Oncidium care

[flexdc]

If you are using a wooden chopstick make sure it is at least half way in the pot. As far as potting medium you don't have to buy the best. I buy prepackaged fine orchid bark and they are relatively cheap. I have also used landscaping bark before and they are also just fine. The trick is to find out how much and how often do you need to water under our particular condition with the growing medium you use. And that differs from one grower to the next.
Good luck
Andrew

[RandomGemini]

This thread might be another great candidate for a sticky, IMO.

It seems like the basics of oncidium care are all getting collected here. Great thread!!

[Wild Orchid]

Originally Posted by RandomGemini

This thread might be another great candidate for a sticky, IMO.

It seems like the basics of oncidium care are all getting collected here. Great thread!!

[TOMMYMIAMI]

I do not find Oncidiums challenging, and as WhiteRabbit, I do not know any that needs winter rest as do Dendrobiums and other species. I do provide the same care year round, except when it is not so hot in winter, water less. I did have issues with over water and rotting of the roots, so I did switched all my Oncidiums to tree fern chunks, and they do grow like crazy, I am talking about some 8 new growths in last 4 months. I do fertilize at least once or twice a month. Looking into your pics, I think that your Oncidiums is also dehydrated, your pbulbs should be looking much fuller, not wrinkled like this.

[Edwin Reffell]

All the pseudobulbs were wrinkled on the plant when I was given it. Most likely I too have underwatered the 2 plants I made of it. That is because I did not know Oncidium's needs and could not see the roots which is the method I use for determining when to water my Phaleonopsis. I have about 26 Phaleonopsis and must check to see if they need watering after this message. Now that I know better about Oncidium requirements, and how to test their watering need using a wooden chopstick (I shall be on the look for a wooden skewer because they are thinner but I never eat fastfood), have removed all bad roots, repotted in smaller, completely transparent adapted beakers I hope I shall get these Oncidium plants to bloom by and by. I am glad you like the thread. It has been extremely helpful to me and am most grateful to all who have contributed to it.

[james mickelso]

wrinkling also depends on what variety of oncid or what relative your plant is. Some wrinkle no matter what you do. It is not always a sign of under watering. Care must be given to how much water you put on them as most have thin roots and rot easily. Tommy's grow well because he has them in an open media with lots of air flow. These are epiphyts and don't need to be kept moist all the time. Just watered and then allowed to become nearly dry before watering again. Learn when to water by the weight of the plant which is better than using a wooden skewer. It is so much more reliable.

[NYCorchidman]

The plant looks very dry and so does the mix it is in.
First, I would soak the entire pot in a bucket full of water for at least 10 minutes. Then drain well.

Since the roots are quite exposed and are not into the mix, ( they look to me like they are very loosely sitting there) I would either repot firmly, or add some more mix, or even wrap around those roots with some moss.

You will have a good result if you mist those exposed roots every day. You will see that they will make more roots when there is increased humidity.

This way, the future growth should come out bigger and better.

Good luck!

[Edwin Reffell]

Thank you. I shall test the weight method. Also I shall give the exposed roots a daily spraying with water but I have bad experience of soaking orchids so I shall not do that. When I repotted both plants I did my best to get them under the bark mixture but few were long enough. Those now still exposed are very short but they are thicker than before. The sticker just says Oncidium but I believe it is a yellow Dancing Lady. I do not know whether the pseudobulbs for that variety are normally wrinkled or not. All I am concerned about is to give my Oncidiums what they require to grow and flower by and by. If they are yellow Dancing Ladies I shall be delighted.

I had to edit this because whenever I write the proper word for spraying with water it is hypertexted and an advert pops up. That baffles and annoys me.

[james mickelso]

As long as the roots are somewhat exposed you can water it often. It is when they are buried in a fine media and don't dry out or I should say when the mix doesn't dry out enough that rot sets in and damages the roots. It also depends on your growing environment. Lots of air flow will help to moderate the moisture in your media. Indoor growing will lessen evaporation if there is little air flow around the plant. Soaking can be very beneficial as long as there is adequate air flow around the plant to help wick away the excess moisture from the media. Dancing Lady is a relative of Gower Ramsey and these have pbulbs that wrinkle with age as they grow new pbulbs. Very pretty.

[Edwin Reffell]

Though I have the balcony door open to get the temperature 11-14 C I doubt if there is much air flow. I shall not soak it but water when the weight is light and spray the exposed roots with water once a day. Thanks for telling me about Dancing Lady having wrinkled pseudobulbs. It is very reassuring. Yes indeed, that Oncidium is very pretty. It is the one I prefer.