Oncidiums. Nothing but leaves.

[Winterwhite]

I just bought a new oncidium and have an older one that was given to me a year ago. I don't see any buds etc. What can I do to initiate buds and flowering and how frequently should I be fertilizing them?
I have them in my bathroom and I am misting them daily to keep things moist. Also, I have a light on about 12 hours in the bathroom. Unfortunately, most of my orchids are in there.
I took all the paphs out for the summer and they spiked and bloomed nicely. I don't think the others enjoyed being outside as much.
Anyway, any info on inducing flowering with my oncidiums would be helpful Thank you. Winterwhite

[mayres]

Hi Winterwhite - MORE LIGHT.
I would fertilize them weakly weekly or according to the orchid fertilizer directions - which for me is about every third week for oncidiums. Household lighting (room lighting) does just about nothing for orchids. The light intensity is just not strong enough. If you are going to use indoor supplemental lighting you need to have them just a few inches below fluorescents/incandescents or if you go to the expense of metal halides or sodium vapor you can back them away a fair amount. If you have them near a window you can get by without supplemental lighting, but many people even supplement here on the off season especially - to encourage them to grow/bloom more often. I took all my orchids except the phals outside for the first time this past summer and after some of them got sunburned from the aclimation period they all decided they liked it too. :-) Now they are all back under fluorescent lights until next spring and many of them are in process of setting spikes - including some oncidium multigeneric types. :-) mike

[arleneg]

Hi Winterwhite,

I agree with Mike...more lighting. My Oncidiums are located in the master bathroom and about 3-4 feet away from the south window and about 1 foot away from the west window. In regard to fertilizing, I fertilize weakly weekly (during warm weather/temp). Now that the temp is cooling down where I am, I'll be fertilizing once every 3-4 weeks (sometimes I end up not doing so) and watering every 1-2 weeks (gradually to once a month).

Since you've had your Onc for about year, wait another few months or so before it spikes. I bought mine in Sept. 2004...spiked in April/May 2006. So be patient.

[jerrymeola]

Your Oncidium need almost three times as much light to flower as Paphs.

Paphs will flower at 900 foot candles and Oncidium need 25-2700.

Light is the main problem. Secondly Oncidium only flower once a year. Third newly purchased orchids may not flower the next normal flowering cycle because of the extra effort they must expend to adapt to a new environment.

Give them more light and patience.

[atcrosby]

besides light and patience, they need lots of love too !!