Oncidium culture

[mattryan]

Hi everyone I am hoping I could get some specific info on an onc. that I purchased today. This is my second oncidium, the first one that I got was out of spike/bloom so I repotted and it seems to be doing fine. This one is still in bloom and it is named unlike the other one that I have. It is Ramsey Gower 'yellow heart". It is full summer here do I wait to repot after blooms drop or do I wait til next spring? Also it is in sphag which stays very wet up here does it need to dry out or stay moist? Also will it bloom again off same spike. Thanks for the help


Sorry it won't let me post my pic.....remote server error keeps coming up

[kmarch]

Check the Ondicium culture sheet in the Orchid Care section of this forum or at American Orchid Society. Give them a read and let us know if you have questions.

[orchids4me]

Hi Kmarch,
That page you linked is making you join to get the culture sheet info. They won't let you click on "culture info" link.

[cable]

Oncidiums don't usually like to dry out too much. Water just as it gets close to dryness. They tend to like a fair amount of air to their roots, so I'd try going with something like a medium-grade bark mix. They like fairly bright light, and cool-to-intermediate temperatures.

[retroresale]

I bought a baggie baby onc. (dancing lady) earlier this spring and it has tripled in size. No flowers yet, Fall bloomer, but mine gets about 2 hours of direct morning sun (east window), and I have it in a medium grade mix and water when it just starts to dry out. Hopefully if the growth it has put out is any indication, it will flower like crazy this fall...fingers crossed. It seems to be not at all fussy so far. I don't believe they re-flower off the same spike, hopefully someone with more experience will answer that for you. Good luck!

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by orchids4me

Hi Kmarch,
That page you linked is making you join to get the culture sheet info. They won't let you click on "culture info" link.

No, you don't have to join to get the culture sheets. Go to the "All About Orchids" menu and click on "AOS Culture Sheets." A new page will open and once there just click on any culture sheet. You can read them in html or download as a PDF. No membership required.

[Phalcycle]

Although I don't gorw many oncidiums, I have been able to get a few to rebloom and give proper care.
I use a fir bark for my oncidiums as the moss can sometimes get congested into the roots which makes it a pain to repot.
I keep my onc moist. I do not like wrinkly bulbs, so I try my best to monitor the water and I typically water about once every 6-7 days depending on weather conditions.

I don't know if this is right or wrong, but in past experiences, I repot any time of the year and they bounce into new growth. Oncidiums like good humidity too, or they sometimes get wrinkly leaves. This is due to low humidity or dry conditions.
I keep my onc on humidty trays while running a misting humidifyer.

I usually don't divide the onc until they are really over grown, but my rule for dividing my plants is that I like plants that are "blooming ready" or 5+ psudo bulbs. The rule is atleast 3 mature, but I think with 5, I am to get better results and faster growth. Plus, space is limited sometimes so I dont want too many of one plant.

I hope this helped.

[mattryan]

Thanks all for your help. I have already downloaded the culture sheets from AOS thanks kmarch, cable , retro and Jay. I was just wondering about my specific onc. I read somewhere that this particular orchid does rebloom or it blooms several times/yr. Also will repottig set it back as I don't like sphagg that it's in now and would like to get it into bark mix as soon as possible. Hopefully someone who has the same orchid could chime in, thanks again