New bulb or flower spike? Concerning growth on my weak Burrageara Nelly Isler

[astrid]

Hey everyone!

So, my nelly isler has been through a lot of suffering, and I am concerned about a new little growth I saw popped up between the leaves of a new and immature pseudobulb.
I am concerned because I think the plant has been through a lot of stress just two months ago, and I don't believe it is strong enough to sustain an inflorescence.

You can watch the video I made (see link at the end).

Or you can look at the pictures I attached.

The plant is basically two little shrively pseudobulbs and one new growth.

Questions:
1- Isn't this pseudobulb too immature to be putting on a new pseudobulb growth??

2- Is it too immature to put on a flower spike?

3- If this is a flower spike, is it one of those that a weak plant will shoot out as a last effort to spread its genetics before it dies?

4- Is the plant too weak to sustain a new flower spike? Can I let this flower spike (if that is what it is) grow, or should I cut it off?

5- What's your overall opinion of the health of the plant?


I wonder if this is just a "wait and see" but I am new enough to orchids that any little thing gets me quite excited and scared at the same time.
Thanks, everyone!

link to video:

[katrina]

The new growths is just that...a new growth. It's not at all unusual for a plant to put out multiple growths each season. And, the bigger and stronger your plant gets...the more growths it will put out each year. I don't grow this group anymore but when I did...I had some large ones that would put out numerous new growths year to year. Some of these get absolutely massive.

The plant is just doing what the plant wants to do and if it weren't healthy enough to sustain new growth then it wouldn't be doing it. Give it good culture and it'll be fine.

BTW -- It really doesn't look bad at all. A bit shriveled, yes, but that happens when they flower sometimes. Don't worry so much about a bit of shriveling on the old pbulbs...just make sure the new ones develop nice and plump.

[astrid]

Originally Posted by katrina

The new growths is just that...a new growth. It's not at all unusual for a plant to put out multiple growths each season. And, the bigger and stronger your plant gets...the more growths it will put out each year. I don't grow this group anymore but when I did...I had some large ones that would put out numerous new growths year to year. Some of these get absolutely massive.

The plant is just doing what the plant wants to do and if it weren't healthy enough to sustain new growth then it wouldn't be doing it. Give it good culture and it'll be fine.

BTW -- It really doesn't look bad at all. A bit shriveled, yes, but that happens when they flower sometimes. Don't worry so much about a bit of shriveling on the old pbulbs...just make sure the new ones develop nice and plump.

Thanks for the reassurance!
I have a brassia now that is putting on three new growths at once and I can hardly believe it!

I bought a NOID oncidium as well, similar to rosy sunset or twinkle, and it is also putting on three new growths! I an so excited because I an nearing one year of oncidium care and watching their growth cycles is wonderful

[katrina]

Sounds like they are all doing very well.

Now...just wait until they get large enough that you want to divide. Hint - make sure you have a hacksaw handy. That or a Japanese saw. Those were the only things I found that I could get through the root systems w/out killing myself.

Happy growing!!

[astrid]

Originally Posted by katrina

Sounds like they are all doing very well.

Now...just wait until they get large enough that you want to divide. Hint - make sure you have a hacksaw handy. That or a Japanese saw. Those were the only things I found that I could get through the root systems w/out killing myself.

Happy growing!!

I divided my onc. rosy sunset last month because it had something like 15 pbulbs and was crammed into this small pot.

I just took my swiss army knife and snipped roots where I needed, but I mostly just twisted the plant in half.
I separated out where it looked/felt most reasonable and then started twisting and twisting and the plant separated really well!!

But oncidium roots are something else, aren't they? They're like medusa's hair. Every time I repot, I feel like I am never going to stop untangling and finding bits of old media mixed into the roots!

[katrina]

Yea, you got a point there...dividing a 4" (or similar size) pot of one the smaller growers is not the same as dividing one of the larger/huskier Oncids when it's outgrown a 12" pot. LOL! Trust me...it's takes a lot of strength and very serrated and sharp tool.

Happy growing!!

BTW - w/those larger ones, I never worried about getting all the old media out. It was usually far too dense at the center and in some case the medium couldn't even be seen. Trying to remove every piece would've ended in more damage to the roots than what was necessary. I would simply divide...get out as much as I easily could...give it a good shake and rinse out w/a strong stream of water...and then into a new pot w/fresh medium. Never a problem.

[lotis146]

Good job! I agree it's a new growth. I also agree that it doesn't look that bad. I do believe - at least I can say so in my case - that when your pbulbs do some "extra" shriveling chances are good it's showing you it's not getting enough of what it needs so it's using what it has stored in the pbulbs. I've recently experienced this with a rather tall, however small (as in it has only two pbulbs with a younger growth currently in bloom) Wilsonara. I'm a chronic under-waterer and overlooked the importance of watering actively growing plants whatever season it is. Both of its big ole bulbs have shrunk up like pruned fingers, and I know it's because I haven't watered enough, therefore I also haven't fertilized enough. Then add to that with it being winter the humidity is much lower, even with a humidifier. And that's just one example of a plant of mine that's shriveled up on me! (Bad, bad Lotis!!)

One more story for you: I have Oncidium Heaven Scent, got it in bloom with a couple other spikes developing. Neglected it bad, pbulbs shriveled up, spikes pulled through but not as big or dense with flowers. Next spike that came in (#4) was a pretty weak fellar. Then after being outside and getting a lot of regular rain, watering, and bright light the 5th spike that was growing when I repotted it (rather aggressively at that, discovering lots of root rot) started to grow more and more. It grew taller than the previous two and turned out to have more flowers as well. That said, you'd be surprised how strong and tolerant Orchids really are (I know I have been).

Another thing I've learned is that a lot of plants grow a spike before the pbulb has even begun to develop. I've got a Zygo hybrid I got in triple spike late summer. It started two new growths. The youngest of the two - I could be crazy - appears to possibly have a spike! I'll stop because I've got another example, another Zygo hybrid, from this summer that had me shocked because the growth was still so young. Even though they're in our care, Orchids are still very much a part of nature and nature always succeeds in surprising.

Oh and btw, great job getting multiple growths at once! That should boost your confidence in just how you're doing. Hopefully they all develop and spike around the same time and you have an AWESOME plant!!!