oncidium colmanara wildcat not spiking - Page 3 - Orchid Board

nenella · #21 06-21-2012, 05:50 PM

Cool !! Sounds like you are doing very well if you have good roots! Congratulations!
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I would personally start laying off the ST as it is doing so well I don't think it needs it any more. Just keep moist (not wet) and feed. Your new growth will mature and flower. I'm sure you will get a spike this year if you can keep it growing as it is doing at the moment! Mine flowers every year in late summer autumn. I love these blooms as they are very colourful and last a long time.
Please do keep us posted.

james mickelso · #22 06-23-2012, 04:10 PM

Repot it NOW!!!!. That way you can look at the roots and see what their condition is. The old pbulb will not bloom more than once. A pbulb can, if healthy, put out two flower spikes at the same time. The new growth comes from the base of the old pbulb, elongates, becomes mature, goes into a dormant period, then right before new growth comes up, they push flower spikes up and flower if they have enough energy and good back bulbs. They like to be kept "MOIST" not wet. The new growth grows about a third of it's finished height before it sends out new roots. Old bulbs seldom grow new roots. Oncids like bright but filtered light. Warmth and about 50-70% humidity. They really like San Jose or anywhere in the bay area. Give them warmth, good air flow (critical), keep them "MOIST" not wet, medium bark mix, and they will flower after growing a good fat pbulb. Here's a picture of new roots. Notice how large the new growth is before the roots start growing. Plant makes sure the new growth is viable before the roots grow. And the roots grow when the new plant can photosynthesize for itself. And the plant will be mature and have gone through a period of dormancy before it puts out a flower spike. Once it has matured it has to store enough energy (that's when it gets fatten up) for producing flowers which take quite a lot of energy. If it doesn't have the stored energy it will only produce new growths. Good luck.

RosieC · #23 06-23-2012, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by james mickelso

The old pbulb will not bloom more than once. A pbulb can, if healthy, put out two flower spikes at the same time.

I disagree, they don't usually but they CAN.

Mine was bought with two spikes one on either side of the p-bulb. After having 3 growths eaten off it flowered AGAIN from the same p-bulb. It grew the new spike from between the leaves at the base of p-bulb, closer to the p-bulb than the original two spikes.

I didn't expect it either... but it proved that they CAN flower again from the same p-bulb.

camille1585 · #24 06-23-2012, 05:02 PM

That's cool, I had no idea it was even possible!! **running to check my Oncs**

WhiteRabbit · #25 06-23-2012, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RosieC

I disagree, they don't usually but they CAN.

Mine was bought with two spikes one on either side of the p-bulb. After having 3 growths eaten off it flowered AGAIN from the same p-bulb. It grew the new spike from between the leaves at the base of p-bulb, closer to the p-bulb than the original two spikes.

I didn't expect it either... but it proved that they CAN flower again from the same p-bulb.

I had an intergeneric get a little spike from the top of the pbulb, but only got as far as a couple of small buds and aborted. The same pbulb later got a spike for the usual place

james mickelso · #26 06-23-2012, 08:41 PM

Rosie, you should have taken a picture of that. That is higly unusual. Not that they can't. I just have never seen one do that before. I wish you could have gotten seed from it too. You could have an orchid named after you (; Usually they only produce one spike unless they are very healthy. Nice and fat like me.

james mickelso · #27 06-24-2012, 02:30 AM

As your plant grows you will see that at some point it will be as tall as the older leaves. But the base will not be very large, or fat. When it get's fat, then you will get bloom spikes. Not until then. Patience grasshopper. One thing you can do until then is to change fertilizer when the leaves are as tall as they will get. More P phosphorus) and K (potassium), than N (nitrogen). The ratio should be something like 10-20-20. Look at Ray's chart. Sonya knows where that is. When you do this it will help your plant make better spikes and more flowers.

mickie09 · #28 06-24-2012, 06:22 AM

I have been feeding all of mt orchids..dormant or not..the same Miracle Grow Orchid Food. Will that do? Or should I change it up?

camille1585 · #29 06-24-2012, 06:56 AM

I checked on internet, and the Miracle-Gro stuff is 30-10-10. There is way too much nitrogen in it, used year round that is likely going to promote lush growth at the expense of blooms. You need a balanced fertilize, or at the very least something that has a much lower ratio of nitrogen in it.

orchidsarefun · #30 06-24-2012, 11:36 AM

no-one seems to have mentioned temperature. I keep all mine indoors at a max room temp of 75/77f in Summer.

I do that because of the cultural requirements of the grexes I have, as listed in Orchidwiz........
"Ons. Wildcat is composed of species of which 96% take cool temperatures and 83% take warm temperatures. Grow this hybrid in cool to warm conditions, or 58°F to 75°F at night."

In fact I moved a Debutante outdoors as an experiment for 2 weeks, and the new growth just stopped. This species supposedly can be grown up to 85f. Temps however reached 99f and over 90f for more than a week ! Back indoors, and it took off again, growth wise.

Are we generally saying that temps are not too much of a factor in obtaining blooms ?