oncostele potting media

[evArgreen78]

Hello, quick question here... I have two oncosteles that are now done flowering and I would like to repot. One actually has bulbs that are shriveling despite watering, it looks very tight in the pot like it's been outgrown. Both of these plants are from the same grocery store, and I noticed they are both potted in more of a potting soil mixture. Is this common for these types of orchids? I usually repot all my new, unflowering orchids into sphagnum moss and have gotten nothing but good results. Can I do the same with these, I've never owned oncostele before...

[PaphMadMan]

Fine, peat based, potting mixes are fairly common to see in mass market Phals and Oncids (like Oncostele). It is inexpensive and quick and easy to pot up hundreds of plants for commercial purposes, and when properly managed it is fine for the few months it takes to bring the plants to flower in a greenhouse environment. It is generally not a good choice for long term care for hobby growers. Oncostele is a fairly typical type of Oncidium alliance intergeneric hybrid, and culture instructions should be easy to find. A medium to fine bark mix is probably the most common choice, but if you are good at managing plants in sphagnum it should be reasonable too. Check root health regularly until you are comfortable that they will thrive under your care in sphagnum.