Onc. Sharry Baby- divide?
 

When I got this in fall of 2015 there was only one spike. In 2016, same thing. Should I divide it to stimulate new growth? Doesn't it only bloom on new growth?

Picture?

Bhere she is

If she were mine, no. But, the leaves look darker than mine, could light be an issue?

I think darker because it is inside for a while. But maybe only one spike bacause of light? So it will rebloom on old bulbs?

It only blooms on psuedobulbs that have not bloomed previously though they can send out a spike from each side of the pseudobulb and sometimes do not send them out at the same time. So, if a pseudobulb has bloomed from both sides, it will not bloom again.

Light might be an issue. When I had a Sharry Baby, I grew it in a large South-facing window with the Cattleyas and put it outside every summer on the edge of my porch where it received direct morning light and then very bright shade. You can also grow these under T5HO fluorescent lights if you do not have a good window.

You can certainly divide yours. I usually divided mine every year, in the spring, and they always bloomed for me. I think it best to keep three pseudobulbs per division and the best time to divide them is when the new growth is about to start roots.

I do not have a Sharry Baby any more as I wanted the room to grow other types of plants and smaller orchids...and I disliked the spots. I still have a Burr. Nelly Isler, though, which has the same basic growth pattern but doesn't seem as prone to spots or need as much light. :)

No. It only blooms on new growths but, the back bulbs give it energy.

Are you fertilizing it ?

I fertilize weakly weekly. I also use kelp. This is the first year I have gotten so many to bloom.

I don't have a lot of luck with multiple spikes. I am happy I can get it to bloom every 6 months. Sharry Baby like to be pot bound so I would wait to divide it. I think the sun suggestion may help your quest.

As a general rule, dividing an orchid is not going to improve it's energy level (and floral output), rather the opposite. The goal is to build enough of a support network to produce flowers.
Obviously something is wrong with your culture if you get only one spike and new PB per year. Most oncidiums do at least two growth periods per year.

Then it must be the lght. I can easily fix that. Thanks