Help! New Trichocentrum tigrinum with no roots

[Svham]

I got one of these off ebay about four weeks ago. It has three healthy older growths, and one healthy new growth. It was potted in a pretty broken down looking bark mix, and when I took it out to look at the roots it was bad news. It had NO live roots that I could see, and I looked pretty hard. I soaked it in some superthrive and re-potted it in a clay pot with some sphagnum and med/lg sponge rock. It has been in a bright south facing window, and gets watered when it is just starting to dry out - about once or twice a week. I decided to check and see how it was doing today, and when I popped it out of the pot it didn't look any better. No worse, but not even the tiniest start of any new root growth. The top growth still looks pretty healthy.

Any ideas on what I should be doing with this guy?

[Optimist]

The baby new growth is the one that needs roots the most. Luckily for orchids with bulbs, they can get their food from the old bulbs. Other than mist in the morning at the root line, maybe keep the area around the bottom of the plant where the roots grow humid without being wet...old bulbs never flower again, and are basicly kept by the plant as food support. It is kind of like having a fat reserve. Newer bulbs and young new growth is where the flowers come from. Any oncidium will have dead roots under the oldest bulbs. If you look at pictures of wild oncidiums in trees, you will see that the old roots make a kind of nest or thatch for the whole plant. This nest is attached to the tree. The young roots first attach, then they grow old and stay attached. After some time they eventually die, and the oldest bulbs will be consumed by the youngest part of the plant. Wild oncidiums are not repotted though.

So toy need to baby that new growth and get those new roots going.

[MattWoelfsen]

Welcome to the forum Svham. Optimist provided good references to how your plant would grow if it were in the wild. I would encourage you to keep your plant in its pot, in the place where it belongs. Water it regularly--Oncidium alliance plants should be flooded with water and allowed to go almost dry, before it is watered. You can mist the plant. I put my plants on top of a tray filled with pebbles and water but not touching the pot, to give the plant a little more humidity. Referring back to the thatch of roots, Oncidium should be potted as tightly in its pot as practical, giving it just enough space to grow. This means a slightly larger pot than it came in, or re-use its original pot, if there are no roots. They do not like to be disturbed, so I use a sturdy pot and high quality potting media that would last a couple of years or three.

Your plant suffered a lot when it was packed and shipped to you. It will continue to suffer while it acclimates to your environment. You will see evidence of its recovery, when the plants overall appearance perks up.

[Svham]

Thanks for the welcome and advice! It sounds like I'm doing all I can do for now - just need to be patient.

Thanks again - and if anyone else has any more advice or tips, let me know

[nikkik]

I've had this particular plant in my collection for five years. In my opinion, it grows much slower than some of my other plants. And while it's not a fast grower, it isn't fussy either. Mine is mounted on cork and is kept on the drier side. It thrives in warmer conditions. And once yours blooms the flower is so worth it, it's gorgeous.

Good luck with yours!! I hope you see some roots soon. And welcome to the forum.

[Svham]

Thanks for the welcome, Nikkik!

I've seen that a lot of people mount this one, but I just don't have humidity in my house to make mounting work for me.

I really do hope to get to see this one bloom. It still has the dried up remains of a bloom on it, so I know it's blooming size. Of course, right now I just need to keep it alive. How often does yours bloom for you?

[Optimist]

Originally Posted by Svham

Thanks for the welcome, Nikkik!

I've seen that a lot of people mount this one, but I just don't have humidity in my house to make mounting work for me.

I read a post about using large coconut husk chunks in a pot, and basically having a mount within a pot. The pot keeps the humidity higher around the roots, also draining, and the roots cling to the damp and drying coconut husk. I am not sure why coconut husk was used, except that it was by that particular poster. I also do not remember what kind of plant, but I know if I get a Brassovola, I would pot it like this, as I live in a very low humidity area too.

[Svham]

Originally Posted by Optimist

I read a post about using large coconut husk chunks in a pot, and basically having a mount within a pot. The pot keeps the humidity higher around the roots, also draining, and the roots cling to the damp and drying coconut husk. I am not sure why coconut husk was used, except that it was by that particular poster. I also do not remember what kind of plant, but I know if I get a Brassovola, I would pot it like this, as I live in a very low humidity area too.

That's a really good idea! may try that with my Dendrobium aggregatum. I have a lot of trouble getting good roots on it. When I pot it they rot, and when I tried to mount it it was just too dry and the roots kind of withered away. I don't know how, but it still blooms like crazy every year with barely any roots!

[nikkik]

Originally Posted by Svham

How often does yours bloom for you?

It blooms once a year.