to leave the ties in place even after eight months.

I'd just be glad to have roots!


Maureen