No soil. What is in the pot now. It looks like something black. How long has it been in that pot? It is not an orchid pot. Orchid pots have big holes on the sides. What care does it get? water, fertilizer, solar exposure etc.

That was the soil it came with when I bought it. I bought it last fall, so about 7 months ago. It's not a bark. It's some fine stuff. It IS black. I was hoping to find out from someone on this forum what it is. It seems to be tolerating it fine. I water it about twice a week, and I keep it on a rack by a north facing window. The pot is the one it came in when I bought it. There is a plastic pot inside the clay pot. The plastic pot has holes at the bottom, but none on the sides. When I water it, I lift the plastic pot out of the clay pot and let it drain in the sink before putting it back. I fertilize it at half strength maybe once a month.

Repotme.com recommended their Oncidium Imperial Orchid Mix. Should I order it?

I bought a fertilizer, Orchid Better Bloom by Better Gro that I've been using. I think I got it at Home Depot. We don't have many options here. It says it's 11/35/15, but I only make it half strength. I'm afraid of burning it.

Patti, welcome to the confusing world of orchid growing. That fertiliser is a "bloom booster" where the Nitrogen number is a low number.

Generally, you use a fertiliser with a high nitrogen number when your orchid is actively growing, usually in spring through to summer, then once the new growths are mature you switch to "bloom booster".

Sounds so simple, but what happens if you have a big mixed up collection of orchids which bloom at all seasons??????

That is what my collection is like here in the sub tropics. Something will always be in bloom, so I just use a high nitrogen number fertiliser Spring through to late summer, then a lower number Nitrogen Number fertiliser Autumn and winter and fertilise less often.

Sorry, did not answer your question, but hopefully will give you some insight into "Better Bloom" . This sort of thing came up at a recent Orchid Society meeting where the speaker only grew Cymbidiums and you can have an annual fertiliser program especially for that Genera.

thank you. I can't give it more light. It's right next to the window, and it gets too hot here to put it outside, even on the patio. I'll check out the MSU fertilizer on Repotme.com.

Totally agree with Bob and Arthurm.

Has the plant flowered for you?

You could put it outside in the fall and winter. Not sure what your temps are in fall, but your plant could use more light and a cool down in the fall.

Jane

Hi Jane,

This may/should be another thread, but I'm of the opinion that very good light and the maturity of the bulbs are what dictate blooming on oncs, not necessarily a cool down period.

I like stirring things up every now and then, besides the forum needs some excitement!!!

Bob

I agree with the excitement part for sure!

I always kept my Oncs cool in NY. Grew them close to a bright window and let them get temps my warm growers did not. I agree they need good, strong light, that's a given. Of course maturity of the bulbs is necessary.

There are so many variables to growing a plant well, it really is up to the grower to figure out what works best. I was always moving my plants around, trying different light, temps, etc. That's what growing is all about. What works for one person could be a disaster for another. That's what is hard about giving advice.

I hate when people give up and feel they made a terrible mistake or they just can't grow orchids. I tell people to keep 'fiddling' with their plants. You'll find what works eventually. If nothing works, don't grow that plant anymore, try a different variety.

I guess I found over the years they did better and bloomed better for me with the cooler temps. That is a bit of a challenge growing in Florida. But we do get cool winter nights and I've been fortunate with the blooms. However, they do get stronger light than they did in NY.

So, I agree with you but still advise to grow them cooler. Hey, whatever works, works!

Jane

I grow oncidiums well. Many species are not happy here but oncidiums do well. They like a little less than cattleyas for light. I heat them at 50 and lower. When I started using Magi-Cal, a mineral supplement, the frequency and size of flowers changed from reluctant bloomer to free flowering. If you put the oncidums out in the Arizona desert it would turn to dust. Micro climes must be created to grow plants that like the exact opposite of Arizona...Perhaps a bathroom with a lot of natural light with a fan...

Harvey. where would you get Magi-Cal, I like Orchard Supply, they are more "sensitive" to customer questions. My oncidium hasn't bloomed since I bought it at Trader Joe's. thanks in advance,

Annamaria

S.F. Mid Peninsula.

https://www.technaflora.com/indexProduct.php?ID=103 is an example of a google search. I need the small size. Google more for the best deal...

I'll look for the Magi-Cal. I have a small, enclosed front porch. It still gets hot out there, but there is no direct light. I keep a fern, some indoors lily, and a Japanese maple out there. Maybe I'll try the oncidium out there.

Possibly add a humidifier? I just checked your humidity at 24%. I think the best that you can do on advice is to talk to other orchid growers in your environment. They have all the tricks and experience with growing orchids in the dessert. My experience here in Florida is so different that yours. Check with the American orchid society for affiliated orchid societies in Arizona. They are worth joining. Fastest way to learn...

24% humidity is high. I have a humidity meter and it usually reads about 12%. That's at the kitchen sink. I guess I could try putting a humidifier on the porch. I have difficulty speaking due to a medical condition, so I avoid talking to many people. I usually get info thru reading or experimentation, but it's a good thought.

Your orchid likes 50% to 95%. That is what they get where they live. My guess is to grow orchids where you live you will need to build an environment with much higher humidity and ideally morning sun and bright shade the rest of the day. I think that is a tall order in Arizona...Money can make anything happen...

Should I get a Vivarium? I see those things on Amazon, but they are mostly for reptiles. I can't imagine what it would be like to live in such high humidity.

The best answers are held with growers with similar conditions. My guess is my methods here would not be optimum there. I never heard of a vivarium.

If the front porch stays below 100F, I'd think it could work. At that high of temp, air movement is critical and you may need to water a little more often. Use the brightest spot possible.

If you start seeing wrinkled/accordian leaves or the spikes start sticking in the fold of the leaf/bulb axis, the humidity needs to be higher or you need to mist daily or more often.

Good luck,

Bob

Patti, after seven months in your care in your conditions that orchid looks in pretty good shape. The humidity thing is on the money with some types of orchid. Orchids from Cloud forest conditions and Tropical Lowland conditions are difficult here. Humidity is all over the place.

ok, I probably won't buy a Vivarium, but I have had the idea to put a misting system in my front porch. The only problem is that the nearest faucet is 50-100 feet away from the porch, so I'd probably have to have a bottled source of water. Is it worth the trouble? I wouldn't call a plumber to reroute the pipes there.

Patti, you can help with the humidity by grouping your plants together. You could try some drip trays with gravel and keep a small amount of water in the trays.

When I grew in NY the winter humidity was as low as 11% and they came through fine. As Bob said, occasionally I would get a stuck spike but would free it with some misting or a spray in the kitchen sink.

You can create an eco-climate by grouping plants. I grew large potted, dirt plants and would move some orchids close to them to take advantage of the humidity they gave off.

As Arthur said, your plant looks healthy, could probably use more light but otherwise healthy. I think its doing fine in your environment and maybe you could move all your houseplants outside to the porch in a group to increase some humidity. If your porch has a ceiling fan, all the better. Run it.

Another possibility is to move your plants outside near the hose and give it a spritz during the hottest part of the day. I do that in Florida to give them some relief from the heat.

Fool around with your plants, you will find what works. We all try to match where the plants evolved, but I have found orchids are quite adaptable and most will do fine and learn to grow in the environment they are in.

Good luck,

Jane

That looks like an Oncidium from Trader Joe's. If so, repot it as it's in a dreadful peat/soil mix.