Starting Oncidium from backbulbs

[DanielBear]

As a total amateur, I wanted to give some hope to other total amateurs. Last summer (August) I got ambition and divided a 5-year-old Oncidium. Looking at various web photos, I think it's Gower Ramsey, but not certain. I did the "sphag & bag" thing with left-over leafless backbulbs, just out of curiosity. I forgot about them, in an East window.

This was 2 backbulbs that I left connected together. This one grew first. It took about one month to see growth. Now it's 10 months old.


I had separated these 2 into individual backbulbs. One took 4 months to show growth, the other took 6 months.


Once they were about one inch long, I changed them to a commercial orchid mix (bark+peat+perlite) and have been using the "weakly-weekly" fertilizer method using Ortho orchid food.

They may still be one or 2 years away from blooming, but each is growing nicely.

So that shows a complete novice can start orchids from backbulbs!

Now if I can get them to bloom.....

[WhiteRabbit]

Cool!

[trdyl]

Welcome to OB!

Good growing!

[Tropicgirl]

That's awesome! Backbulbs are a great way to increase your collection and so easy to do. The hardest part is the waiting, but the more orchids you have the easier it is to "forget" about them until they start growing!

[camille1585]

That is cool! I didn't think it was that easy to get Onc backbulbs to sprout a new growth.

What kind of Oncidium are those?

[Rosiefuture]

Way to grow!

I have done this successfully with cyms, dens, oncidiums and cats. I am at the moment trying stanhopea and coelogyne back bulbs. It's just such a nice little surprise when you see that little green shoot appear one day!

Marion

[Robe]

Wow, great work!
It's always a pleasure to obtain new plants to give as a gift, to trade or... just to try another cultivation method
Way to go

[DanielBear]

Thanks for the great comments. I think this vairety is Gower Ramsey but Im not sure. It is great to have new plants to share - Im hoping to get them to the point of blooming then give away in flower. Of course, that depends on actually getting them to bloom. :-)

[Miri the Wildmage]

Sheesh! D'you reckon it would work with an odontocidium hybrid? Cos I just planted some backbulbs from one

[dounoharm]

it should work with odonts as well as onc.....same basic methods.....i do it all the time to make new plants....gl and nice job!!