I've had this orchid for a few years now and it's never flowered for me. It's planted in long sphagnum moss, recieves some western sun, but mostly bright light and a little direct sun and some dapple sun. It gets watered once a week with a little orchid fertilizer. Should I give it more brighter light and a little more direct sun outdoors? Thanks!
This link describes lighting and watering needs, http://www.beautifulorchids.com/orchids/orchids_potted/oncicidium/oncidium_care.html
Thanks for the sight natureman, although, I think I do everything the site mentioned to do on care, so i'm going to try brighter, yet defused light and see what happens.
Bluewing, I have close to 200 Oncidium hybrids and a few species plants as well. All of mine are watered daily during the summer and a minimum of 3 days a week in the cool of the year. I also use the dilute fertilizer as you suggested. In a few weeks we'll move all of them outdoors so they can have the advantage of even brighter light and a constant breeze. The orchids in the atrium are situated beneath an automatic overhead watering system which sprays them for 10 minutes at a time. I'd say I have at least 20 in full bud right now and that many more in spike. I think the reason I have them bloom so often is I do my best to emulate a rain forest. These plants grow on the sides of trees and receive rainfall virtually daily in the forest. The humidity is always high and that encourages the plants to bloom. I used to spend a lot of time with major South Florida orchid growers when we lived there and all of them water daily during the heat of the year. When our plants go outside they are protected from the sun by only a single layer of screen wire. It diffuses the sun just enough to not burn the plants but offers them bright light. You might want to consider trying something similar. Just move the plant to the brighter light gradually. Chances are high it will begin to bloom for you!
Steve, Thanks for your reply. I put my orchid out underneath an extra umbrella table(minus an umbrella) that I use on the deck for houseplants to summer outdoors on. Under the table, the light is bright but diffused and the leaves have already lifted up some after one day. The longer ones where always down on the table instead of them all standing upright, so, I think all it needed was more brighter light. I'm hoping for a show!
