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Malika
Orchids, Inc. |
Oncidiinae are an extraordinarily large and diverse group of New World orchids with an equally diverse range of habitat. These orchids come anywhere from sea level in the tropics to very high elevations in the Andes. This obviously makes growing instruction generalizations for individual species and specific cultivars of hybrids difficult. But, most orchid hybrids will do well with these simple guidelines. Light needs are satisfied by bright indoor lighting. An east, north or west facing window will provide adequate light, but be sure not to subject the plant to direct sun other than very early or late in the day. Direct sun will burn the foliage. Temperatures for this group are generally considered to be intermediate, which means if you are comfortable they are too. Day time temperatures in the low 80's F and nights can be as low as 55 F. It is important for re-blooming the plant to have a 20 F difference between day and night. Water requirements can be met by keeping the root ball damp. These orchids don't like to be completely dried out. When watering, thoroughly flush the pot. Depending on the temperature and humidity the frequency may be 2 to 10 days between watering. By lifting the plant just after watering you can determine the weight of the plant when wet. Then water when needed. If you have put your orchid into a decorative pot, be sure you have sufficient drainage and do not let your orchids sit in a puddle of water. Fertilize regularly while plants are growing. A general purpose fertilizer applied every two weeks at the fertilizer manufacturers recommended rate is sufficient. For more advanced growers I recommend 20-10-20 at 100 ppm. Potting should be done when the new
growth has begun and just as new roots are starting to appear from the
new growth. The new growth will come from the base of the old pseudo-bulb.
Be careful not to damage the new roots. Remove old media and dead roots
from the root ball being careful not to damage live growing roots. We
hope you and your customers enjoy these wonderful orchids.
Mahalo & Aloha from the |
