Advice on watering, potting & fertilizing Onc. Hula Halau and noID mounted Cattleya

[BananaStand]

Hello,

I am new to the forum and hoping to get advice on my small orchid collection and growing orchid habit. Photos attached.

Orchid #1: Oncidium Hula Halau

INFO AND BACKGROUND:
This was purchased bare root at an orchid show put on by my local orchid grower's society & potted up on Saturday February 3, about 10 days ago. Media is sphagnum moss topped by Orchiata bark. This weekend I noticed the wrinkles on the pseudobulbs, and could not recall if they looked like that when I purchased it, but I know it is not good. I had been watering only when a sharpened pencil inserted in the pot came out dark, which was about every 4-5 days. After reading some posts here, I decided to soak it in distilled water for a few hours to try to rehydrate the bulbs. The good news is, it appears that there is new growth already (far left on the back side picture). And, the pseudobulb next to the new growth is less wrinkled than the other one.

QUESTIONS:
Am I worrying too much about the wrinkles? When should I expect to see the pseudobulbs respond to soaking (ie wrinkles diminish)? The orchid society folks at the show recommended this clay pot, but I wonder if the plant would stay better hydrated in a ventilated plastic pot. Any thoughts?

Orchid #2: Mounted NoID Cattleya

INFO AND BACKGROUND:
I purchased this from a local greenhouse about 3 years ago. It has never bloomed for me. It did not have blooms when I bought it. I didn't know that mounted orchids like to be watered daily, so believe it or not this has been getting watered 1x per week and sometimes even 1x every two weeks. At the orchid show, I learned that this orchid would probably benefit from more water, so ever since then I have been soaking it every other day (when the sphagnum feels dry).

QUESTIONS:
Not sure if there is enough detail to identify it, but if so, I'd love info on what kind of cat this is. Also I wonder if it would fare better if I unmounted it and potted in orchiata bark?

FINAL QUESTION- FERTILIZER
At the orchid show, I asked a vendor about fertilizer. I have not fertilized my orchids to date either. He recommended watering with Rapid Start rooting enhancer since it is very mild. Reading up on this afterwards, I see it is not even an orchid specific fertilizer and I wonder now if I should get something different. Thank you!

[estación seca]

Oncidiums need a lot of water, especially when growing. That plant in that clay pot in bark will probably need watering every 1-2 days. When it's in active growth it might need more. When Oncidiums don't get enough water the new growths develop horizontal pleats across the leaves. Your humidity is important; the lower it is, the more water the plant will need.

It won't be possible to tell what kind of Cattleya that is. Most of them make new roots and new growth only at defined times of the year, which vary with the plant itself. Most Cattleyas on mounts need to be watered every day. When it is cooler, and the plant is not actively making new roots nor growth, you can water less often. If the pseudobulbs begin wrinkling increase the watering. When making new roots or shoots, don't let a mounted Cattleya get completely dry.

Fertilizer isn't as important as watering, light and temperatures. You can read a lot about fertilizing in the Free Information part of the First Rays Web site.

[BananaStand]

Thank you- I made a humidity tray today with a deep sheet pan and a metal silverware organizer set upside down in the water. I will keep watering frequently!

[estación seca]

You don't need to bother with humidity trays. They don't raise the humidity unless maybe you have dozens in the room. It's an old myth that's been propagated over and over again in garden books and online forums.

If you want to raise humidity you need a humidifier, or lots of big leafy plants that go through lots of water. Or increase your warm-blooded animal population in the house.

[BananaStand]

Ahh, glad I didn't invest in expensive custom ones!

[Dollythehun]

I have that oncidium. If you search the site, you'll see my post. Mine is in small bark, clay pot and gets watered 2x a week. There's some synthic in the pot too. They like lots of water and fairly bright light. I don't think yours looks bad.