help with orchid type at least please
 

Hi all I umm "borrowed" a piece of my moms orchids that she asked me to repot ... she says its never bloomed for her but its grown a whole lot.

right now I have it potted in coconut husk, bark chips and a bit of sphagnum moss and in a window that gets about 4 hours of morning sun.

It has been doing well 2 new shoots and lots of new roots, but I was wondering if anyone could tell at least what type of orchid it is so that I can try to give it the best conditions possible for blooming.



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psorthabsa.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...pskyccwggb.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ps0jdf6ddh.jpg

Oncidium alliance

Yes, Oncidium alliance, probably hybrid including Brassia or Miltonia.

Thanks much to you both !!!!
Now off to read up on oncidium care

Update

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ps7cffnnnj.jpg

3 new shoots with leaves that are almost as tall as the rest of the plant YaY
The pseudobulbs haven't matured yet though

A few questions though....
Does this type of orchid bloom from back bulbs which have never bloomed before?

Do I have to wait until the new shoots have mature pseudobulbs to start expecting spikes?

When should I start using bloom boosters ... If at all.

Thanks in advance !!!

Some back bulbs that never bloomed before are simply ones it had when it was a seedling.
In my experience, the oncidiums I've had only bloom from new growths.

Once I had a bulb that bloomed in the summer, then that same bulb bloomed again in winter from the other side, however other than that I wouldn't expect any back bulbs to bloom.

It takes something like 9 months for a new growth to develop and mature.

Just in case you don't know- don't cut off the old bulbs simply because they won't bloom. They give energy to the plant and hold water for it. The more bulbs, the faster it grows!

It looks like it could use a repot if you haven't repotted it already. Depending on your climate, I am sure the plant would be happy in some big bark chips with a good mixture of sphagnum moss added in.

I have heard people use bloom boosters in the season before the plant is supposed to bloom. However, once you see a spike it is wise to stop fertilizing because too much fertilizer or growth hormones etc while the buds form can produce misshapen flowers.

Thanks for your response Astrid .... I like watching your videos :)

I repotted about 2 months ago after I watched a couple YouTube videos lol

I noticed that the new growths were coming out right up against the pot so I repotted giving them more space by placing the back bulbs up against one side of the pot. The pic I posted is from that angle so the pot looks full but it's only about 60% full

It's potted in a 50/50 mix of bark and coconut chips .... Seems to like it

Well, as long as you get your orchid in appropriate growing conditions, you just have to turn it over and let the orchid do its job! Exciting!

Your plant looks great! Good job repotting and growing.