Twinkle Pink Profusion advice…

[lambo1972]

Hello all! Looking for a little help advice with my twinkle. I was so excited to have my Pink Profusion set 2 flower spikes back in June. As you can see from the pics, it seems to be going along nicely with more flowers on the way. I’ve had 2 flowers bloom so far but I’m disappointed with the flower’s color and shape. The last closeup pic is the one flower that survived when I got it in spike. My new flowers aren’t opening well or have the pink color that I thought they would after seeing the original bloom. I have read about not giving plants what they need causing a lack of healthy flowers, color, etc. Any advice? I have it it a fine bark oncidium mix and just assumed the flowers would look great. Still learning and thank you in advance for the help.

[estación seca]

This is a plant that needs to stay moist. It's potted farther up out of the bark than I would pot it, exposing roots that might function better below the surface. That means it dries out faster. I don't think you've been watering enough. The photos are't detailed enough to get a good look at the plant. The pot is also much larger than I would have used.

I suggest increasing watering. When it makes its next growth and new roots I would repot into a container large enough to hold 2-3 sets of new pseudobulbs, and set the plant deeper in the bark, so the roots are covered.

[lambo1972]

Thank you! I am new to oncidiums. I have gotten a few since this past October. Whatever they came planted in, I repotted them in a fine bark oncidium mix. I water them twice a week. Once by soaking them and then 3 days later by running water over them for a minute or so. They mever seem to dry out. I have a couple more twinkles, a heaven scent redolence, and a odcdm wild willie. I waster them all the same. How does pot size affect the plant? Say if the pot is too big as you mentioned.

Originally Posted by estación seca

This is a plant that needs to stay moist. It's potted farther up out of the bark than I would pot it, exposing roots that might function better below the surface. That means it dries out faster. I don't think you've been watering enough. The photos are't detailed enough to get a good look at the plant. The pot is also much larger than I would have used.

I suggest increasing watering. When it makes its next growth and new roots I would repot into a container large enough to hold 2-3 sets of new pseudobulbs, and set the plant deeper in the bark, so the roots are covered.

[estación seca]

I don't think you're watering them enough. All the roots I see are completely dry, and they should not get dry. It is possible most of the root system is up in the air, out of the medium.

Oncidiums are at much more risk of being too dry than being too wet. I would probably water that plant by running water through it every 2-3 days, or whenever the top roots seem dry.

A too-big pot isn't that much of a problem with thirsty plants and fairly large bark for the plant size, but many people find large pots don't have sufficient aeration at the center.

Are you sure that is fine bark? I know how small this plant is, but it looks like medium bark to me.

I do not repot Olympic Orchids Oncidiums that arrive in sphagnum moss for at least a few months. They are quite small on arrival and don't have a large root system, so repotting is a major stress. I would not repot Olympic Orchids Oncidiums that arrive in sphagnum moss for at least a few months. They are quite small on arrival and don't have a large root system. Sphagnum moss if a great medium for tiny seedlings and mericlones like that. I repot when they are starting to outgrow those small pots, which is at least 6-8 months after arrival.

If you pick out all the sphagnum on repotting you cannot avoid a lot of damage to the roots, which is exactly what tiny mericlones don't need.

I do not repot until I see new roots just beginning. I typically repot these tiny Oncidium hybrids when they are starting to outgrow those small pots, which is at least 6-8 months after arrival. Because I put them into semihydroponics, I do not remove the sphagnum moss; I just set the whole plant into the container, and backfill with LECA. If I were using bark I would do the same thing - drop the entire root ball into a pot, and backfull with bark.

Oncidium hybrids use so much water that even if you soak the sphagnum in those tiny 2" / 5cm pots, they will generally use it within a few days.

[lambo1972]

Thank you! And yes, it is in fine bark. It is REPOTME oncidium orchid mix which is small orchiata monterey pine bark, turface mvp, and small red lava bark...

Originally Posted by estación seca

I don't think you're watering them enough. All the roots I see are completely dry, and they should not get dry. It is possible most of the root system is up in the air, out of the medium.

Oncidiums are at much more risk of being too dry than being too wet. I would probably water that plant by running water through it every 2-3 days, or whenever the top roots seem dry.

A too-big pot isn't that much of a problem with thirsty plants and fairly large bark for the plant size, but many people find large pots don't have sufficient aeration at the center.

Are you sure that is fine bark? I know how small this plant is, but it looks like medium bark to me.

I do not repot Olympic Orchids Oncidiums that arrive in sphagnum moss for at least a few months. They are quite small on arrival and don't have a large root system, so repotting is a major stress. I would not repot Olympic Orchids Oncidiums that arrive in sphagnum moss for at least a few months. They are quite small on arrival and don't have a large root system. Sphagnum moss if a great medium for tiny seedlings and mericlones like that. I repot when they are starting to outgrow those small pots, which is at least 6-8 months after arrival.

If you pick out all the sphagnum on repotting you cannot avoid a lot of damage to the roots, which is exactly what tiny mericlones don't need.

I do not repot until I see new roots just beginning. I typically repot these tiny Oncidium hybrids when they are starting to outgrow those small pots, which is at least 6-8 months after arrival. Because I put them into semihydroponics, I do not remove the sphagnum moss; I just set the whole plant into the container, and backfill with LECA. If I were using bark I would do the same thing - drop the entire root ball into a pot, and backfull with bark.

Oncidium hybrids use so much water that even if you soak the sphagnum in those tiny 2" / 5cm pots, they will generally use it within a few days.

[Leafmite]

Good luck with it!

[lambo1972]

Would watering it more, that is to not letting those roots dry out, help the flowers that are starting to now open look better and have a fragrance? I have been doing that for a week now and all flowers opening are having the same result. Not opening well, no fragrance, and not pink like they should be. Thank you again for the advice!

Originally Posted by estación seca

I don't think you're watering them enough. All the roots I see are completely dry, and they should not get dry. It is possible most of the root system is up in the air, out of the medium.

Oncidiums are at much more risk of being too dry than being too wet. I would probably water that plant by running water through it every 2-3 days, or whenever the top roots seem dry.

A too-big pot isn't that much of a problem with thirsty plants and fairly large bark for the plant size, but many people find large pots don't have sufficient aeration at the center.

Are you sure that is fine bark? I know how small this plant is, but it looks like medium bark to me.

I do not repot Olympic Orchids Oncidiums that arrive in sphagnum moss for at least a few months. They are quite small on arrival and don't have a large root system, so repotting is a major stress. I would not repot Olympic Orchids Oncidiums that arrive in sphagnum moss for at least a few months. They are quite small on arrival and don't have a large root system. Sphagnum moss if a great medium for tiny seedlings and mericlones like that. I repot when they are starting to outgrow those small pots, which is at least 6-8 months after arrival.

If you pick out all the sphagnum on repotting you cannot avoid a lot of damage to the roots, which is exactly what tiny mericlones don't need.

I do not repot until I see new roots just beginning. I typically repot these tiny Oncidium hybrids when they are starting to outgrow those small pots, which is at least 6-8 months after arrival. Because I put them into semihydroponics, I do not remove the sphagnum moss; I just set the whole plant into the container, and backfill with LECA. If I were using bark I would do the same thing - drop the entire root ball into a pot, and backfull with bark.

Oncidium hybrids use so much water that even if you soak the sphagnum in those tiny 2" / 5cm pots, they will generally use it within a few days.

[Roberta]

If flowers have already been developing, changes in culture likely won't work magic. Your goal is longer-range. Get - and keep - the plant healthy and then you'll get healthy flowers. Giving giving the plant adequate water is a good place to start - these do not like to dry out.

[lambo1972]

Thank you! I bought this plant in November. It was in spike and had a few tiny buds. One bud made it and bloomed into the pretty pink flower seen in the last picture at the beginning of my thread. It was potted in moss and I watered it twice a week. After the stem died off, I cut it and repotted it in March in an oncidium mix/small bark mixture. It has grown roots and new growth well, with many new roots spreading and reaching the bottom of the pot. It seems to be happy and set the 2 flower spikes back in June. I was very happy as this was my first oncidium to have set a spike. I'm just disappointed in the flowers. They are either not fully open and/or not showing the pretty pink the original first flower displayed. I still water it twice a week, until a week ago when Estacion Seca suggested to water it more. I also fertilize it with a 20-20-20 fertilizer lightly twice a month. It seems to get plenty of light on a windowsill. As a windowsill grower, what else can I do to promote better flowers and a healthier plant. I'm new to oncidiums and the ones I do have seem well. Could it also be a temperature thing? Cause indoors, there's not much of a fluctuation. Maybe more light, like say move it to a brighter room later in the day? I have never thought they were too dry, soaking them twice a week. Of course, I have no idea what the middle of the pot looks like. Thank you as always!

Originally Posted by Roberta

If flowers have already been developing, changes in culture likely won't work magic. Your goal is longer-range. Get - and keep - the plant healthy and then you'll get healthy flowers. Giving giving the plant adequate water is a good place to start - these do not like to dry out.

[Roberta]

I doubt that light or temperature are the issue. If it has been underwatered, it will recover slowly with more watering. (New medium dries out faster that old). Oncidiums do need to be kept more moist than Phals or Catts.. (You don't want to wait until id dries out to water again. Base your watering schedule on what's actually going on in the pot, not the calendar) So just give it time. Orchids don't do anything fast.