What Time Of Year Is Ideal For Repotting Oncidium Orchids?

Oncidiums are medium-light orchids that thrive in bright, indirect light (2000-4000 fc). They can rebloom two or three times a year with blooms, but they need to be repotted to a larger pot with fresh medium. Watering should be done once every 7-10 days during spring and summer months, and reduced during winter when growth slows down significantly. Fertilizers should also be used to prevent the orchid from drying out.

Repotting oncidiums is essential for maintaining good airflow to prevent disease and increasing its diameter. Some species will rebloom regularly every 10 months or so, regardless of the care taken. Basic care includes lots of bright, indirect light, humidity levels between 55 to 75, and maintaining good airflow to prevent disease. Repotting orchids after flowering is recommended, either in February to April or September to October.

The ideal time to repot an orchid is when new roots are emerging from the base of the plant, as it may set the flowering back. New roots that are an inch short or so are usually a good time to repot. The ideal season for repotting oncidium orchids is usually in the spring, just before the start of the growing season. Repotting should occur once every 1 to 2 years, preferably in the spring when active growth resumes.

In summary, oncidium orchids require bright, indirect light, humidity levels between 55 to 75, and proper care to ensure their longevity. Repotting should be done when new roots emerge from the base and the orchid has adjusted to its conditions.


📹 Oncidium update: when to repot, growth cycles and a massive repotting!

This week Plant Lovers I realised I had a few Oncidium type orchids at various stages of their growth cycles so thought it might be …


Do Oncidiums like to dry out?

The majority of oncidiums flourish when allowed to dry out between waterings. However, fan-leaved equitants are more susceptible to adverse effects when subjected to prolonged periods of moisture. This does not indicate that they should be deprived of water, but rather that they require a period of drying. The selection of potting material can facilitate the provision of frequent irrigation, should this be a preferred option. This quality renders these orchids eminently suitable for those with demanding schedules, as they are unable to tolerate prolonged periods of saturation.

What month do you repot orchids?

In spring, it’s crucial to regularly inspect your orchids for repotting, as they’re most likely to show signs of emergence from their dormant cycle. Many orchids, especially those with sphagnum moss, are susceptible to root rot due to its water-absorbing properties. Repotting all new orchids after blooming is essential. Orchids require nutrients from the bark mix and air space, which breaks down to particle size, compacting the air spaces inside the pot. Regularly check the bark mix and repot when decomposition occurs.

Is it okay to repot orchids during flowering?
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Is it okay to repot orchids during flowering?

Orchids can be repotted in bud or spike, but the risk of shock and falling off is high. Repotting when buds have just formed and are “tight” is more forgiving. Avoid repotting when the plant is blooming, as flowers may drop faster than usual. Urine requires microorganisms to break down and convert it to nitrogen, which Orchids lack in soilless mixes. Ammoniac and nitrate nitrogen are available to the plant. Depending on the country, sunlight, and temperatures, a urea-based fertilizer may be suitable.

However, urea-free fertilizers have been found to yield better results. Urine has been linked to pseudomonas disease in Phalaenopsis orchids. Green Jungle™, a urea-free fertilizer, has been recommended for its excellent results and blooms.

How to tell if an orchid needs repotting?
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How to tell if an orchid needs repotting?

To maintain a healthy orchid plant, it is essential to regularly inspect the potting medium and roots. If the medium appears to be breaking down or compacting, it’s time to repot. To check for excess moisture accumulation, remove the clear plastic grower pot and inspect the roots. Healthy roots should be green, with brown or soft roots indicating overwatering. Roots that turn grayish-white indicate insufficient water. Repotting orchids is generally recommended every one to two years, but there are three common reasons that may require earlier or more frequent repotting:

  1. The orchid has outgrown its pot. If the roots appear crowded or start to grow from the stem or crawl over the side of the pot, it’s time to repot the orchid.

What pots are best for Oncidium?

The cultivation of Oncidium Alliance is typically undertaken using azalea or bulb pots with an inorganic mixture, as the roots of this species are particularly susceptible to disturbance.

How often should oncidiums be watered?

In order to ascertain when an orchid requires water, it is advisable to observe the moisture content of the growing medium. When the medium is almost dry but slightly moist, this indicates that additional watering is necessary.

When should you repot an Oncidium?
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When should you repot an Oncidium?

Green Jungle Orchid Food is a highly recommended fertilizer for orchids, providing them with the nutrients they would naturally encounter in their wild habitats. It works best with low-alkalinity water, such as rainwater, distilled water, or reverse osmosis water. However, tap water may be used, but mineral buildup may require repotting more frequently. If potting in bark mix, fertilize every time you water, flushing with non-softened water once a month to rinse the media of salt and mineral buildup. When potting in sphagnum moss, fertilize every 3rd watering year round.

Oncidiinae and intergenerics like to be kept fairly moist, with the media just approaching dryness between waterings. During warm, dry weather, they may need to be watered 2 to 3 times a week. If the roots are healthy, under-watering may be necessary. Watering in the morning allows leaves to dry and avoids bacterial growth overnight. If possible, use low-alkalinity water, such as rainwater, distilled water, or reverse osmosis water.

Do Oncidium orchids like sun or shade?
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Do Oncidium orchids like sun or shade?

Oncidiums are light-loving orchids that thrive at 60-65° F at night and 70-85° F during the day. They belong to the Dancing Lady Orchid family and are found in South America, Central America, Mexico, the West Indies, and Florida. These orchids are mainly epiphytic and can be challenging for beginners due to their diverse habitats. To help your Oncidium thrive, keep simple growing tips in mind.

Place your orchid near an east, west, or south-facing window with a sheer curtain to diffuse light and provide dappled shade. Orchids that get enough light will have light, yellow-green leaves, while those not getting enough light will have dark green leaves or red-tinted leaves. It is difficult to give an Oncidium too much light, as it is difficult to give it too much.

How long do Oncidium orchids live?

An oncidium orchid can live for decades if divided and repotted regularly, and has ideal growing conditions. These popular indoor orchids are known for their large sprays of flowers and pseudobulbs, which resemble a sashaying dress. They thrive in partial sun and well-drained soil, typically flowering in the fall. To care for oncidium orchids, place them in a window with a sheer curtain, use bark-based potting soil, and water them every two to ten days during the growing season when the soil is about half dried out. They are also known as the dancing lady orchid.

Do oncidiums like direct sunlight?
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Do oncidiums like direct sunlight?

Oncidiums are light-loving orchids that thrive at 60-65° F at night and 70-85° F during the day. They belong to the Dancing Lady Orchid family and are found in South America, Central America, Mexico, the West Indies, and Florida. These orchids are mainly epiphytic and can be challenging for beginners due to their diverse habitats. To help your Oncidium thrive, keep simple growing tips in mind.

Place your orchid near an east, west, or south-facing window with a sheer curtain to diffuse light and provide dappled shade. Orchids that get enough light will have light, yellow-green leaves, while those not getting enough light will have dark green leaves or red-tinted leaves. It is difficult to give an Oncidium too much light, as it is difficult to give it too much.

How often should I water my Oncidium?
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How often should I water my Oncidium?

In order to ascertain when an orchid requires water, it is advisable to observe the moisture content of the growing medium. When the medium is almost dry but slightly moist, this indicates that additional watering is necessary.


📹 How to Care for Oncidium Orchids – Watering, Repotting, Reblooming & more! Orchid Care for Beginners

Oncidiums are very popular in flower shops and garden centers, alongside Phalaenopsis! So let’s get to know them better, …


What Time Of Year Is Ideal For Repotting Oncidium Orchids?
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12 comments

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  • Your ” beast ” 😉😃 Oncidium looks fantastic 👏😍. I’m glad you found this snail 😲 …oh, my …lucky day, they can do a lot of damage . Happy to see your big mature specimen 🌱didn’t get broken up/ split up into peaces/ devisions 💚👍. You did a great job on drilling the holes 👏,you made it looks so smooth and simple 😁. My small collection of Oncidiums are all potted in clay pots and they seems to love it. Thank you,Matthew for sharing .😊🌸 Always enjoy perusal your articles. Take care,hope you weather improves soon 🙏🍀🤞.

  • Hi Matthew, thank you for the most interesting orchid chat, you stick to the basics and forget about the la di da remarks that some presenters have! What a laugh when you discovered that evil gastly slug, just as well, otherwise you would have been none the wiser why the sweet fresh little plant died and during the night the culprit would have crawled out the pot looking for more tasty morsels, there are quite a few more it could have enjoyed. You make orchid growing so much fun, you touch them show them off, not like in the Victorian days where they were on display in hot houses amongst the stiff upper lip and hardly went on show. Well changed days I must say. Thank you for the useful info enjoy the beautiful blooms, happy days. Kind regards.

  • Your collection is really wonderful!! Im finally getting the hang of oncidiums, having somewhat of a root burst in my collection now where everything is producing new roots and growths and i love it! Absolutely feels great. Keep making articles! They are super helpful and fun to watch 🙂 Love from Norway

  • This has been very helpful. I live in Arizona, USA in the desert zone 9B. I just ordered 2 Sharry Baby seedlings as I’m hooked on the fragrance. I also ordered a Dendrobium kingianum. I’ve watched your articles on the rock orchids and hopefully I’ll be able to make it happy inside. The outdoor temperatures currently in mid-October are unseasonably warm. It reached 100°F today when it should be cooling down to around 80°F for our brief autumn.

  • Thank you for another excellent summation! One interesting thing suggested to me, was not to cut a leaf that was damaged or burnt or whatever, off tangentially (or at right-angles to the length of the leaf), because nature does not grow leaves like that. A leaf that has been cut off square sticks out like a sore thumb! It was suggested to me to cut burnt or dead bits off diagonally, because the cut will disappear in the normal foliage of the plant and you won’t notice it. Just a thought, to beautify your orchid when inspected…..

  • Hi Mathew. I know you bought your colmanara some months ago, but I almost went green with envy when you said you had picked it up (I presume from Bunnings) in that little packet and wanted to get one too. Nina (Ninja Orchids) was showing it on her article when it was in full bloom. What a stunner! I’m still going to keep an eye out for it anyway, it can live outside in my subtropical climate. Thanks for another great article, thoroughly enjoyed it.

  • You’re lucky the slug didn’t have more time to cause more damage. I had a snail in a seedling Psychopsis once and it had munched ALL the roots in the bark. Thankfully it was potted with its sponge plug intact, and that protected some older still functional roots from getting damaged, so the plant didn’t get too set back.

  • Are the roots in the second repot which you cut definitely dead? They looked to me like they were alive but not actively growing but discoloured by the potting mix. Also much like your slug find, when I repotted my first phal there was a live caterpillar in there! I’m glad I didn’t wait for the blooms to fall before that repot.

  • Hi Matt. I have an Oncidium ‘Sharry Baby’ which has had a lot of leaves affected by brown spot. I’ve cut back the affected leaves and painted the bulbs with a cinnamon & water mix. I know I’ve probably done the wrong thing but would love your input. I have the orchid in a pot that would be considered a water pot filled with a good quality orchid mix and inside a decorative pot with stones in the bottom and keep the stones in water. I live in the Hunter Valley NSW.

  • Hello Matthew from Greece! I’ve been following you for a while and you’ve tempted me to transplant my orchids, mainly catleyas and onsidium in clay pots. My question, however, is how do you understand when they need watering without seeing the roots like in the transparent pots; Thank you in advance!

  • I’ve been wondering how (and if) to repot my oncidium this spring and you answered many of my questions. I love the media mix that you use! Mine is a no-name division of one that grew in a university greenhouse. It is an extreme climber and the blooms come from newer growths that are completely out of the pot so I’m never sure how much of the old parts, that are in the pot, I should discard when repotting. I think it’s trying to tell me that it wants to be mounted but that’s not going to happen. Should I put it in a larger pot as long as the roots look healthy? I really don’t have room for it to sprawl everywhere.

  • I’ve been following you, as I am starting to grow outdoors in a similar climate—Santa Cruz, California (near San Francisco). But were you aware that Tim Lester, the man behind MicoGold, does NOT recommend MicoGold for epiphytic orchids? He consider it useless as they—being up in trees—have relationships with very different forms of fungi. He says that MycoGold certainly won’t hurt orchids, but it’s not going to help them either, since MicoGold is designed for soil cultures…