Oncidium - Psuedobulb production without Flowering

[cjgroen]

I've attached a picture that clearly shows what I'm talking about.

3 months ago, in the beginning of summer, I began to fertilize my oncidium with fairly low amount of fertilizer. (1mL of 10-10-10 per 1000mL of water). On two ends of the rhizomome two new psudobulbs produced beautiful leaves - nice thick cuticle, glossy, shinny - gorgeous. The started to become blemished, like the old established leaves (>1 year old leaves). I read on this forum that when the plant gets adequate bright light blemishes in leave tissue can occur and are natural (mine were getting about 500 micromols of photons per metere per second with my artifical and natural light if that matters, so 1500 mmol/m-2/s-1 than direct sunlight on a bright day fyi).

Four weeks ago all four leaves from the top of the psuedobulbs died off - why, they seemed like healthy leaves, no standing water on them regularily, was not burning spots with cold mist water. Any ideas?

Furthermore- now another two psuedobulbs are being produced - without the old ones flowering, as seen in the image AND a well established leaf (in black) is beginning to die off.

Why did my leaves fall off, psudeos not flower before producing another set, and why are old, well established leaves dying as well? Any more help is much appreciated.

I understand that lvs could just be entering sensecense, as I Fertilized between May 21st and August 8th, once a week (every other watering, with misting in between in a high humidity tank).

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Better check the roots on this one. The mix looks like it is dark and may be retaining too much water and causing root rot which will in turn lead to leaf drop and lack of flowers.

cheers,
BD

[cjgroen]

Brutal Dreamer- It mix is dark because I had watered this immediatley prior to photographing. I will check roots to be sure, but new roots have been developing and appear healthy (but that is on the top of medium). I water every 6-10 days, but the entire plant is in a humidity tank. Medium is a mix of 50% coconut husk, 30% chipped bark and bark fiber, 10% sphagnum/more absorbant fiber, 5% perlite and 5% rock/crushed rock.

Thoughts?

---------- Post Merged at 04:23 PM ----------

I just looked, and the medium is loosely packed still (potted since August 2012 or April 2012, sorry can't remember). Medium is not overly wet, no standing water, just damp. Medium stays in with very healthy appear roots, so I will just transfer it into an equally large pot but with slotted sides to help dry it out after watering and allow more humidity into root mass.

Thoughts?

[orchid-man]

Brutal Dreamer- It mix is dark because I had watered this immediatley prior to photographing. I will check roots to be sure, but new roots have been developing and appear healthy (but that is on the top of medium). I water every 6-10 days, but the entire plant is in a humidity tank. Medium is a mix of 50% coconut husk, 30% chipped bark and bark fiber, 10% sphagnum/more absorbant fiber, 5% perlite and 5% rock/crushed rock.

Thoughts?

---------- Post Merged at 04:23 PM ----------

I just looked, and the medium is loosely packed still (potted since August 2012 or April 2012, sorry can't remember). Medium is not overly wet, no standing water, just damp. Medium stays in with very healthy appear roots, so I will just transfer it into an equally large pot but with slotted sides to help dry it out after watering and allow more humidity into root mass.
Keep the temperature about 68-75 during the day and down to about 55 at the night.


Thoughts?

Oncids do not like coconut- they hold to much water,sodium chloride(salt) and can go off faster than sphagnum most.

I would be re-potting it into a pot that is just large enough to hold All the live roots - a 2 inch pot if need be. The potting mix would be straight bark with no cambium layer or wood included.

Place the re-potted place where it gets GOOD light and air movement - if the leaves do not mover in the air movement then its not getting enough air.

Water the plant and let the mix ALMOST dry out before watering again, even misting the plant/pot so as to moisten the top of the mix about sunrise ,but the top of the mix must be dry within an hour or two. Fertilize about once per week at about 1/2 strength.

[cucubirds]

When you do repotting, try soak the whole plant in fungicide spray for about half an hour to prevent any possible rot. The yellowing leaf should be removed too.

Happy growing.

[wonderlen]

Oncidium do not like wet feet, and you should treat it like Cattleya. I would def split the plant into two and pot it in smallest pot possible. prob 3-3.5 pot. Use course bark mix, with lots of charcoal and pellets.

[kdennis14]

I too have an onc. that is not doing well at all. I had read that planting it in Spanish Moss may help if it is misted everyday. Does anyone know about growing in Spanish moss? We have tons of it around here.

[coeruleo]

coconut chunks are not good for oncidiums. i learned that the hard way on a few expensive ones. i use a small bark mix with some treefern fiber or small chunks, added semi hydro pellets, bits of sphagnum moss etc, then i put a pd of moss on top of that. it drains really well, and stays moist, not wet for a few days. i water once or twice a week.