Help with Oncidium Sweet Sugar, looks normal? - Orchid Board

camillenad · #1 12-14-2011, 10:13 AM

Hello Guys,

I bought this Oncidium

2 months ago. I think its a Noid but looks like Sweet Sugar with smaller flowers. So when I first got it it had 1 spike, it wasnt in great shape but i got it anyway. Since then the flowers have died and now it has a tiny new growth but the other leaves are turning yellow and brown. I've seen other Oncidium plants before that look pretty healthy, compared to those mine looks a bit "weird". I'll post pics so you guys can see what im talking about, ill post a pic from when i first got it and what it looks like now.

I think it needs help. Is it dying? roots look ok i repotted it as soon as i got it. What can i do to save it?

any feedback would help. Thanks in advance!

C.

Leafmite · #2 12-14-2011, 10:45 AM

Is the bark drying out quickly between waterings? Their roots can rot very quickly if they stay wet. I found my oncidiums really thrived once I moved them to lava rock. I watered them well, often, and they dried quickly. You could also add packing peanuts or mount the orchid. On occaision, on the older bulbs, the leaves die naturally but I really think this is likely culturally induced. Other possibilities include: too much fertilizer or not enough light. These are really tough and will recover once conditions are again suitable for it. Good luck!
Leafmite

camillenad · #3 12-14-2011, 11:13 AM

Thanks Leafmite, I water it once a week but even with that the medium never really dries out, and i fertilize weakly weekly. I'll make sure it gets dry before i water it again. And if it stays like this i might have to change the medium. Just hope it doesn't die. Thanks again for your help!

silken · #4 12-14-2011, 11:31 AM

Those pseudobulbs look really shrivelled. I can't really tell from the 'before' picture if they were that bad. Most oncidiums don't need to be totally dry between watering like cattleyas, but should not stay really wet either. You would think with new media, once a week would allow time to dry out. You could put kebab skewer down into the pot and leave it and pull it out when you think its time to water to see if it is wet or nearly dry. Put it in the same place so roots aren't stabbed every time. In the meantime you could mist it until that new growth gets some roots to help support the plant. It seems to be lacking moisture either by rotten roots or something.

camillenad · #5 12-14-2011, 12:29 PM

They looked like that(shriveled) when i got it. Thats why i say it looks "abnormal" it's been like that since i've had it. only difference is it was all green, now some leaves are yellow and brown.

If it's lacking moisture, what should I do?

silken · #6 12-14-2011, 12:57 PM

As mentioned above, you could mist it daily and check the kebab skewer to see if the media is drying out too quickly. Overwatering won't help and could cause root rot. Quite often old pseudobulbs are shrivelled somewhat and never fully expand again. But they shouldn't look quite this bad in my opinion. You do have a new growth, so hopefully that will continue and be healthier.

camillenad · #7 12-14-2011, 03:28 PM

Will do thanks, will also keep an eye on it. Appreciate the tips!

NYCorchidman · #8 12-16-2011, 11:45 PM

was what first came to my mind upon seeing your pictures.
I agree with what Silken said.
Some oncidiums pb won't expand again once wrinkled up badly. How often are you watering it?
You mentioned the root are fine, so I don't think it is because of overwatering. Either severe underwatering, or something else.

The yellwoing of leaves could just be a natural aging process although my Sweet Sugar hasn't lost a leaf on all five pbs. Yours could be something other than Sweet Sugar.
By the way. most of my oncidiums and their hybrids do not lose leaves for many years except for Twinkle, which tend to lose some but not all leaves yearly as new growths emerge.

Give it some time and see what happens to the new shoot as it grows bigger.

Oh, one last word, I wouldn't recommend misting leaves. I love misting orchids but not oncidiums. They develop those little dark spots too easily, and they are very unsighly! hate them!!!

tucker85 · #9 12-17-2011, 09:07 AM

Those psuedo bulbs are very dehydrated. The only two reasons that I can think of is that the plant is not getting enough water or it was overwatered and the roots have rotted. I would mist the roots of the plant every morning like Silken suggested. Good luck.

camillenad · #10 12-17-2011, 04:56 PM

NYCorchidman i water once a week... but have no clue how they were taking care of it at the greenhouse that i bought it from since as i said thats how i got it.... but the bulbs haven't changed since then, 2 months ago. Only change in plant is yellow leaves and that tiny new growth.

Tucker85 Thanks for the advice... I will just keep an eye on it, but more yellow leaves are developing daily which worries me... hope the new growth makes it, fingers crossed!