First oncidium & clueless

[VTA Cat]

Hi...I have one oncidium (April 2015) that kind of resembles yours. I repotted it while it was in bloom, and repotted it again...after it cut the finished spikes. The grower's media was like dirt so discarded it. The first attempt at repotting was in 50% sphag and 50% orchiata. It was too wet. My second repotting, was a mix of 3/4 medium orchiata and 1/4 small orchiata. That seems to have done the trick. I am able to water the plant twice a week...it likes to stay moist.

My second oncidium...a Twinkle Fragrance Fantasy came in what looked like lava rock and was in bloom. I replanted it as soon as it arrived in a mix of 1/2 medium orchiata and 1/2 small orchiata bark. I water it twice a week also. It's given me another spike.

Both are watered around the outside of the bulb base, not directly on the bulbs.

I feed them weakly weekly, except for the 4th week which is clear water.

I live where it is humid and moderately warm. I keep the fan running all the time when I'm away and move them to the window for fresh breezes and indirect sun. You'll need to find media and watering that suits your environment.

I think you'll find the oncidiums pretty hardy.

Hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine.

[bil]

I have a yellow oncidium which is way tougher than the cambrias, odontoglossa and milts that I have been trying this year.
It has stayed in the greenhouse and is currently starting to open flowers on the spike. I rather like it. The 'bib' at the bottom of each flower is a very vivid yellow, a regular little piece of sunshine.

[turock]

Linda, I hope Ragshargi won't mind if I chime in here. Oncidiums (and other sympodial orchids) send out new bulbs from the sides of the mature bulbs. The mature ones never flower again, and don't usually throw out new bulbs again unless coerced (divided, stressed, etc.) New bulbs will turn in to mature bulbs and send out new growths eventually. New bulbs also supply new roots, which then support the rest of the plant. So, you want to place the newer growth in a position where it won't be squashing any future growth against the side of the pot or compromising the root system's space to expand.

The old pseudobulbs supply energy to fuel the new growth. Then, the new growth maintains the older pseudobulbs. Therefore, an undivided plant will be able to mature (and flower) its new growths much more quickly than a divided plant. On the other hand, a divided plant can be more manageable, and dividing can spur old bulbs to throw out new growths, which means more numerous flower spikes. So it's up to you! I'm envious of your huge plant, though!

And, oncidiums like to grow in tight-ish pots, so you might not need to up-size the pot quite as much as you might think. Up-sizing is really only absolutely necessary if the pseudobulbs are so tightly squashed together that their growth is hindered.


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[charitysmama]

Thank you, Turock, that explains so much to me. It also explains why the orchids that I divided in years past aren't producing any spikes (cymbiums). How often should I change the medium? I have had this plant for a couple of years. Linda

[malteseproverb]

Turock: Does that mean once a sympodial orchid's pseudobulb puts out new bulbs it will never bloom again, even if it has never bloomed before? I ask because I have an oncidium with two large, mature pseudobulbs, both of which are putting out at least one new bulb, but one of these mature bulbs has never bloomed. Does that mean it never will, and I have to wait for their baby bulbs (excuse the phrase) to get to maturity before I see blooms?

[turock]

I'm so happy to be able to clarify some things! As with most epiphytic orchids, you should change the medium whenever it breaks down. Depending on your watering habits and the temperature and the natural preferences of the plant, this could be every year or two. Broken down medium will look more like soil than bark, much finer particles than it was when it was fresh. It will also tend to stay damp for a longer period of time.

You should also change the medium if you notice a problem with the plant, such as a pest infestation or disease. It's generally a good idea to change the medium of a newly purchased plant unless you're sure the current medium is fresh.

If you've owned the plant for a couple of years, and haven't repotted it (I'm assuming), I think it may be due for a repot. In any case, a proper repot won't hurt it. Wait to repot until the flowers fall and new growths are beginning to send out roots for your best chance of quick adjustment.

I don't have any experience with cymbidiums, so someone else more knowledgable than I will have to evaluate what I'm about to say. Although some plants take longer than others to recover their strength after dividing, often failure to flower is more a factor of inadequate lighting, wrong temperature, or other conditions than a past division.


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[turock]

Malteseproverb, most likely, and unfortunately, you will never see blooms from the mature growth. My understanding is limited, and I am sure there are fluke cases. But, it sounds like your plant is pretty young or a recent division if it only has two mature bulbs. As the plant grows new bulbs, you can expect it to produce new growths and new flowers more quickly, as it has more energy spares to pull from.

Again, lack of flowering may be due to inadequate conditions, but a healthy plant without many energy reserves may decide to spend its resources to generate more green, energy-collecting growth than to produce energy-hogging flowers.

Growing orchids forces me to be patient... and that is not my strong suit! So I guess it is a virtuous hobby!


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