Plant ID and care suggestions?

[Halapepe]

Hi All,

This is the first in what will be a series of plants that I could use some ID and plant care help with. Am starting with this one because it's container has broken and obviously needs a repot. It was in a concrete pot and the potting medium looks like a mix of the clay soil on the property with chunks of concrete and rocks. Thoughts!?

Mahalo in advance,

Jon

EDIT: looks like I haven't figured out how to get a photo in. Standby.

EDIT 2: There we go.

[rbarata]

Looks like some kind of oncidium, although its pbulbs are "pointed".
Without a flower (and even with it) it might be difficult to help you.

[Halapepe]

So, if I trimmed down to 3 pbulbs or so, and threw it in some medium bark, would that be a good start for this guy?

[rbarata]

Originally Posted by Halapepe

So, if I trimmed down to 3 pbulbs or so, and threw it in some medium bark, would that be a good start for this guy?

You could trim the two oldest, those at the left.
Medium bark seems ok, as long as you don't let it go dry.

[Roberta]

I agree with rbarata that it is probably in the Oncidium alliance... the p-bulbs look a lot like Miltonia or Brassia (could be some combination too). If it were my plant, I would take off the oldest 3 green p-bulbs and the dead stuff behind them. That would leave you one or two leafless but still plump p-bulbs for energy, as well as the part with leaves. (With few or no good roots, you want to leave enough back bulbs to provide some reserve until it can grow new ones) The way it is growing, it screams "mount me". I have particularly found that works well for Miltonia... they're climbers, and not particularly happy in pots. If mounting, put most of the moss on top of any good roots, not under them - you want new roots to grab the mount, moss is just for extra moisture until it gets going and I have found that mounted orchids are lazy... if there is moss under them, they grow into the moss instead of the mount.

[Halapepe]

Great. Thanks to you both.

J

[Halapepe]

Sorry! Wrong thread.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Halapepe

Well, she bloomed.

Beautiful! Color doesn't quite match V. tricolor (the browner form...not suavis) http://orchidcentral.org/Images/Vand...20tricolor.jpg but form looks similar, so may be a primary hybrid with V. tricolor. V. tricolor is a species that is tough as nails. It grows outside year around on my patio (so experiences winter night temps that can occasionally go close to freezing though usually a little warmer) Definitely a keeper!

[Ray]

Nope. That blossom is NOT from the mysterious plants pictured first.

The plant is sympodial with pseudobulbs. The flower is obviously a vanda, which is monopodial without a pseudobulb.

[Halapepe]

Originally Posted by Ray

Nope. That blossom is NOT from the mysterious plants pictured first.

The plant is sympodial with pseudobulbs. The flower is obviously a vanda, which is monopodial without a pseudobulb.

Yea, sorry about that, I got my posts crossed. I'll delete and move it over there.

J