Yikes! The Black Spot! Another Oncidium - Orchid Board

Highland Fashionista · #1 07-28-2014, 05:17 PM

Hi all. Here I am again with another oncidium question. I got this Oncidium from Ebay today. When I unwrapped it, I was met with one less than fabulous looking pseudobulb (old, there is an old spike on the plant)...but alarmingly there it seems to have The Black Spot. The bulb itself is not particularly mushy, and even the spot itself is not too mushy...just a wee bit but it doesn't feel all that bad.

What is it (this spot) and what do I do with it? The rest of the plant doesn't look all that bad. Roots are nice and turgid. There is some new growth along the side.

I am planning on growing it in SH...(waiting for my proper SH pots to come from Rays from the US) so I soaked it in super thrive and put it in this jar for the quarantine period. Put some cinnamon paste on The Black Spot. should I worry?

LovePhals · #2 07-28-2014, 06:35 PM

Well- I have a Miltassia (Oncidium hybrid) that formed a darker spot on one of the bulbs but it is more brown and not pitted or soft at all, more of a discoloration and is nothing to worry about. Bulbs can get discolored as they age but usually not dark like that. So, I would watch closely since it is black and you say a little soft. I would pour alcohol on that spot and put cinnamon on it to try and ensure no spread. Was the plant pictured in the listing. If it didn't have that spot I would let the seller know.

james mickelso · #3 07-28-2014, 10:58 PM

It looks like an old infection to me although I would watch it closely for spreading. If it starts to spread, cut it out of the pbulb and put some cinnamon on it. The problem comes when the area is wet. that is what spreads it and can infect the other parts of the plant. Keep it as dry as you can. I never overhead water. the only thing important to this plant is the new growth. notice the color difference in the new roots coming from the new growth and the older roots coming off the old pbulb? Those older roots are slowly withering and will sooon die off. The older pbulb is only there as storage for the new growth. It will continue to wrinkle and wither. It's leaves will yellow and start to die off as well. This is two seasons from spiking. This new growth will mature and push two new growths around late fall/very early spring and those will spike next august. Feed it well and watch the water. If you can get it to grow in SH then more power to you. I would opt for a drier media so I could water, and feed it, more often.

Highland Fashionista · #4 07-29-2014, 02:36 AM

Thanks. Already this morning the spot seems a lot drier after putting the cinnamon on it. I have never had a plant with this kind of an issue before, so I have nothing to compare it to, but if this spot were on a human, I would be feeling better about it today ...it's more like a human scab (gross, I know. Sorry, I'm a nurse practitioner.)

I figured this would be a long, slow slog with this one, so I guess this will be a true test of my new skills to see if I can get it to make roots in SH.

My only precedent success has been with a very young dendrobium antelope hybrid that has finally taken to the SH after 7 or 8 months of stalemate, so we shall see...

james mickelso · #5 07-29-2014, 01:24 PM

If I may ask, what has led you down the SH path? I'm not a practitioner of the technique and just wonder why, with so many better growing techniques, why it's used. I used to use hydroponics to grow veggies a long, long time ago but never felt it was all that great in orchid culture. So I was just wondering why you wanted to use it.

Highland Fashionista · #6 07-29-2014, 06:32 PM

Hi James,
I really love OrchidBoard, so you are going to get the long-winded answer.

I think I was originally drawn to SH because of how clean and compact it seemed (being a newbie and all), and the more I read about it (on Ray's site) the more intrigued I became. I'm a bit of a science nerd. I also like the weight of it in the pot, and probably it speaks to my inner need to want to keep the growing area tidy. I live in a small house.

Back when I was just starting out with orchids, I got a few seedlings from a friend in Holland, three phals. They were tiny, barely had any roots, and were being grown in a fine bark and moss. I had no clue what to do with them, and they arrived in really cold weather, a bit damaged, and completely by surprise. All I had was coarse bark and SH that I had not yet cracked open, so I figured it would be a good opportunity to experiment. Even in Scotland, there are only so many whisky glasses a person can use. I put them in jars and whisky glasses from our wedding, would water, then dump the water out. Superthrive soaks every once in a while.

They didn't take off at first (obviously, that was before I knew about how they tailor their roots to their particular environment), but they didn't die either. Then, as the warmer temps came with spring and summer, I started to see roots and new growth. I keep them on a heat mat in front of a pretty shaded W exposure with a little supplemental lighting. They seem to like it. I nearly messed up earlier this year by taking them off the mat too soon and putting them out in my growing area, which can get quite a lot of sun on a good day. One got sunburned, and they got a bit of rot from the change in night temps (I think), but I caught it early and they have already forgiven me and two have made new leaves since that happened (in pic). So I guess that success made me want to try more in SH.

I also got this dend. antelope hybrid on Ebay for cheap, and put it in SH back before I really understood SH. It too had some cold damage, and it too stalemated for a while. The little growths it had dried up, but it didn't die, and this summer, lo and behold....new roots (bigger, fatter ones too)...and now it has a new growth cane sprouting. Yay! These will be eternally long projects, but I am counting them as successes. At least for now.

The other plants I have in SH are the two oncidiums that I have already mentioned on here, and another one, a tiny twinkle, that came to me in moss and fine bark which I practically had to hire an archaeologist in to get off of the root system, it was in such a solid, brick-like state. The tiny has EXPLODED with new growth in SH. So I guess, at least in warmer months, this seems to work for me.

I still prefer bark for my phals and the one paph that has yet to arrive on my doorstep )that I ordered this week. My obsession is spreading rapidly). I have 15 orchids now.

swh265 · #7 07-29-2014, 07:34 PM

James, could you please make recommendation for any of your favorite fungicide/ bacteriaside. I own a few phals and some oncidiums. I am looking to use during repotting and for basic maintenance.

Thanks

james mickelso · #8 07-30-2014, 01:18 AM

I use Bayer 3 in 1 and Bonide. Also use Safer Soap with Bonide. Sometimes I get my hands on Physan.

Highland Fashionista · #9 10-01-2014, 06:27 AM

Here is an update of this Oncidium that I got from Ebay. I wasn't expecting much from it, as you can see from the pics when I got it, it looked like it was going to take a while to establish itself, and I had switched it to SH.

I'm just back from a nearly 3 week vacation (had father in law check the orchids just once a week to keep things going) and lo and behold, this oncidium has decided to spike! I was encouraged by the appearance of a healthy-looking pseudobulb before I left, but never for a minute thought I would get flowers this year form a plant that looked like it was going to need a while to find its feet. I attached a pic of the plant before (on the day I got it in the mail), and one of the new spike.

Who knew!?

WhiteRabbit · #10 10-01-2014, 06:24 PM

Awesome!