Thursday, November 8, 2012

Rescue oncidium makes two new growths, still no roots

A sad looking oncidium

     At this point, I am continuing with this plant more out of morbid curiosity to see if it will pull through, rather than any great interest in the plant itself.  I can't bring myself to throw away a living orchid, so it sits near the corner of my collection, helping barricade my more precious orchids from the cat's whims.

     While the fungicide treatment in late September, helped spur a sharp recovery of my Oncostele Pacific Perspective, this rootless oncidium noid has continued to languish.

New growth

     It lost a few more leaves, and today I cut of a backbulb which had rotted.  The orchid has started two new growths, but has no signs of roots.  In addition, there are two mysterious white growths in the dead stem of the orchid.

What is this?: a new growth

     It looks like the start of a new pseudobulb, but completely devoid of any pigment.  I thought new growths only appeared from the growing end of the orchid, not from the middle of the rhizome where the oldest pseudobulbs are located.  

     I gave the poor oncidium a 30 minute soak in systemic fungicide, then potted it into fresh sphagnum moss, and soaked the whole pot in physan.  That should hopefully nuke any kind of leftover rots.  

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