Onc. ornithorhychum

[denvervet]

I am not sure this Oncidium was spelled correctly on the tag but that's what it says. I have had this orchid two years and not a bloom. When does it normally bloom? It is in medium bark, gets bright to medium light all day, is watered 2 X a week since it dries out so quickly and I fertilize 2 X a month with miracle grow full strength. Its growing but what could I be doing wrong? Thanks

[Pilot]

I see many pleated leaves which tells me it's not getting the water it needs. Have you checked the roots lately? How do they look? Watering orchids in Colorado is a perilous task, meaning its never easy especially if you have typical home conditions.

I grow mine in sh under lights and I mess with the photo period at the end of summer which seems to get the spikes going on many of my oncs with no further action required on my part. But based on those leaves, which are a beautiful green, the pleats are a sign of not enough water during development. At least that's my take on it.

[denvervet]

What are the requirements for water and dampness of the Onc? Maybe I should put some sphagnum moss in the mixture to hold moisture longer?

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by denvervet

What are the requirements for water and dampness of the Onc? Maybe I should put some sphagnum moss in the mixture to hold moisture longer?

I think Pilot is right on with his comments. But rather than messing with the roots, you should just increase the watering a bit. If you change the media too much, that will just increase the length of time until your next bloom.

Honestly, the most common reason that orchids don't bloom is too little light. You plant look like its old enough to bloom, so you should get the light higher. When I was growing this one in Hawaii (think VERY strong light), it had very little shading and it was only out of bloom for a few months out of the year.

[silken]

I agree that it appears to not be getting enough water for some reason, be that bad roots or just too dry. If this is the pink flowering one, it's name has been changed to Onc. sotoanum. Onc. ornythorhychum is actually a yellow and brown small flower. The pink ones are still often called that but it was misnamed. Back when the yellow one was being named, the wrong photo was submitted and since then the pink one was called ornythorhychum in error.

I have Onc. sotoanum, the pink one and it has bloomed twice now as a plant around the size of yours. It bloomed last year in Nov. and this year in Sept. Mine does get pretty high light and has sort of lime green leaves. Yours look a bit darker which may indicate less light although photos can be deceiving. I do grow mine in pure sphagnum moss so far and it seems quite happy. I got it a year ago and it was potted that way and looked robust so I decided to leave it. I never let it get totally dry but close and then I water well. It is also very under potted and to me yours looks a bit over potted which can lead to root rot. However, if your roots are filling the pot, then it should be fine.

[Pilot]

Light could be an issue to but regarding the strength of the sun, at the altitude you're living, being the mile high city, I doubt that's the issue, though it could be a mix of both.

Colorado sun is the strongest I've ever experienced and I've loved all over. My chids bake in our sun and part of that is because it can be so dang dry here too!

[james mickelso]

Danger!! Danger Will Robinson!! Ok, just remember that oncidiums and most of the intergenerics don't like to be repotted until the new growth has put out roots. This plant is way over potted. There's a danger of root degradation because the media doesn't dry out. Oncidiums for the most part like to be kept "damp" but never wet. Never allowed to dry out. But I've found that not to be true. But I live at the beach and use a coarse bark/sponge rock/ charcol mix. Here's a pic. When the plant puts out new growth, gently repot it into as small a pot as it will fit into. Give it lots of light or until it is a lime green. Just a little lighter thasn here. When the new growth reaches maturity switch your feed from a high nitrogen ratio to one where the rastion of potassium/phosphorus is higher than nitrogen. Say a 10/30/20 or so. Growmore Orchid food is ok but contact Ray at FirstRays. I have had great success in changing the ratios of the food to induce reluctant bloomers. Oncidiums put out roots as they near maturity or even after they mature fully depending on the hybrid. The last pic shows the recently matrued pbulb finally putting out roots and even a new growth. The roots near the new small growth are from the fully matured pbulb which is growing the new shoot. This new shoot will not put out roots until it reaches maturity like the other pbulbs. So wait to repot until you see new roots on the pbulbs. Use a coarse enough mix that you can water more often but make sure the mix dries out quickly and water once it does. The big Rex here is watered once a week. It is allowed to dry out fully between watering. My humidity is around 40-60% so water according to your environment.Notice the coarseness of the media and small pots.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by silken

I agree that it appears to not be getting enough water for some reason, be that bad roots or just too dry. If this is the pink flowering one, it's name has been changed to Onc. sotoanum. Onc. ornythorhychum is actually a yellow and brown small flower. The pink ones are still often called that but it was misnamed. Back when the yellow one was being named, the wrong photo was submitted and since then the pink one was called ornythorhychum in error.

Good to know that about the name, mine is pink but labelled Onc ornithorhynchum. Time for a label change!


To add to a comment of Silken, unless the roots are completely filling the pot, that plant looks overpotted. I used to be terrible with Oncs until I started keeping them rootbound, and only go up a size once the roots have clearly outgrown the current pots (clear pots are good for seeing this). The medium dries more evenly in a smaller pot, so you can water more often to prevent pleating, but the center of the pot doesn't stay soggy. And mine also needs a lot of light for blooming.