Hi Neon,

It looks strong and there are a few silver roots in the photo so I think it'll send out new roots and do very well. You need to keep it on the dry side for now. I would suggest you place it where it can get some air movement (near an open window or porch) to help dry out the medium since there aren't much roots to do that. Also, bright light, not low light: Around 70 - 80% mottled shade outdoors in your area, preferably for 6 -8 hours. Indoors, try to get the same amount of light as it would on the edge of the shade underneath a tree.

Oncidiums are vigorous growers and yours will recover nicely but the shrivelled bulbs will always be shrivelled. The new ones will grow out nice and plump. Keep us posted on its progress!

Thanks dragon kite! So I should put this guy in bright indirect light? Should I do the same for the dendrobium next to it as well then? The care tag said low light so I put it away from my window.

I soaked the bark medium for 2 hours 2 days ago. Should I wait until new roots form before I water again? I really appreciate all the help. I don't want this guy to die.

Absolutely place the dendrobium in brighter light. In my area (NYC) my dendrobiums use to get direct window light indoors during the winter. In the summer it would get direct light from sunrise to about 10:30am or 11am, then mottled shade until sundown...maybe a brief period of direct light around 6 or 7pm.

You're definitely in a hotter area than I am so you need to make sure direct sunlight won't burn the leaves (touch the leaves, if they feel warm, get them out of direct sun). Just place it in mottled shade for now and watch it as it grows. If the new leaves are a deep dark green, not enough light. If the older leaves and newer growths start turning pale green, there's too much sun. Bright indirect light will never be too bright for a dendrobium.

You don't need to wait for new roots to grow because it looks like the silver/white roots in the pics are still alive. Just water it when the bark dries out. You can insert a skewer into the pot center to see how dry/wet it is, or you can judge by the weight of the pot.

Right now all you can do it wait patiently until it sends out new roots. For me, this is the hardest part! Keep us posted.

Steph

Thanks so much! I just moved them onto a brighter sill. I will keep everyone updated on their progress. Hopefully even a nice bloom in a few months.

I've found that the shriveled pseudobulbs should unshrivel with good watering

Help! I would like everyone's opinion on how I should be watering this. It's planted in hydroponics and a netted pot. Then it fit perfectly into my daughters play cup. I just don't know if I should flush it everyday. The roots aren't the greatest, but I have gotten this new growth out of it. Any advice is appreciated. Thank

It shouldn't be in standing water, so dump the cup, but as long as there are roots present, you can water it every day. I'm in a cooler, drier area than you, so I can never water it enough in clay pellets. I eventually moved it to bark, which I still dunk & drain every day and soak once a week. Oncidiums love to be hydrated, and they love lots of bright, indirect light.

Hi. I am a new user. I first want to start a new discussion but I find this one.
i have the same problem. I am searching answers and I found that some Oncidium prefer colder and dry period in winter. I agree with Danielle. I keep on looking and trying to same my Oncidium Wildcat Rainbow. I have it since 3 years now. I found it in a store. It was almost dead, planted in black soil. Since then, it' getting smaler and smaler. The picture was taken 3 years ago. It is much smaller now but still trying to grow .. I put it in bark and a little moss 6 months ago ... My aim is to make it grow in the next season. Spring is already close !

Neoncactus ! Did you have better results recently ?

Let me know.

keep on posting

There is a problem with the word "oncidium". So you might get some advice for Varicosum type Oncidiums that they like it a bit cooler and a bit drier in winter.
But Oncidium Wildcat Rainbow is not a straight Oncidium. It is an Intergeneric type that was once a Colmanara, then it was an Odontocidium and now it is an Oncostele. ie Oncostele Wildcat 'Rainbow'.
At the local orchid Society where I am the Benching marshal I have lumped all the types together as Oncidiinae alliance.
Now they need different treatment according to their ancestry and I'n not going to try and give culture advice for Canada because the Canadian Orchid Congress have a good set of culture notes.

I'm not saying that the plants like it this way, I'm saying that I live in a place with very dry winters, and neither of my oncidiums prefer that at all. I need to water WAY more often. The plant (an oncidium "twinkle") was simply not thriving in clay pellets, because it would dry out by the end of the day. Now that it lives a mix of small bark, coconut husks, and perlite, the moisture is retained far longer, and the plant thrives. Last fall it put out two pathetic spikes with a small clusters of flowers near the base of the plant. This fall there was only one pseudobulb mature enough (but four more ready for next season, thanks to getting it out of that hydroton), and it put out two massive spikes with over two dozen blooms on each.

For a person living in a warmer, more humid climate, they could get away with keeping a plant in hydroton and skipping a watering here and there. I can skip a day or two in summertime. But in the winter? No way. Daily watering or heavy spritzing, and once a week a 20 minute soak in the sink.

Onesime, could you start your own post? Don't do a Search.

Go to the top of the page and click on 'post a message.' There are too many people posting on this link and its hard to follow.

You have a different question and it should get the attention.

I'm sorry to ask you to do your post over, but please post it individually. When multiple people post under one heading, it gets mixed up.

I'm sorry, I'm giving you so many problems. As a newcomer. I really want to get you as much help as possible. Just make your own post. Click at the top:
'Post a message.' Its next to the FAQ's.

Thanks,
Jane

Just to finish, I want to thank Arthur.

I looked at the label on my orchid.: Odcdm

I realise now that this mean Odontocidium. I grow many orchids for only few years now. I am still ignorant .. I will look now how to nurse it.

Onesime