Help needed for an Oncidium

[Blue Ring]

Hello All,

I've received an orchid from a friend who thinks I can "do something about it" (I seem to get a lot of cast off plants) I'm not really an orchid person per se but I've done as much research as I can and have come to a bit of a dead end, so I figured it would be best to ask people who really know what they're doing!

Here's what I know about the orchid in question (Photos are located under my profile in the album "the poor thing" as I am currently unable to post links)

It is not in flower now, and has not been for a year and was purchased at the Cincinnati Orchid society show at Krohn in March last year (in flower)

The exact type is not known, but from the description of the blossoms (placed 'side by side' on the stem not in clusters, white with ripply edges and purple spots, very fragrant, not quite like the Moth Orchids, not quite like a cattelya)

Updated: Solay posts that it is a "Oncidium" which sounds good to me!

There are three pseudobulbs, all very wrinkly and coated with a slightly sticky substance - exactly like a green raisin! Two of the bulbs are leaf-less, the other has three - two sprouting from the top, one from the base.

The whole plant is sort of a wan looking green (well, wan in comparison to my pitcher plant which is pretty robust green), the leaves feel sort of normal but do have ridges from tip to stem you can see and feel, and the central vein is notably pail in comparison to the rest of the leaf, and one leaf has little cracks down the central vein. However I cannot find any evidence of a fungus or any other viral ugliness.

The roots feel quite dry and look like a straw tangle with the exception of a few whiter looking roots which I assume are newer. All roots feel dry to the touch.

It was planted in a bark chip mixture

Here's what I've done thus far:

trimmed off anything black and awful looking from the roots and such with sterilized instruments and clean hands after gently shaking off any bark mixture, and placed it back in its pot with a layer of moist sphagnum moss over top of the roots for the time being. I've gently wiped the leaves to clean any dust off.

I water it once a week, and keep it within moderate distance from a southern exposure window so it gets moderate light. it hangs out near my pitcher plants, which get about 8 hours of steam from a humidifier a day.

My question to you far more knowledgeable folks out here:

Is this poor orchid possibly on deaths door? Do I need to give it anything special, or repot it with fresh bark? (assuming that it was sold in good condition?) Does it need special food or chemicals?

Is it normal for this type of orchid (or any orchid!) to have straw like roots and wrinkly pseudobulbs?

Should I cut back the dry roots, or remove the moist moss (I live in fear of root rot!) or separate the pseudobulbs with no leaves from the leafy pseudobulb (and if so, how much ought I to cut back or off?)

I'd hate to give up on this lovely plant, it'd be nice to see it bloom again but I'm wondering if that "orchids thrive on neglect" thing had been taken too far!

Thank you!

[patticake]

First off, It's great to have you with us! I'm sure that help will arrive soon! A picture would really help as I'm a little confused about your description. The pseudobulbs...are they round, or like skinny canes? We'll get to the bottom of this, it just may take a few posts!

[Blue Ring]

Thank you! I'm really looking forward to learning more, an Orchid Society show is coming up, and I'm thinking about getting a healthy one to add to the Wardian Case (I covet bog slipper orchids... but I am fascinated at the idea of growing a plant on a rock like a Lady of the Night!)

I'm looking forward to this challenge though!

EDITED: I've managed to get some photos with the camera attached to my computer (apologies, it's not the highest quality thing in the world), unfortunately I cannot post them in thread as I haven't got 5 posts to my name - however they are uploaded in the only album under my profile (which...apparently I cannot link to) for the curious!

[solay]

You don't have a Den. but an Oncidium of some sort. The shriveled bulbs are due to under watering. I think with proper care it should do fine. I'm sure someone else will come a long to give you more advice who has more experience than I do.

[brookn]

Hi, and yes it is possibly underwatered. I think that you should repot it. Remove any dead roots. Please remember only mushy roots should be removed. Any that feel firm should be left for the plant. You can soak the roots in some peroxide after they are cleaned up, and then I personally would soak the entire plant in water for a couple hours before potting it up. Use a pot just a bit bigger around the rootball, and give it the appropriate care. Hopefully it will recover nicely for you. Here are some links:

AOS | Oncidium

http://www.orchidgeeks.com/forum/new...f-orchids.html

[Blue Ring]

Brilliant! Thank you all so much! With some good potting medium I expect to nurse this pretty thing back from the dead. And I've snagged those little stirr sticks from starbucks for watering-gauging!

[grandmapenguin]

You've mentioned water. What type of water are you using?
I only use Distilled and sometimes top off a gallon with some
of my well water.
Also welcome to the group. It's as addictive as Orchids.

Terry

[Blue Ring]

Grandma Penguin - I try to only use distilled, our water is okay, but at time I can actually smell the chlorine, so, I figure that's a no go!

I have noticed people mentioning rainwater as well - I figure that'd be good to collect!

Thanks so much, I'm excited about reading everything, and trying to get a Brassavola nodosa (we had them in our yard when I was little, and I loved the smell and how lovely they looked in trees!) and Angraecum sesquipedale too (I actually have that tattooed on me along with a Xanthopan morganii praedicta [hawk moth!]

[lmartiny]

Welcome. You had orchids growing in your yard?? And your trees? How cool. Where did you grow up may I ask?
I got a healthy little Brassavola little stars from Jerry, a fellow geek, about two months ago. Pretty blooms and wonderful smell.

[Blue Ring]

LMartiny - my family was stationed in Panama City, Panama for a while when I was young, there were big gardenia bushes, jasmine, mango trees, and orchids in the trees (and very toxic snakes too)! The comparatively depressing backyard foliage of the midwest is a little saddening, but springtime wildflowers make it worth it!

The smell is PHENOMENAL, I haven't smelled anything that wonderful aside from gardenias...ever. So I'm eager to get a Brassavola - we have an upcoming orchid show in Cincinnati, but they don't say which sellers will be there so I can't contact them ahead of time!

[rodcuda]

If you don't come up with a nodosa, let me know, I have plenty.

[davetheorchidaddict]

I never had any success with Oncidiums until one of the growers told me to water daily, since then I have been able to grow some beautiful ones, have a mules ear in bud now and just had a miniture just finish blooming.

[Blue Ring]

Rodcuda- I surely will! I'd like to see about doing a "rock culture" with one as I've seen them grow that way seaside!

Dave - Daily? Humm...well it is fairly dry in here even though I try to run the humidifier! a little sprinkle or a full soaking? (I suppose at this point it could use all the water it can get!)

[articuno75]

Hi Blue Ring and welcome to the forum!

Definitely an Oncidium/Oncidium Alliance of some sort, and severely dehydrated. Oncidiums are very thirsty plants, but they like to dry out quickly too. The trick I learned for this area is to mist the base of the plant daily. Water every 2-3 days, depending on how dry it is. Make sure that these have ample air flow. I can't stress this enough for Oncidiums and the Alliance alike. If they don't get the adequate air flow then fungus occurs. I hope this helps.

[hulaorchid]

WELCOME!! When possible we love pictures it help to see the problem!

[Blue Ring]

Oh my... Well I've finally gotten enough free time to actually do something for the little Oncidium (it's been hanging out getting little leftover bits of water from the Gardenias) and I lifted it out of the pot gently, gently, and one of the wrinkly old Pseudobulbs just fell right off with the lions share of the plants roots! The bulb with the leaves has a few little roots, some of which look white and new so I have some hope that with coaxing this little guy will be producing white and spotty purple flowers in a couple of years, once happy healthy roots are back! The pot I have for it now is one of those 5'' terracotta numbers, I have some smaller 3'' and 4'' ones, and I am thinking that might be best for the now tiny roots!

It is (and I hope this is what soaking means) having a bit of a bath in a saucer of distilled water, I am thinking that it should only be there for a few hours? And then back into some nice bark and a little pot!

Also, every three days the Gardenias get a Miracid laced watering (ugh, Chlorosis ahoy! Greedy little buggers need so much attention but the blooms are worth it!) the Miracid package says its for Orchids as well, but I've got a bit of a grudge against Miracle Gro (WHY! Why do you only produce fertilizer laced Peat? It would save me so much time driving to timbuktu trying to find something to pot rescued flytraps in!) so I'm not sure if I should be dosing this orchid with it!

Also - thank you Articuno! I'll try to move it into a breezier place, it's nice to have it on my bedside table, but the greenhouse table has much nicer circulation!

[Blue Ring]

I have an update! The care sheet for this orchid has been found (coffee ringed and ragged) it is:

Odontoglossum crispum...

And from what I read they are apparently picky, picky, picky? That it's Andean, likes cool humid spaces, and bright shaded (I suspected as much, as it only lost a leaf when it was put in the sunshine. So I am guessing that this orchid is not going in the wardian case. The care sheet also says : 30-10-10 fertilizer should be given...but I am lost on this as there seems to be a different idea on every google search result page!

Are there any other resources or special factors for this? I try to keep the humidity high but they also apparenlty enjoy cool climates and air circulation (so the wardian case is out... One of the leafless pseudobulbs has just called it quits and a leaf has gone but it's still alive so there's still hope, I hope!