Oncidium NoID

[tarev]

When I repot, I pre-soak the media first, so it is not a problem with the Oncidium, it still gets the moisture. I do not wait for a new pseudobulb to form before I repot. It takes awhile.

You may mist the leaves but be sure to run a ceiling fan or remove excess wetness..the plant might get some fungal rotting.

Just to show you how snug fit I have repotted my Onc, Dancing Lady before: just an example, repotted in bark mix and hydroton clay rocks.

[RosieC]

Interesting about people comments on Temp. I would agree bring it in, however most Oncidium types I've bought in the UK advise a minimum temp of 12C which is much cooler than the 20C people above are advising.

I actually find mine do better if I winter them closer to 15C-18C, just a bit cooler than I keep the house at 19C-20C. If I winter them at 20C they have struggled.

However if the medium is damp then it's really best not to let them get too cold, part of my problem is they dry quickly when kept on the warmer side, so if you have the opposite problem then keeping them warmer will help.

[LiveLaughGrowOrchids]

Help!

I decided to repot, the orchid only took up less than half the depth of the pot once it was out and it looks like some of the pseudo bulbs are ? Rotten? They were completely beneath the surface, the mix is actually a bit damp, and I have NO idea what a healthy Oncidium root is supposed to look like. Ie what do I cut off or do I just stick the whole thing in some new bark potting?

[tarev]

Yeah, those bulbs looks so rotten. But I do still see some good roots. I would try to slice off that rotten bulb at the farthest end, dab some cinnamon on the cut end. It is a little tricky and will just depend how strong the remaining plant is. Ideally you need at least 3 to 4 pseudobulbs. So removing the farthest one, you are down to 3, with one that is obviously very weak too. The other pseudobulbs are too wrinkled, so it may also be just trying to feed off whatever nutrient it can from the older bulb.

When you repot, raise the bulbs above the surface of the media. Just keep all the roots that you can possibly put inside the media. It is a bit hard sometimes, Oncidiums are such climbers. Do not over water the plant, just keep it moderately moist for now.

My Oncidium before went like that too, being over potted, I was on my learning stage too then, but I was able to remove the rotting bulb eventually, repotted it and it grew a new pseudobulb and roots.


Repotted and eventually growing new roots. Older bulbs alive, but did not regain old plumpness, but as long as I see a new pb growing, fine with me, that is where the new spike will come out.

[LiveLaughGrowOrchids]

Thanks! I've removed the roots that felt squishy and had water coming out of them if you press them, and there were 2 larger rotten ones, and a small rotten one which I cut off.
There are some rootlike structures coming off the one green pseudobulb, I left those but they don't have any green tips.
I hope the plant has enough reserve left to survive. I've repotted it in styrofoam chips(from packing material), and presoaked and rinsed bark chips,small to medium sized.

[LiveLaughGrowOrchids]

This is what it looks like now
I haven't watered it. Some books I've read say when you repot Phals you don't water for 2 weeks after; does the same count for Oncidiums?

[LiveLaughGrowOrchids]

Thanks for all the advice! It really helps talking to people with hands on experience, because many of the books have different views, and assumes you know basic stuff, which I don't!

[tarev]

With my orchids, since I pre-soak the new media overnight, I do not have to re-water right away, the media is still wet.

I guess it is a matter of our micro climates too..our area is just way too dry, very low humidity..so we may be watering more than others who live in rainy areas with higher humidity.

But from what I have seen with Phals and Oncidiums, Oncidiums are more water hungry. Phals like to get moist and go drier, but not too bone dry before you water again.

That is why my preference is not to use sphagnum moss..I just cannot gauge how wet it is in the center, even if I do the stick test.

Also remember, as the season changes, you have to adjust your watering regimen. Next to watering, air circulation at the root zone level and all around the plant. They like that a lot!

[LiveLaughGrowOrchids]

Thanks! I guess I'm just going to have to wait and see how it does, it's going to quite a test of my patience!
I've actually checked the temperatures in the house, my bedroom where my Phals all live is around 20-21 degrees Celsius, although it's only May now and will likely get colder as it becomes winter properly, and in the living room where I've put the Oncidium, the temperature is about a degree or two colder. The lady at a local nursery actually told me that they (the Oncidiums) don't really mind the cold, so I'm a bit confused. We also tend to have very high levels of humidity here (I live by the coast in the Eastern Cape) but I have airconditioning and wall heaters which probably lowers humidity in the house.