Ionocidium "Popcorn" leaf drop
 

Greetings! I purchased two Ionocidium "Popcorn", kept one and gave one to my mom, who's been growing orchids a long time (I've only been growing a few years now). After a week, all the leaves fell off hers with no apparent reason - then the leaves started falling off mine by the two's and threes until there were only a few left. I treated it like an oncidium intergeneric, no direct sun, no extreme temperature, well draining mixture of bark and a little moss. I really liked the plant (note the past tense), and would like to get another one if I find one, but don't want the same thing to happen. Anyone have any idea on what caused this? What I didn't give it? thx

hmm ... have you checked the roots?

I'm never clear on what people mean by 'direct sun', 'no direct sun' - all of my orchids get a least a little (by my definition of direct sun: sun light hitting the plant) of direct sun. But even if light were insufficient, I don't think that would cause foliage to drop in such a short period of time.

What conditions are the roots in?

I'm on board with that, and checked the roots - and they looked healthy! That's why it's such an enigma. I also wonder on the "direct sun" issue - but I know some of my intergenerics literally burn up with any sun contact, so I make sure they get good light but no direct sun. So many variables. I've read a few postings on this one elsewhere, and folks seem to have good luck with it, which makes me wonder if there was something wrong with them when I bought them, or if there's something obvious I'm just missing.

What temperature did you keep your plants in, I believe these guys like it a bit shady and cool.
Joann

Well, I have problems with "cool" growers, can't do Masds or anything like that - so if they do like it on the cooler side, the temp could be what did it. That would answer my question!

Hi, where did you get the plants? What were they potted in when you got them? How dry is it where you had the orchids? What type of water did you use and how often did you water it? What was the humidity like? Oncidiums are very forgiving except with their water needs. Is there any new growth around the bottom of the pbulbs? Were the orchids in bloom when you got them?Oncidiums and the cousins have very thin fine roots and what may be perceived as good roots could in fact be dead white roots. They like to be damp but not wet. And once watered, if the center of the mass (what it is like under the center of thye plant) is packed with dead roots or old media, it will stay wet and the leaves will fall off. If that is the case, take the plant out of the pot and get all the old media out of the rootball. Use a skewer or sharp sissors anmd cut some holes in the mass under the olfd pbulbs. If it is a young plant (less than 6 pbulbs, then water is your main culprit. Oncidiums do not like water high in salts. I think anything higher than 100 parts is too high. The courser the media the more often you can water.