Red Spider Orchid

[orchidsamore]

Your orchid is from a group breed with Mtssa. Olmec as a parent.

This is a very popular line of spider orchids since they are some of the easiest to grow.

I have one off spring, Mtssa. Shelob, that has a clonal name 'The Weed'. That should give you an idea how easy it is to grow. Fortunately the flowers are not weed looking.

I grow these with my Vanda getting heavy water every day and high sunlight. I also grow them with my Cattleya with lower light and watering once or twice a week. And I occasionally let them dry completely. They accept almost anything as long as you let them adapt to the light and not change it too quick.

They flower best in the highest light you can give them without burning the leaves.

As for re-potting, it probably does not need to be re-potted. All the orchids in the Oncidium group grow roots slowly. They live mostly off the very large pseudobulb. (that big growth under the leaves)

I have had plants reach sixteen inches wide while still in a 4 inch plastic pot.

The roots are growing out of the bottom of the pot because of the way commercial nurseries water their plants. They are kept in grower trays that retain some water just under the pot. The roots grow into this area for the water.

You will not be giving them water in the same manner so these roots will die off and the plant will grow roots toward wherever the water is. Roots grow and die in the natural order of life of a plant so do not be concerned.

As a general rule orchids should be grown in the smallest pot in which they can fit. Too large a pot and you run the danger of water not drying in the medium between waterings and this develops fungal problems.

Too large a pot also encourages the plant to grow more roots (but I mentioned this is very slow on Oncidium) and while growing roots the plant may not flower.

I usually do not re-pot my personal Oncidium until they are falling over from being to large. Commercially we usually divide rather than re-pot.

All orchids should be fertilized. Everything alive needs food. Orchids do not need a lot so fertilize lightly. The expression 'Weakly Weekly' applies. Use a Weak dilution (1/4 to 1/3 the amount recommended for tropical plants) once a week.

The fertilizers marked Orchid Food are the same as Tropical plant food but the instructions recommend a higher dilution. You do not need to reduce the amount further.