Dead oncidium
I threw my "rescue" oncidium noid into the trash today. I bought this orchid 1.5 years ago, back when I didn't know how to distinguish a healthy plant from a dying one. The plant had no roots, and its bulbs were so dehydrated that they were as thin as the leaves themselves. And yet, the orchid had a multitude of thick green leaves, which deceived me as to its health.
Over the past 1.5 years, the orchid failed to produce healthy roots. And little by little the leaves began to die back. Whatever fungal problems were killing off its attempts at new roots, my fungicide treatments failed to thwart it. Most recently, the pseudobulbs and new growths on this orchid turned to rotten mush (and there were no new roots in sight). At this point, while there might have been a minute chance of saving a tiny part of this orchid, it really didn't seem worth it to keep trying.
I know how disappointing that can be. I'm struggling with a Paph NOID that has no roots. It is one of my early purchases before I totally appreciated the Paphs' watering needs. It's been limping along for a year or so. I have it sitting in a bag with sphagnum moss but I'm not too optimistic. Live and learn and on to the next orchid!
ReplyDeleteOncidium orchids care can be trickier than for its cousins.. I am aware that it prefers to be a bit more moist than some orchids, but there is a fine line when watering more than once a day to try and plump up some shriveled bulbs.
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