Trimming oncidium leaves?

[sweetas647]

Hey all! I've got a few oncidiums that look like they've had leaves trimmed but can't find any explanation for it anywhere... Is this a common practice? Is it purely cosmetic?

[PaphMadMan]

Most likely the leaves were damaged or perhaps a fungal or bacterial infection, and the affected (and probably unsightly) parts were removed. There is never any reason to remove healthy green leaf tissue, but a cosmetic or preventative clip isn't uncommon.

[Steve83]

This may also be from a previous deficiency, such as calcium.

How does the newest growth look, and are the roots good?

[Roberta]

There's a lot of reasons (most harmless) that make leaf tips get brown and ugly - hard water (salts), a period of not enough water... They got trimmed to look better. (It's a rare Cymbidium in a show that doesn't have a few trimmed leaves, better than brown tips) It isn't a cultural thing, just aesthetic. (If I am taking a plant with ugly leaf tips to an orchid club meeting or show, I'll tidy them up... when they're in the back yard, I leave them alone)

[ArronOB]

I grow a lot of oncidiums and when I’m neglectful of cultural practices then a plant may show a few brown tips. I understand it’s usually because (highly non-technical explanation here) the orchid pumps water plus dissolved salts from rootstock to tip of leaf - however it does so blindly and if subjected to too much fertiliser then it pumps too much fertilised into the leaf tip, which reacts to the accumulating salts (toxic at high levels) by dieing off. Not being very fond of dead brown bits, i trim them off with scissors in a manner that I hope resembles a natural leaf. In the 20+ years I’ve been doing it I don’t remember ever seeing a negative consequence.

I think it’s very often a result of too much fertiliser - but then who doesn’t give their orchids too much fertiliser.

Vendors may do it to make their plants more saleable,

[Fairorchids]

Yes, trimming brown tips is common. However, one word of caution:

If you use a tool (scissors), you MUST sterilize after each use. If you do plant after plant without sterilizing, you will inadvertently transfer any diseases that might exist in any one of the plants.

When I trim, I use a razor blade, and then toss it.

[sweetas647]

Thank you all for your responses! Curiosity satisfied

[DirtyCoconuts]

I second Kim’s advice. (And Roberta, since she taught me this) but a huge box of single edge razors and use one for each plant. Then toss it (I put them into a can or margarine tub to avoid a cut bag or worse).

They are dirt cheap and there is zero chance of any incident