Oncidium Uniwai

[paphioboy]

Primary cross of Onc (maculatum x cariniferum) registered by Goodale Moir. Couldn't resist this beauty sitting on top of my society sales table. Very healthy plant with an enormous spike. I like the striking white lip inherited from maculatum. Any culture tips, temperature and watering-wise, as I am unfamiliar with both parent species.. The bulbs are pretty large and round, which makes me think drier media..?

 

[SlipperFan]

That would certainly tempt me, also!

 

[NYEric]

The bulbs are pretty large and round, which makes me think drier media..?

Why!? It will store water. If you underwater it then you will stress it into using its reservoir.

 

[Shiva]

Very nice! Good buy.

 

[paphioboy]

Why!? It will store water. If you underwater it then you will stress it into using its reservoir.

No Eric, I'm not planning to dehydrate it.. Plants with big bulbs often come from slightly more arid environments, or which have rapid drying cycles between 'waterings', so I was thinking along the lines of using a more 'open' mix to prevent the bulbs rotting during the rainy season.

 

[etex]

Very nice blooming.


I received a flask of Oncidium maculatum from Troy Meyers in December and the seedlings are real easy-going and develop early the cute roundish PB's. My O. maculatum babies are fine in normal house temps,watering every 5 days, and are in fine bark mix.

 

[W. Beetus]

Very healthy looking plant!

 

[paphioboy]

Thanks for the tip, Diane..

Very healthy looking plant!

Yes, Nick, it was an absolute steal for the size of this plant. As you can see from the first pic, I got 2 division and a backbulb out of it. The plant was originally overpotted into a 30cm plastic pot in bark and only the newest bulbs had nice roots. I have changed it to half bark and half diatomite.

 

[goldenrose]

No Eric, I'm not planning to dehydrate it.. Plants with big bulbs often come from slightly more arid environments, or which have rapid drying cycles between 'waterings', so I was thinking along the lines of using a more 'open' mix to prevent the bulbs rotting during the rainy season.

I'm thinking the way you are, I'd be concerned about overwatering & rotting the p-bulbs, it's easier to add water if it shows the need, harder to take it away once it shows the damage.

 

[Brian Monk]

Most maculatum crosses are very vigorous. I grow all of mine in a mix of fine orchiata with perlite, or fine LECa/PrimAgra with some organic added back in (top dress with a handfull of potting soil). I sued to grow with a fine CHC mix, but the pieces of husk were getting less and less consistent in size and quality. You are right to want to keep teh mix open - their fine roots like humidity but want to dry out. I water mine 2-3 times weekly when they are growing, and less often in the winter. Down here (S. Florida) the heat can slow down their growth, so they get extra shading in the summer. In the winter, they don't stop growing unti the temps get below 50, which tends to only happen for 1-2 weeks. So the shadecloth comes off in teh winter, and the fertilizing doesn't stop.

 

[Brian Monk]

BTW, I would love to have ap piece of this. Milton Carpenter and I both had it in our collections, but lost quite a few plants to boron toxicity ove ther past 12 months.

 

[paphioboy]

Thanks for the growing tips, Brian.. Potting soil to the mix sounds interesting...

Don't think I can send it to you though...