Oncidium outdoor or greenhouse

[Greenthumb.5]

Where do you grow your Oncidiums? Where is the best way to have Onciciums to flower and flourish? Outside or greenhouse? Also do they like high light like Cattleyas? As mine is in the greenhouse and only had been sprouting out new growth instead of some flowers as the vendor had told me. This is a hybrid of some sort. And I would like to hear how you grow your Oncidiums, including culture and fertilizing, etc.

[RosieC]

I grow in the greenhouse in the summer, and in the house in the winter. But it can all depend on your conditions. We don't get warm enough summers to grown them outside (and usually it rains a lot) so I like to keep them sheltered. Also my greenhouse goes down too cold for them in the winter, which is why they come in.

I fertilse with most waterings, but about once a month flush through with rain water. I try and water just before they dry out, but I'm not very good at it and they usually get too dry.

[cbuchman]

I grow outdoors in the summer with maximum light (without burning) which is bright dappled light with not direct sun at mid-day. Then I bring them into a sun room in the winter which gets less light that I would like, but that's the way it is. I think the fall drop in night temps combined with the good sunlight helps then set bud.

Many people mentioned that after Super Storm Sandy here in NJ and they lost heat in the greenhouses for 10 days (or more), they had the best Oncidium blooms ever. I'm going to try leaving them outside a little longer this year.

[silken]

I have a large one that is in the greenhouse in winter since we have very cold winters. In summer I hang it from a tree and it blooms every year. I had 9 spikes last year. I already have a couple spikes which is earlier than the last few years.

But there are many different Oncidium hybrids and it may depend what's in the make up of yours as to how much light and what temps it likes. They also have different spike times (usually when the growth is mature or almost). However, they are also pretty adaptable it seems.

[catherinecarney]

I'm a newbie, so take this with a grain of salt...

My oncs go outside on an east and south facing porch for the summer. The get a couple of hours of direct light in the morning, then dappled light through most of the day and shade in the late afternoon. So far they're growing like weeds.

They go outside once we're well past our last frost date (although we had a really late frost this year so I was bringing them in at night through the end of May) and come inside well before the first frost (usually by mid-Sept, but the porch shelters them enough I try to keep them out longer).

Winter conditions are a sunny south facing window which gets some direct sun during the day. Day temps in the upper 60's to low 70's (depending on the passive solar gain) and nights around 60. Humidity runs about 50% in that room during the winter, although right around the plants it's probably higher.

I'm finding that my oncs like the substrate to feel "damp," especially during active growth during the summer. My tendency (unlike many others) is to keep things too dry--rosemary and cactus love me, begonias not so much--so I have to be sure to keep them moist enough...

Hope this gives you some help!

Catherine

[WhiteRabbit]

I grow them on windowsills and outside.

How long have you had it? Mine are all growing right now. Just one with a spike.

Do you have a name for yours?

[Greenthumb.5]

It seems like the tag says. Onc. Aloha Lwauaga but the tag seems faded somewhat. The plant looks like this but if you can't access it the password is orchidgroup.

Oncidium Photo by BaileySantwire | Photobucket

[silken]

Originally Posted by Greenthumb.5

It seems like the tag says. Onc. Aloha Lwauaga but the tag seems faded somewhat. The plant looks like this but if you can't access it the password is orchidgroup.

Oncidium Photo by BaileySantwire | Photobucket

I think it would be Onc. Aloha Iwanaga which is a registered hybrid name. OrchidWiz says it takes moderate light, not too bright.

[Greenthumb.5]

Thanks, the flowers look exactly like that. But how should I encourage the blooms to return from this plant.

[silken]

Once the new growths begin to mature you will likely see spikes from them. You could begin using some bloom booster fertilizer a while before they mature which might help encourage blooms. It has the higher middle number (phosphorus). Give it enough sun without burning it and water it before it becomes really dry.