Holy Oncidium!!! - Orchid Board

reinbo15 · #1 08-17-2007, 06:50 PM

I received this Oncidium NOID today, and it needs help. Or I do, I'm not sure which. This is my first oncidium, and I wouldn't be so intimidated if it weren't for the size of it. As you can see from the photo, it is GIGANTIC. That pot is 10 inches. The pot is empty...when I went to go get the plant I noticed that it had tipped over. It's old potting medium was rotten and there were cockroaches in it. Smelled pretty bad. I dumped the old stuff, but now I don't know what to do with it. It doesn't appear that the orchid was in contact with the medium before, it was just sitting on top of the pot, like it is now.

My question is, assuming I don't divide it, should I find a pot big enough for it and pot it up? Or would it be better if I just let it sit on top of the pot as it is? It is coming from a greenhouse environment into an apartment. It hasn't bloomed in years, and it is my sworn duty to make it happen.

So, if this were your plant and you lived in an apartment with northeast and southeast exposures with no balcony access, what would YOU do with this magnificent specimen? Thanks for any info, advice, or comments you care to share!

Lisa

caseydoll · #2 08-17-2007, 08:05 PM

Wow!!!

That is the coolest orchid! If it was me and I am definately no expert so I may be wrong, I would put it in a pot just large enough to fit all the roots in and put some kind of a bark mix in with it. For me it would be too much work to keep misting those roots everyday. I am not sure if that is correct or not but it's what I would do. My oncidiums seem to suck up the water during the summer so I would use a coarse medium to help me out. Although it sure looks like it's doing well. I wonder what color the flower will be? How exciting!

Sarah

michael_exler · #3 08-17-2007, 10:07 PM

I agree with caseydoll.
Only I would use a large hanging basket with coco coir liner and a basic orchid (bark) mix.
Put the whole plant right in there, after seperating it from the pot,and it should be fine.
That is one very fine specimen you have and I wish you good luck on blooming it.

reinbo15 · #4 08-17-2007, 11:25 PM

I like the hanging basket idea, but I think it weighs too much to hang in my apartment. I think I would like to put it in a pot, but it is more than two feet across and a foot and a half wide. The roots only extend about halfway down into that pot, so I would need something big but shallow.

starwhiz · #5 08-18-2007, 12:22 AM

I think the plant is ready for Div! It's bulky.

thakshila smith · #6 08-18-2007, 01:20 AM

I think it should be divided. .I had a big pot of oncidium like that. I divided them and made five to six pots. These flowers which include in my thread is one of them. Bec they have the tendercy to grow new shoots every time.
they need room and space. You better find room in window sil!

Lagoon · #7 08-18-2007, 09:13 AM

Yap this is one big honkin momma

I would seperate it into 4 - toss it in the shower and go nuts carefully

Check the roots, take off anything that looks unhealthy, brown/ mushy and any other pests that might be lurking.
Pot into clay with sphagmoss and coarse rok.

reinbo15 · #8 08-18-2007, 09:47 AM

Thanks for the advice...I think I'm going to go ahead and divide it up. I wasn't sure because there isn't a single dead root on this baby. I don't want to hurt it! The decision maker is that I really want to make sure there aren't any bugs in there. I doubt there are, since it came from the personal greenhouse of our pesticide applicator (wonderful lady!) and I don't think anything but the roaches would have survived a week in there. Thanks!

Blondie · #9 08-25-2007, 11:29 PM

So curious--did you divide the monster? If so, did you take pictures while you did it to share?

reinbo15 · #10 08-28-2007, 08:27 PM

Okay, so I went ahead and divided the oncidium... I didn't mention it again until now because it was so traumatic. I settled it into a nice tub of lukewarm water, and OUT CAME THE ROACHES! I almost had a heart attack at 7:30 in the morning! Those darn* things were hiding from me! I didn't realize they were roaches right away, because they were very small, but after much Google-ing I realized their true gruesome identity.

With the help of my fiance, we tossed that baby into a plastic tub and raced down three flights of stairs as fast as we could, while quadruple checking that not a SINGLE bug was escaping! I left it in the rain for a few hours, and then divided it up outside. Only two bugs appeared to be remaining in the orchid by that time. I then took the smaller, more manageable divisions with me to the tub one at a time to soak and DROWN whatever was left.

I now have the orchid outdoors. They have been treated with Sluggo *just in case*. I feel certain that there's no chance I missed any roaches, but there's no way I'm going to bet on it...YET. I have one large and lovely division inside that was examined with a magnifying glass (not quite literally) that I feel safe having inside. The rest are loving it outdoors so much I can hardly believe it. They are throwing out new roots all over the place!

So, from the photo: There are 5 large divisions in 8 inch pots and 2 smaller divisions in 6 inch pots. Also, not shown, is a little guy with 3 pseudobulbs that just wanted to be by itself. All of the divisions are thriving. Only two (one 8 inch and one 6 inch) look less than perfect, and its only because of the way they were hanging out of their original pot. All in all, roaches aside, I am extremely happy with the way it turned out. Beautiful plants.

Now, lets make them BLOOM!