A new obsession! Hello, orchid world!

[SillyCookies]

orchid enthusiasts!

I recently graduated from university and am searching for a job. Until I find one, I have moved to Geneva, Switzerland, with my boyfriend (he found a job here).
Now that I'm here I have too much time on my hands, so I have found a new hobby (more like obsession, actually) to keep me occupied!

I have only been growing since the start of November, but so far I have collected two oncidiums, three phals (one mini, one midi, one large), and a dendrobium nobile. With the exception of the two oncidiums, they seem to be doing pretty well! I keep them in self watering pots filled with LECA near a north-eastern window (it's the best I've got )

My two Oncidiums aren't doing as well. One seems to be an Aliceara which has only a couple of (hopefully) living roots, which I have potted as well as I can in self-watering pots with LECA, like the others. The second Oncidium is (i think?) a Wilsonara or Oncostele and has *no* living roots at all! To make matters worse, I wasn't careful enough and one of the pseudobulbs broke off... now it's just two pseudobulbs with one new growth, I have it standing on a layer of moist LECA in a high humidity (between 60% and 80%) environment, and will just be waiting for it to do anything at all. Any advice for these two is appreciated

Anyway, pleased to join you all on this forum, and I hope that I'll continue to stick around for a while! So far it has certainly been an educational experience

[Mountaineer370]

Hello and welcome to the OB and the wonderful, addicting world of orchids! I found I did not have enough light to grow oncidiums in my home, not without supplemental lighting. If you can manage that, they'll probably do better. I'm sure others will be along with more helpful advice, and of course, don't hesitate to post specific questions in the beginner's forum.

[SillyCookies]

Thank you for the welcome

I have one of those daylight therapy lights which I place right next to my plants. Maybe that will be enough?

[Optimist]

Orchid roots will begin to grow again when the plant's natural growing season starts again. Keeping them damp will rot the bulb. Some people keep the humidity around the root area higher. You can soak the bulb for a while (perhaps an hour) per day, to drink up some water, but then take it out and let it dry off. Keeping it too wet fights against the plant's evolutionary adaptations. Epiphytes are meant to be high in a tree, and they can go a long time without water, but many of them want morning dew every day. Some plant fertilizer containing kelp (sea kelp) will help because it contains hormones that will aid root growth).

[SillyCookies]

When do you think it's growing season is? Summer? should I keep it bare in an empty cup until then?

[rbarata]

Welcome, SC.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by SillyCookies

When do you think it's growing season is? Summer? should I keep it bare in an empty cup until then?

It probably needs more moisture than that... the damp LECA should be fine as long as isn't constantly wet. When you see new growth (and especially new roots) it's growing season. Different orchids do it at different times, so you'll just have to observe (that's part of the fun anyway...)

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

It can be very hard to tell which roots are dead. I leave them on almost all the time.