Wilsonara and Brassidium advice, please

[Jeserah]

Hello!
I have two orchids, one is a lowe's "rescue" and the other I purchased off of ebay.

The lowe's plant is a brassidium hybrid, tagged as "White Knight". I bought some orchid potting mix and repotted the brassidium into a larger pot.
I've attached some photos.


The eBay plant is Wilsonara tigersette, and is just one pseudobulb with 5 leaves coming off of various nodes (it's supposed to be blooming size, but I think it will be a while before I see any spikes). I kept it in the pot it arrived in and put the whole small pot in a larger pot that I had. The pseudobulb flops around if I keep the substrate at the top root level, so I had to cover it just enough to keep it stable....Sorry, pics to come, hopefully!


So my questions are:
Do these plants need direct sunlight for part of the day?
What would be the best potting substrate for each?
Should I let the wilsonara bulb be "floppy" or did I do alright by securing it?
Is the brassidium pot too large?

Any other advice would be most helpful! Thanks very much

[orchids4me]

Hello and welcome to the forum
I have the same white knight and a different Wills. Both of mine in my area are growing well in an east facing window back about 3 feet from it so filtered morning sun.
For the p/b that's loose in the potting media use a bamboo stake or other type plant stake near the p/b to help prop it up until it gets a good root hold. The one you re potted, how do the roots look on that one? And did you check the roots on the one that's loose?
Hope this helps
Emmaye

[Phalcycle]

The pot for the brassia looks quite big. How big was the rootball?

I'm not really a big intergeneric grower, but I have a few. I usually give my plants direct mourning sun, and diffused afternoon sun.

I have learned that because the roots on oncidiums are really fine and small, I like to use inorganic stuff, like perlite, lava rock, and LECA. They dont break down, and when its time to repot, you won't spend a whole lot of time take it out of the roots!!

All my orchids are not wobbly in their pots. I always secure them with rhizome clips, or stakes

[Brooke]

Jeserah welcome to the forum.

Your first orchid might be in too large a pot but if you don't over water it, it will be fine.

You need to check the roots on your newest orchid. If it is wobbly in the pot it sounds like a root issue. Putting media over the pbulb is not advisable, secure it with a couple of stakes on each side of it.

Both plants will appreciate sun. What direction is your sunny window?

Emmaye do you have a light meter? At my house 2' back from a very sunny ESE window is only 600 fc's. I didn't measure it 3' back but is probably down to 300 fc. How long have you been growing the orchids at that distance from the window? 600 fc is considered in the dark for almost any orchid.

Brooke

[Jeserah]

Thanks so much for the replies! I really appreciate it.

As of right now, My only access to large windows are north-facing ones, which are open to a bright, grassy field. The east facing window that I have access to is covered by trees so there's even less light if I put them there. So.... should I install a light? I have a bearded dragon that I switch out his full-spectrum uv bulb every six months, perhaps I can use an old bulb of his to light the orchids.

I will uncover the wilsonara pseudobulb immediately and get some stakes in there right away. The roots on the wilsonara aren't numerous at all, and very fragile. They seem whitish/green and healthy, however.

I may just repot my brassidium. It's younger growths have some yellow edging that's popped up that I'm worried about. Maybe I over-watered and over-fertilized the poor thing. eep!

Anyway, thanks again for the help!

[Phalcycle]

Bight north facing windows are fine.
My house is shaded east and south so i have to grow in north and west

[katrina]

Originally Posted by Phalcycle

Bight north facing windows are fine.
My house is shaded east and south so i have to grow in north and west

You might...and this is a BIG might...be able to grow and bloom a phal in a North window but you'll never bloom an oncid in a North window. Chances are it won't even be enough light to get it to grow much.

I don't know what part of CA you live in but if it's temperate, putting it outside in morning sun or dappled/diffused afternoon light would work. If not, supplemental light will be needed to keep those two happy.

[Phalcycle]

Originally Posted by katrina

You might...and this is a BIG might...be able to grow and bloom a phal in a North window but you'll never bloom an oncid in a North window. Chances are it won't even be enough light to get it to grow much.

I don't know what part of CA you live in but if it's temperate, putting it outside in morning sun or dappled/diffused afternoon light would work. If not, supplemental light will be needed to keep those two happy.

My north facing window is actually pretty bright.
I have has pepper and strawberry plants thriving and flowering, and these are usually full sun plants.
with that in mind, I do have to place the orchids a couple inches away so they dont burn.

[katrina]

Hmmm...pepper plants producing peppers in a N window? That's a new one on me. Perhaps there's some reflection off something else...maybe it's not "due North"...I don't have a clue. Are you sure it's North facing? I have 2 North windows and I could place plants right up against the window and never, EVER worry about burning...the windows don't even get warm. There is zero direct sun coming through them.

Typically a N window is not sufficient light to bloom much of anything but the lowest of low light plants. High light plants will begin to decline over time w/only a N window. If there are any overhangs or obstructions around that N window...even the lowest of low light plants will suffer.

I would not expect an Oncid alliance plant to do anything but struggle w/only a N facing window. Supplemental light OR getting it outside and letting Ma Nature help out w/the light situation would be the best move.

[syndywindy]

I grow a few orchids in a north facing bay window and they do quite well. Because of the bay they do get some sun; very early morning and very late in the day. It's not a prolonged period of time but its enough. I have my couple masdies and a dracula growing quite well and a promanaea and chondrorhyncha. These are all pretty low light orchids though. Anything else even phals I think need a bit more light than a north window can give.

[Jeserah]

Thanks for the useful information, folks!

Is there a way to measure the amount of sunlight that my plants are getting from these windows? In the morning sunlight is able to come in through the window for a time, and I think (I don't remember very well) during the winter in the evenings sunlight enters through the window also.

I'll see if I can't let my plants get some outside light once per day or so anyway.

[Phalcycle]

Originally Posted by katrina

Hmmm...pepper plants producing peppers in a N window? That's a new one on me. Perhaps there's some reflection off something else...maybe it's not "due North"...I don't have a clue. Are you sure it's North facing? I have 2 North windows and I could place plants right up against the window and never, EVER worry about burning...the windows don't even get warm. There is zero direct sun coming through them.

Typically a N window is not sufficient light to bloom much of anything but the lowest of low light plants. High light plants will begin to decline over time w/only a N window. If there are any overhangs or obstructions around that N window...even the lowest of low light plants will suffer.

I would not expect an Oncid alliance plant to do anything but struggle w/only a N facing window. Supplemental light OR getting it outside and letting Ma Nature help out w/the light situation would be the best move.

Sorry, I just found my compass and held it towards my window, it looks like its north east actually
the trees dont block light because they grow in back my house so the front gets lots of sun.
I dont know what could be reflecting lights, and do i have this small bird bath, but it sometimes get dry because I dont fill water. And i have solar lights (battery) but i doubt that would do anything because they are pretty weak (need to change batteries lol)

[katrina]

Jeserah -- Get a light meter. They don't have to be expensive and they can absolutely save you a lot of time and headaches trying to match plants w/light levels you have. I soooo wish I had gotten mine long before I did.

I found mine on eBay...it's a good one and I didn't pay more than $40 for it.

Jay -- NE makes more sense but I'm still surprised you're getting peppers in a NE window.