Gardening — August 23
Dear Orchid Doc:
I have some very tiny oncidiums which I bought bare-rooted a few years ago. To date they have not bloomed. Can you offer any reasonable explanation for this?
— Trisha
Dear Trisha:
I believe you are referring to a first cousin of the oncidium called tolumnia.
Their blooms are extremely small and come in lots of shades, much prettier (in my mind) than the original oncidiums.
They like about the same light as dendrobiums — about 50 per cent of the sun that is shining at any given time.
They should be watered every day, and also fertilised at least once per week.
They do very well on slabs.
Below are some reasons why they might not be blooming:
* Not enough light
* Not enough fertiliser
* Not getting enough water, therefore are dehydrated.
* Not mature enough
* Insects
Do a process of elimination. Please note that dehydration shows in the leaf just as your skin would.
