Oncidium Blooms

The waiting had been finally paid with these many blooms which currently I'm now enjoying. The saddest part about it is that is it considered very common. Something to consider unfair when the many months of waiting had finally produced some many flowers and yet they are termed common.

Truly that is not going bother me when I know how difficult was this particular orchid. They just fail to show any progress in their blooms. And if ever there was - it would be those tiny little branch with 3-4 flowers lasting less than few days.

Common is actually a cruel word.

Normally I would suggest few tips here concerning most of my garden plants.
After thought: I really wonder now what exactly to say or to start with.

Basically I wouldn't recommend orchids for garden beginner's.
 For truly if a gardener would love to have an orchid and would want to start with trying with one - I would recommend to start with an oncidium orchid.
Most orchids (sad but true) die once they are spend their blooms - those which are strongly spiked with heavy chemicals to induce them to bloom (to death)
Those that barely make it goes into a dormant (until death) stage.

To be prejudice about it - the orchids sold in most places are not meant for the plant to be alive rather to exhaust them to their fullest blooming potential as they are arrive the market place for all to admire.

This is so true like those lime trees that floods the market during the Chinese New Year season. I can rest assured to you that those lime trees make not make it for the next season in your garden as how you first bought it.

Anyway, coming back to orchids.
(These are my tips - so: It works for me and I dare say that it might not work for you)
Do more research before purchasing a very expensive orchid.

1) Check the medium used for the orchid plant you had bought.
In most cases you would find wood-chips used in the pots.
(Sometimes you might even fine sphagnum moss - remove them too)

I would suggest remove all of them and use charcoal and coconut shell
(you can collect them in most sundry shops where they use fresh coconut for grating)
Hammer and break into small pieces and place them inside a clay-pot (together with the plant)

2) Set it in permanent place and don't move it around.
Orchid do tend to go dormant once they are set in a new environment.
You may have to be patient on that for the new growth to appear.
Oncidium orchids loves bright shaded area. Too shaded - they plant will grow very well but lacking flowers. Too hot - it might bloom but at the expenses of burnt leaves.
So a good balance of bright & shade may require for it to bloom.

3) Careful on the watering regime.
You can wash it down but make sure nothing gets collected in the pot or container as it can cause root or bulb rot. Once a rot takes place - it is difficult for the plant to recover.
Fungus or disease may attack the plant leading it to its death.

4) Fertilising.
I rarely prefer to use fertiliser for these orchids as they can tend to get burnt and die. There are of course safer ones. The best I would recommend is spraying rice washed water weekly on them.

NOTE:
Some other orchid species require sphagnum moss - like the Phals. Orchids.
Please don't use this reference for Phals. Orchids as this is strictly only for Oncidiums.

This Giant size Oncidium had finally bloomed for the 1st time in my garden. My friend had passed me this plant (sadly his parent plant died due to bulb rot) I was very cautious about this one as in most cases the plant bulb do tend to rot once it had passed its maturity stage.
Not removing the rot immediately can infect other healthy bulbs.

So far this plant had truly grown big and spanned out many bulbs.

These have been placed earlier on the sunny side but they didn't seemed to do well and now they are relocated to this spot. Hoping that it will too give glorious blooms like the first pictures.

Few other orchid species which are yet to give out their first bloom in my garden.