Orchid
#1
Notes & Observations
Photograph at right shows the Oncidium in October, 2000. Aerial psuedobulb is evident, as is the aerial root structure.
Clicking on any photograph will give you a full-size version in a new window.
Orchid #001
:
Oncidium "Gower Ramsey"
I've also seen similar orchids to this labeled "Sugar Baby" (probably for the color of the flowers -- matches the old candy package).
Retrieved from
"pasture" 12/99. In fairly bad shape. Plant consisted of 3 psuedobulbs,
two of which had no leaves. Third bulb had 2 leaves, 6 - 8" long.
Journal Notes:
3/00: Repotted into a 6" pot, with medium bark (and some soil smattered through it - i was younger & stupider then).
7/1/00: New growth evident on the outside of the bulb with leaves. It is growing above the medium, with roots reaching down into and out to the side of the medium. Continued to grow over the next few months time, forming an aerial pseudobulb as evidenced in the photo at the top of this column.
2/2/01: 2" spike evident from newest psuedobulb.
3/15/01: Spike ~36" in length, w/ about a dozen secondary 1/2" shoots appearing from main.
3/27/01: 11 Secondary shoots now up to 3" from main spike. 2 - 3 buds showing from each shoot. Spike has not increased in length appreciably.
4/15/01: Flowers have begun opening. Approx 75 - 80 flowers, as in photos in center of page. Most are of identical size, approximately 1 1/2" tall x 1" wide. Strong yellow with burgunday striping.
5/5/01:
All psuedobulbs show slight withering. Root growth outside of pot is pretty
excessive. The main root fingers are long enough to reach the ground. The
plant has been kept in south facing window, on a sill, near the coffee machine,
so probably gets steamed every morning. I've been misting these aerial roots
regularly, in addition to weekly feedings.
5/28/01: The first flower has dried and died. Another looks like it's going as well. There are 72 flowers left on the plant.
6/20/01: About 10 flowers left. The big question now is whether to cut the spike all the way back or nip it to induce more flowering. I think what I'll do is to cut it all the way back, repot it to see if I can get it more underneath the medium, and try to "puff up" the psuedobulbs a bit. It does seem pretty worked, and I'm sure that the medium is not that great.
6/30/01: All flowers gone or about there. Decided to clip spike above the lowest sprig. Temperature has been easing back up.
7/5/01:
Repotted into Dyna-Rok. Unfortunately, this plant was a beneficiary of Jim's
Ill-Advised Potting Medium, which goes a long way to explaining the profuse
amount of root growth outside of the pot. There were virtually no roots left
in the medium. This plant had been relying entirely on the "air"
root system. 
Clipped
away a few of the most rotted bits and placed in same sized pot, with the
leafless (and rootless...) bulbs near the edge of the pot, and a bit deeper
in the medium to bury most of the old "air" root system. 
New
shoot is evident from within the bulbof the most recent growth. This plant
definitely likes to grow up when new growth appears. To encourage a possibility
of roots growing within the new medium, KLN will be added to feedings for
the next four weeks.
This page last updated: April 5, 2004
