Oncidium (orchid)

Many home plant lovers grow orchids. Indeed, this exotic and very spectacular plant will become a real decoration for any room. In this article we will talk about one of the varieties of this wonderful flower called oncidium. Read about all the intricacies of care, as well as the structural features of the plant below.

Full characteristics of the oncidium orchid

Orchid oncidium yellow: flower photo

Oncidium is a separate genus of plants that includes varieties that differ from each other in appearance, as well as in the conditions in which they are recommended to be grown.

There are varieties that do best in very arid regions, while others, for example, prefer the highlands. There are some plants among them that love warm regions with high humidity, for example, the South and Central USA. For this reason, the question of caring for oncidium cannot be answered unequivocally. It all depends on the specific case, while taking into account which varieties this hybrid was obtained from. A very important factor in growing orchids is the correct temperature regime. This plant tolerates a lack of moisture well. It is imperative to follow the rules during the dormant period of the oncidium.

Phalaenopsis is also very popular among flower lovers. But their main difference with oncidium is that the second reacts quite sharply to daily temperature drops. In addition, oncidium is more demanding on the presence of a large amount of light. The bulk of orchid varieties are epiphytic plants that can feel normal on rocks. For this reason, watering such plants too often and abundantly is highly discouraged.

Those varieties of oncidiums that were bred by breeders from Holland are not whimsical plants at all. At the same time, they bloom very beautifully.

Hybrid varieties of this orchid have a rather elongated peduncle, which has many branches. There are a lot of flowers, their size is miniature. They resemble moths in shape. Usually the color of flowers is yellow with a brownish tint or red. Each flower has several pseudobulbs, they are thicker in shape. Leaves grow from them, which are quite elongated and narrow.

Orchid oncidium yellow: flower photo

Oncidium: species and varieties

The following varieties of oncidium can most often be found on the shelves of flower shops:

• Oncidium Tsvit Sugar (sweet sugar). It is in great demand and popularity among indoor flower lovers. Oncidium Sweet Sugar is not a whimsical plant in its care. Flowers of oncidium Sweet Sugar are small, grow in large numbers, and are yellow.
• Oncidium Twinkle... This plant is quite compact in size, the flowers have a very pleasant aroma. The flowers are small, about fifteen millimeters. The color of Twinkle oncidium depends on the variety. Oncidium Twinkle flowers are red, white, or yellow.
• Sherry Baby... These hybrids have many miniature flowers that smell very nice. The aroma has honey and chocolate shades. The color depends on the variety. Flowers can be red, dark purple or yellow with a brownish tint.

During the acquisition, the plants must be carefully examined. It is necessary to pay attention not only to the condition of the shoots, leaves of oncidium and inflorescences, but also to the system of roots of the oncidium. Oncidium roots should be light colored.The soil should be slightly moistened, but in no case overdried or overflowed. The root system of oncidium orchids responds very poorly to water stagnant in the ground. Overdrying is also not acceptable if it lasts too long. If you see that there are brown spots on the leaf plates, then such orchids should not be purchased.

Oncidium orchid: flower photo

Orchid oncidium: home care

It is necessary to transplant oncidium only in extreme situations. For example, with a decayed root system. Although it is better to refuse to buy such a flower from the beginning. The transplant procedure for oncidium is a lot of stress. For this reason, this cannot be done too often, the best option is one oncidium transplant in several years. This is done if, for example, the soil has become too crumbly or there are already too many roots and a larger pot volume is required for oncidium.

For planting, it is better to use an opaque container. The fact is that the rhizomes of this plant do not have chlorophyll in their structure, so the roots do not need the light of the sun. It is better to give preference to a low and rather wide oncidium pot. If the pot for oncidium has standard dimensions, then half of it must be filled with a drainage layer. After that, soil is poured. For this, coniferous bark is best suited. The size of these chips should be smaller than in the case of phalaenopsis. Many orchid lovers advise adding a little charcoal and sphagnum moss there.

Oncidium orchid: flower photo

Oncidium has several growth points, unlike phalaenopsis. These growth points share a common root system.

Young stems grow in only one direction, for this reason the plant should be planted closer to either side of the container. To do this, you need to turn the old pseudobulbs closer to the wall. This will give free space for young stems. If young shoots are present at the time of transplanting the oncidium, then turn them to the central part of the container.

The base of the plant should not go deep, since air circulation is necessary for normal growth and development of pseudobulbs. When planting oncidium, only the root system is buried. In this case, the pot must be completely filled with soil, otherwise there will be no ventilation. Pseudobulbs that are already old do not need to be removed, because even at an old age they feed the plant.

Be careful when removing scales from the surface of the pseudobulbs. You need to hold on to the base carefully so as not to damage young sprouts and buds.

Orchid oncidium: photo

This plant is quite demanding on the level of illumination. There should be a lot of light, and even direct sunlight is not a hindrance for an orchid. But it is still better to protect the plant from the scorching rays in the summer. Whether you have chosen the right lighting for your plant can be seen from the color of the leaf plates. If the leaves of the oncidium are colored dark green, then there is not enough light. And if the color, on the contrary, is pale, and there are burns in the form of reddish dots, then there is too much light. If the lighting is correct, then the leaves of the oncidium will be colored in a normal green tone.

If there is an extreme need for this, then the plant can be kept on the north window. But at the same time, the orchid is unlikely to bloom.

It is worth noting that when young pseudobulbs are forming, the lighting should be especially intense. The same goes for the period of kidney formation. If these periods pass in winter, then you need to supplement the plants with special lamps.

Oncidium hybrids feel good if the temperature regime is observed in the range from +14 degrees to +26. If the temperature in the room is too high, then the orchid will grow very slowly, or will stop altogether. As for the daily temperature difference, it should not be too large.Three to four degrees are allowed.

Orchid oncidium: photo

Let's talk about the humidity of the environment, which is recommended for oncidium. This plant feels very normal with normal air humidity in an average room. The orchid shows the best results at forty percent humidity. As for spraying foliage, this procedure is carried out when hot weather is in the summer. The same applies during the heating period of the apartment. If the plant hibernates in cool conditions, at about +18 degrees, then there is no need to spray oncidium. There should be good ventilation in any season, since in a poorly ventilated room with high levels of humidity there is a risk that the plant will begin to infect fungal infections.

A very important step in growing an orchid is proper watering. The future flowering of oncidium largely depends on this. At different periods of oncidium development, watering is different. It is necessary to water the oncidium orchid regularly and quite abundantly when growth has just begun. This period can be understood by the formation of a young sprout from the bottom of the pseudobulb. Watering the oncidium in this way is necessary until the lower part of the sprout becomes thicker.

Orchid oncidium in a pot: photo

It is best to water the Oncidium orchid by dipping the pot in a bowl of water. Before this, the water should settle well, it should not be cold. Watering is carried out after the soil has completely dried out. But it is worth noting that the substrate should not remain dry for too long.

It is possible to determine whether the soil for oncindium is dry or not by the severity of the pot with the plant. There is no specific irrigation schedule. The fact is that in the summer heat, the soil can become dry after three days, and in rainy autumn time it will take a couple of weeks.

When you see that the formation of a new pseudobulb has begun, this is a sure sign that you no longer need to water the plant. Otherwise, the flowering of oncidium can never be expected. After about three to four weeks, the oncidium peduncle will form, it is located at the bottom of the pseudobulb. If the confidence that this is exactly a peduncle is one hundred percent, then watering the plant can be resumed.

After the end of flowering and before the start of the formation of a new pseudobulb, watering should not be so abundant. If, instead of the peduncle of the oncidium, a new stem has formed, then this is an alarming symptom. Most likely, this is associated with improper growing conditions during the dormant period, and because of this, there was a violation in the development of the flower. This often happens when a plant forms less than three pseudobulbs and the orchid simply does not have enough energy to form an oncidium flower stalk.

If the oncidium does not lag behind in development, then the flowering of the oncidium occurs, as a rule, once every eight to twelve months. If pseudobulbs are abundant, then oncidium flowering can occur more often.

Orchid oncidium: photo

Sometimes growers are faced with such a problem that the surface of the pseudobulb becomes wrinkled. Sometimes this is due to the occurrence of a disease or not enough water. But not always. Sometimes this is due to the fact that during the growth of a young shoot, it feeds on the maternal pseudobulb due to the absence of its own root system. For this reason, it shrinks. If you try to compensate for the load with a large volume of water, it will only harm the roots, which are likely to start to rot. In addition to the above reasons, shrinkage can occur during dormancy, also during flowering.

As for the introduction of dressings for the oncidium orchid, this is done during the growth of young stems. When pseudobulbs begin to form, there is no need to fertilize the plants. It is necessary to re-apply fertilizing after the beginning of the growth of the peduncle, and stop after the first flower opens.Further, fertilizers are applied after a new shoot begins to grow. Too much salt in the soil is detrimental to orchid roots. Therefore, the concentration of the applied dressings should be reduced. From time to time, fertilizers are applied foliarly, that is, a weak fertilizing solution is distributed over the foliage using a spray bottle. The concentrate should be eight to ten times weaker than the norm indicated on the drug label.

Orchid oncidium: photo

As for reproduction, at home, the oncidium orchid reproduces only vegetatively by dividing the plant. This procedure can only be carried out with an orchid that has at least six pseudobulbs. In this case, each part must have at least three sprouts. The underground part of the shoot should be cut with a well-sharpened knife. The cuts are then processed with ground charcoal. Before dividing, the soil for oncidium must dry out completely. After the reproduction is over, it is not recommended to water the plant for one more week - one and a half weeks. During this period, the incisions should dry well.

Sometimes oncidium can be affected by mealybugs. This pest manifests itself in the form of small white lumps that resemble cotton wool. They are located on the leaves of oncidium. If such a symptom is found, the plant needs to be processed. A disc moistened with rubbing alcohol will help you effectively remove pests. Then you need to process Oncidium with Aktar.

Orchid oncidium: photo

In addition, damage to the plant can be caused by a shield. When it appears, plaques form on the leaves and stems, which in shape resemble drops of wax. Also, the oncidium orchid is sometimes attacked by thrips, aphids. Aphids are easily detected without symptoms, but thrips manifests itself in the form of silvery stripes that appear on the leaves. Also, the appearance of thrips is indicated by the emerging points of black color.

If your plant has been visited by a spider mite, then you will understand this by the white dots, as well as by the presence of cobwebs. The flat mite can be recognized by the change in color of the leaves of the oncidium to white with a silvery tint. The bulb mite is especially dangerous for the root system. All types of mites can be defeated with the same drugs as for spider mites.

Orchid oncidium: photo

Orchid Oncidium can also suffer from diseases of a fungal and bacterial nature. If you find brown spots on the surface of the leaves, then the places that were affected need to be removed. For orchids, air circulation is very important, and between waterings, all the soil should dry out. In addition, it makes sense to move the plant to a room with a higher temperature, but you need to temporarily stop spraying the plant with water. In this case, it is imperative to treat the plants with a fungicidal agent, for example, you can use Fundazol for this. It is imperative to carefully study the instructions for use. It will not be superfluous if you also carry out the treatment with Tetracycline. It must be diluted in water in a ratio of one to two. With this solution, the oncidium orchid is sprayed, and the soil is also watered. When the plant has become completely healthy, then new spots should not appear for a long period. And those that were previously should not become larger.