Oncidiums just sitting there

[HollyT]

Hello all. I'm a new member. Looking forward to sharing experiences and getting good advice. Thanks for making this forum available.

My question relates to oncidium hybrids. I have 15-20 plants, including brsdms, oncid gower ramsey and sharry baby, vuyl aloha passion, colmanara wildcat, several mtsa and wils, etc. Other than a brsdm longlen 'Bill Switzer', which has 3 spikes and is blooming beautifully, everything else is just sitting there. No spikes, and no new growth. Bought about half of them in bloom this past summer, so i don't expect them to re-bloom already, but shouldn't they be getting new p/bulbs? Or does that only happen in spring/summer? Right now they are getting bright light and some sun every day in my small GH (northern VA, zone 7). Night temps are high 50's to low 60's, and days are 70's and 80's.

[uncasteeb]

Welcome to the forum.
I would have thought that the Oncids should be doing something.How much light is "bright light" ?
If conditions are favorable they should be doing something , if not some part of their culture is lacking , this may be the amoiunt of light , amount of feed , watering needs etc etc.My Oncids under lights(HPS) are growing , flowering & growing new P.B,s , temps are very similar to yours.The amount of light they get is between 2000fc to 3500fc for 12 1/2 hours a day.

[HollyT]

The light is bright during 5-6 hrs/day--sun filtering between bare tree limbs and branches. It's bright enough that a new mini-catt has come into bloom. I'm thinking of bumping up the lights in my indoor area and moving the warm growers in there so they would have bright light for more hours. Indoors, the temp is about 68-70 at night, above 80 during day.

Should the milt and odont hybrids stay in the GH? (down in mid fifties at night in dec-jan-feb, 70's and 80's on sunny days). What about miltassias?

I have one new phrag--an Eric Young x Sorcerer's apprentice cross--shd it have the cooler or warmer nights?

[Jmoney]

from my limited experience with oncs, i think most appreciate pretty bright light. much closer to standard catt light for blooming.

the phrag will not care much about temps. anywhere above 55 will do. it will most likely not require a cool rest to induce blooming, although it wouldn't hurt to dip temps to the low 60s in winter.

[uncasteeb]

Should the milt and odont hybrids stay in the GH? (down in mid fifties at night in dec-jan-feb, 70's and 80's on sunny days). What about miltassias?

I would keep them in the GH.Some Oncids(Odontoglossums) take a break after blooming , it can be upto a couple of months.The good difference between night & day temps should really beneficial.Why not try a few indoors & see if this kicks them into new growth ?
The available amount of daylight hours could simply be to short & the plants are semi-dormant.

[HollyT]

I think you're right about the bright day length being too short. I have an extra shoplight fixture and 2 daylight T-8 bulbs, and I think I will buy one of those 85 watt curly fluorescents. Do you think 12 hours/day inside under those lights would be about right for the oncids and a couple of den phals? Leaving the phrag (which is blooming now) and the milt and odont hybrids in the gh, with a 150 watt wonderlite as supplement?

[LJA]

Hi Holly; welcome!

If your oncid intergenerics bloomed their first time last summer when you bought them, it's not unusual for them to take a long rest afterward. You may not see new growth until early spring. On the other hand, if they're mature plants with several years of bloomings and growths behind them, their growth-bloom cycle should speed up, and many will bloom twice a year. Old growths which have bloomed already will never bloom again, so it's new shoots you're waiting for. Your temperatures and bright light sound right on--just make sure you're not watering too frequently. You might unpot one of the stalled ones and give a quick root check.