Vuylstekeara Aloha Passion
 

:D Hello is their anyone who can hellp me with my Vuylstekeara Aloha Passion? It had beautiful dark purple flowers on it when I bought it. Now the flowers have fallen off but I was just wondering if it will reflower off the old spike or should I just cut it down to where the leaf meets the pseudobulb? And how often should I water it right now the pbulbs look a little wrinkly?

In case nobody chimes in, I'll throw in my 2 cents. I'm not familiar with this particular hybrid, but my Oncidium alliance generally like to stay relatively moist. They can vary, especially depending on the pot, medium, and growing environment. So whenever I get a new Onc, I water it thoroughly if it isn't already moist, and wait till the psb's just barely start to show signs of wrinkle, then I water. And then I know to water a bit sooner (maybe a day or two) next time. Just to give you an idea, I water my mounted Oncidiums (most of my orchids are outside with a LOT of air circulation) daily most of the year, and potted ones I water every 2-4 days depending on the plant and weather. Just make sure it's not in sphagnum moss. If you haven't repotted this plant, I would recommend repotting asap into a medium that suits your conditions and watering routine. No sphagnum moss unless it's in a greenhouse with lots of warmth and air circulation. A good rule of thumb is if it doesn't need watering after 6 days, it isn't drying fast enough because of either choice of potting media or ammount of potting media (pot size) or both. Squeeze that sucker in the smallest pot you can. I know that was an earfull (or eyefull?), but I hope I was able to help. Happy Growing!

Gage

This won't reflower on the old spike. Older pbulbs will wrinkle slightly. If there is severe shriveling or wrinkling your plant is either underwatered, or roots have died from overwatering. Vuylstekeara is a complex intergeneric hybrid of Cochlioda, Miltonia, and Odontoglossum, and likes to remain evenly moist, but not waterlogged. Since your plant has finished blooming, now is a good time to repot, and you can see how the roots look.

GL

Thanks Gage and Whiterabbit. All you tips should help me to figure out how to grow the Vuyl. . It came in a pot with bark so I guess I should be watering it more unlike my phals which I also bought at Lowe's which came in moss.