Oncidium prob

[Tarad]

Hi all,
I have an Oncidium Ornithorynchum... ok it is so possibly not spell right. Anyway this little guy just has not done anything since I got it, not very happy at all here. I think it gets little purple puffs for flowers. I have never seen them. Has 4 PSB's
but only one has leaves on it. The PSB's are plump as I water it regularly. It did spike a while back but the little buds blasted Does anyone out there have any of these? Tara

[brookn]

Hi, I have two, though I have not gotten them to bloom, they are still babies. According to culture sheets that I have it is okay for them to have a dry rest (though not a true dry rest, mostly just letting it dry thoroughly between watering). Where they are from there is a 6 month dry season, but they get water from humidity, heavy dew, and late night mist. I suspect that yours blasted because of cool air. Though these can take cool temps, (min. temps 52) these plants are from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras... temps average 59 and above. I grow mine in with my Phals. Hope that helps.

[Tarad]

Now that I think of it the buds blasted around October when it got colder. I had bought if from a friend right after it had began to spike as she said it was just not happy at her house. I think it is the state not the house brrrr. I have mine in with my phals too plenty of humidity in trays but my humidity in here is around 20-30 when I am gone during the day. I will let it dry out in between watering more, however when i received it its only leaves have the accordian effect going on like it needs more water. Tara

[brookn]

The sheet did say that during the rest to mist heavily in place of watering. I water mine less, no misting, but I have decent humidity. Maybe a light misting would help between watering with the low humidity. You would probably be surprised how dry mine get between watering, and the bulbs are fat, and no leaf pleating. I follow the same culture for my Onc. maculatum which is from the same area (in situ, mine are from Oak Hill lol). One of my ornithorynchum is in sphag, one in a bark/rock mix, and I do water the bark/rock mix more frequently, as it is bone dry 3 or 4 days from watering. The one in sphag, I let the sphag dry completely to the middle before watering again, this usually takes a week plus. Mine are babies though, and in very small pots, so they will dry out much faster than a bigger plant in a bigger pot.