Growing Instructions

Here are the links to some more new YouTube videos on culture and repotting:

Here is a link to the revised names of the nomenclature of several orchid genera in the Oncidinae complex.        New RHS registrations

The Oncidium Alliance 

What to grow:

First and foremost think about what will suit your culture. Rather than just post a picture we have tried to give you some indication of how they grow.

Most of the hybrid clones listed in the Odontoglossum section contain Oncidium. This means you will not have fully rounded filled in blooms though they improve by the year. Pure Odontiodas and Odontoglossums that produce this type of flower will be available next year but remember they are slower and harder to grow! You will also see a good number of Brassia influenced clones with large star shaped flowers. There is a good reason to choose this type of hybrid. They are robust growers and make a big floral display. Probably best suited to bush house, or even outdoor culture.

With regard to showing and judging there is a belief that star shaped or Oncidium shaped flowers do not fare very well. From what I have seen Colmanaras, Burragearas and Maclellanaras win many shows. Award wise very few have been submitted for judging but as they become more popular this will change and awards will follow. Remember the Brassia types with flat well formed flowers are in no way inferior to a round Odontioda but are much easier to grow. You can’t win any show unless you grow and flower the plant well.

Many of these new clones are sweetly scented so that adds a new dimension. Also the blooms in most cases are very long lasting and can flower every 9 months. Certainly you can have flowers all year round.

Culture:

Summer: Shade 70%, humidity 75%

Winter: Shade 20%, humidity 50%

Keep very much on the dry side in cold weather unless you are providing heating. DO NOT water over the leaves at all in winter, just in the pot and then do not flood the pot. Keep frost free. Good air movement. Large mature plants will tolerate brighter light in summer and this will improve flowering.

A video of re potting and dividing an Oncidium in bark

https://www.facebook.com/mtbeenakorchids/videos/280509572633473/?t=32

Potting:

All our Oncidium hybrids are grown in well drained pots. Never over pot. We see these plants suffering in bigger pots than they need. Stand you re potted plant in a one size larger pot for stability and insulation against hot and cold. Leave the air gap between the pots and do not surround in mix or moss.

We use medium size bark nuggets 9mm-12mm mixed with 20% Super Coarse Perlite. Add our slow release Orchid Osmo fertiliser when potting (this is already in all the plants you purchase from us) This is ALL you need for 12 months growth. Then either repot or add more fertiliser to the top. Do not use ANY extra slow release. If you liquid feed in addition to the Osmo you can overdo it. These plants do not like too much fertiliser. we have used this fertiliser for 10 years. It works.

Pests & Diseases:

Bait for slugs and snails frequently. The potential for damage is great. Baysol Blue ground to a fine dust and sprinkled everywhere does a good job. Apply every 14 days.

Eco Oil and Eco Fungicide. Apply every 28 days for total control of insects and preventative fungal control No need for poisons.

In general: these are easy growing plants. They need very little water during the cold months. This and keeping them in relatively small pots will maintain healthy roots throughout the year. Good air movement at all times and during hot weather maintain plenty of humidity. When very hot lightly spray the foliage to cool down the plant.

Masdevallia

In general:

Masdevallia orchids are cool growers. They love a cool, moist environment with plenty of air movement to remind them of their origins in the high country of South America. They do not have pseudo bulbs like many epiphytic orchids, only fleshy leaves to hold water and nutrient. One should be careful therefore to maintain moisture at the roots and in the environment. It is still important not to over water, never keep the medium soaking wet. For the reasons above it is vitally important to keep the growing medium sweet. If it decays it will rot the fine root systems and the plant will collapse. For this reason we recommend re potting annually.

Potting:

A video of re potting and dividing a Masdevallia in bark.

https://www.facebook.com/mtbeenakorchids/videos/2071332879615999/?t=14

We use Sphagnum moss for all our small plants in 50mm tubes and for plants needing a little extra care. We would use it more but availability and cost preclude it. We have been using net pots with moss potted plants and they love it but can dry out a bit quickly. We now place the net potted plants inside a plain pot. This always works well even for ordinary pots and we always recommend it. Do not fill the air gap between the pots with moss etc., the air gap is important.

https://www.facebook.com/mtbeenakorchids/videos/1709707252464345/?t=12

A video of repotting Masdevallias in moss.

Bark or Coir fibre?:

After several years of using Coir Fibre we have reluctantly changed back to bark. We had good success in the trials with most plants but further down the track found several problems. The supposed long lasting ability was not evident. Mostly it broke down in under 18 months and when it did so became soggy, wet and acid. Watering was very critical and if the material became too wet it was reluctant to dry out. On the counter side when it got too dry it was hard to re wet.

Various mixes were made with Perlite, bark and gravel but none were particularly good. We had some excellent growth from some plants but too many poor results. In the end supply problems along with growing problems caused us to resume potting with the bark mix.

Our choice of bark is Bio Gro small orchid bark in pot sizes 60mm to 120mm. Medium bark 120mm pots and up. For 50mm pots mini orchid bark is easier to use.

To make watering easier and give long lasting ability we add Super Coarse Perlite.

To give some fibre content we use fibrous Peat Moss. Try not to buy the fine powder type Peat Moss but good fibrous peat is hard to get. The type used for bulbs is good.

5 parts bark, 5 parts Perlite, 1 part Peat Moss

We still use Orchid Osmocote. Best used in the bottom 1/3 of the pot but maybe added to the top in the 2nd year. But with Sphagnum Moss always in the bottom and 1/2 the amount recommended for bark mixes.

Conditions:

Masdevallias need to be well shaded in Summer to keep the plants cool and the environment humid. If possible try to keep the temp. under 30C, a few hours warmer won’t matter as long as you have humidity. Constant dry heat will cause the plant to drop its leaves and collapse. In Winter try to give bright airy conditions, humidity is usually high any way. Some overhead cover is essential in Winter or they may become too wet. Minimum temperature should be 5C for most, though be aware there are some warmer growers. Masdevallias will sometimes tolerate a light frost but try to avoid this if at all possible.

Summary:

Cool moist airy conditions free from frost. Avoid hot and dry. Pot annually, do not divide too small. Feed Osmocote or Manutec Orchid Food. Keep free from pests especially Aphids. Do not over water. Double potting is very beneficial to insulate the root system from heat and cold.

Masdevallias may be grown indoors if you have light but not direct sun on a window sill or similar. As humidity is low indoors leaves will need misting daily and plants grown on wet gravel or plunged in Sphagnum Moss. You may be surprised just how well they grow indoors. If you live in a climate with long hot summers they may well prefer it indoors at least for the Summer.

Zygopetalum Alliance Hybrids & Cymbidiums

Feeding:

Orchids, contrary to popular believe, do require fertilizer to grow well and produce plentiful flowers. You can feed with either slow release or liquid food. Best of all is a combination of both. We recommend and sell Osmocote High K 8-9 months slow release and Manutec orchid food. We place the Osmocote pellets in the bottom 1/3 of the pot while potting, this assures good long term feeding especially good for flower production. At the same time 1/4 strength Manutec is fed every 7-10 days in all but the colder months. Osmocote can be safely used with Sphagnum moss when placed near the bottom of the pot, NEVER on top.

Watering:

Orchids in pots need attentive watering. Too much will rot the roots and too little inhibits growth and flowering. Make sure your orchids have almost dried out before the next watering. During peak growth time late Spring and Summer plants will tolerate and enjoy more water but beware the cold weather and keep much drier. Make sure to keep the leaves of Zygopetalums especially dry in winter to avoid fungal problems.If in doubt about the health of the root system lift the plant from the pot and have a look. If the roots are pulpy and black repot into fresh mix after trimming all dead roots away. Indication of poor roots is often seen by the leaf tips turning black or leaf drop from older bulbs, old bulbs may even be decaying and soft.

Yellow leaves:

If the leaves are healthy but yellow this indicates light levels are too high or a lack of fertilizer or both. Plants will adapt to high light but 50%-60% is usually about right. Odontoglossums and Masdevallias need about 80% shade. Morning sun is good but try and get a position that gets sun for most of the day.

Diseases:

Fungal bacterial & viral diseases can effect orchids.EcoCarb in conjunction with Eco-Oil will keep plants fungal free. Good air movement is essential to maintain healthy plants. .Grow on benches or raised off the ground. Space, so the leaves only just touch.

Pests:

Few things effect orchids but they need control or growth will deteriorate. The two main pests are Scale and Red Spider Mite. Less of a problem with Cymbidiums but serious with natives, Masdevallias and Odontoglossums are Aphids. Mealy Bug may effect plants in warmer glass house conditions. The simple effective and non toxic remedy is Eco-Oil (see Sundries) we use this exclusively for all our orchids and find it a joy to use and have no insect problems. Made from eucalyptus and other natural plant material this spray can be used without use of protective clothing and will not harm wildlife or the gardener.It can be used throughout the garden and is ideal for orchids in particular.

Potting medium:

Good orchid bark, using the size appropriate to the pot size

5 parts bark, 5 parts Perlite, 1 part Peat Moss (see Masd. potting mixes)

Sphagnum Moss can also be used especially with Zygopetalums, but it must be fresh. Do not over compress moss when potting. Firm with fingers until plant is securely held in the pot. Water with care. Moss holds many times its own weight in water. Add our Osmocote near bottom half of the pot.

Temperature:

Many orchids will grow cold and tolerate light frost but if they are grown a bit warmer they will make stronger growths, more leads and better roots. To produce flower spikes Cymbidiums must have mature growths by early summer. If this does not happen plants take two years to mature growths and hence flower every other year.

Summary:

The secret to growing and flowering orchids is to produce healthy roots, healthy foliage and strong new growths as early in the season as possible. Cymbidiums and other genera don’t grow much when the temperature is below 10C or above 35C. For this reason you should select growing areas to provide conditions for the majority of the time. Watch out for the signs that something is wrong; dropping leaves, black leaf tips etc. Inspect the root system first. If that’s O-K check out the other cultural factors discussed above. Remember NOT to over feed, NOT to over water and keep the plants spaced out.

Odontoglossums

In general:

The Odontoglossum Alliance is large and diverse with some of the most colourful, unusual and showy flowers in the orchid family. They have their origins in the Central and South American high country, sometimes very high. This means they are in the main cool growing often very cool. What this means to you is that you must provide conditions appropriate for high altitude plants. This can be a problem if you live in a warm climate, but a little ingenuity with fans, misters or air conditioning and shading will usually solve the problem. In the past years modern hybridizing has produced a whole range of Odontoglossum Alliance hybrids usually involving Oncidiums that are exceptionally heat tolerant. In many cases these plants will grow alongside your more traditional Cymbidium, Zygopetalum or native orchid. For the cooler type i.e. Odontoglossum and Odontioda of the O. crispum line, we suggest a maximum temp. of 30C, lower if possible. Minimum should be 5C with lower than that, even a light frost, not fatal.

For the warmth tolerant varieties i.e. Odontocidium, Wilsonara, Colmanara, Burrageara and most others that end in ‘- ara’ we can raise the maximum temp. to 35C+ but under 40C. Lower is still better. Winter min. temp. can still be down to 5C but lower is no good, warmer is better.

General growing conditions therefore are cool, airy and humid. Shade to keep cool but don’t put them under the benches in the dark. Give them plenty of light in the winter, early spring and late autumn. Be sure not to keep them in the shade you use in the summer or you will get no flowers and weak growth.

Watering:

This should be carefully attended to. Odonts. do not like over watering nor do they like to be dry for very long. For this reason the correct potting medium in good condition is essential. Annual repotting is usually recommended. Decaying and sour medium is difficult to water correctly and the roots will soon stop growing and turn rotten.

Potting:

After several years of using Coir Fibre we have reluctantly changed back to bark. We had good success in the trials with most plants but further down the track found several problems. The supposed long lasting ability was not evident. Mostly it broke down in under 18 months and when it did so became soggy, wet and acid. Watering was very critical and if the material became too wet it was reluctant to dry out. On the counter side when it got too dry it was hard to re wet.

Various mixes were made with Perlite, bark and gravel but none were particularly good. We had some excellent growth from some plants but too many poor results. In the end supply problems along with growing problems caused us to resume potting with the bark mix.

Our choice of bark is Bio Gro small orchid bark in pot sizes 60mm to 120mm. Medium bark 120mm pots and up. For 50mm pots mini orchid bark is easier to use.

To make watering easier and give long lasting ability we add Super Coarse Perlite.

To give some fibre content we use fibrous Peat Moss. Try not to buy the fine powder type Peat Moss but good fibrous peat is hard to get. The type used for bulbs is good.

5 parts bark, 5 parts Perlite, 1 part Peat Moss (peat moss is not essential)

We still use Orchid Osmocote. Best used in the bottom 1/3 of the pot but maybe added to the top in the 2nd year. But with Sphagnum Moss always in the bottom and 1/2 the amount recommended for bark mixes.

Pests and Diseases:

We currently use the full range of products from Organic Crop Protectants for total control of all the nasties which may attack your plants.(See Sundries) The only other pest you may and will get are slugs, snails and garlic snails. Use Defender pet safe snail bait regularly.

Things to watch in Odontoglossum culture

Odonts. like good water, not too alkaline and no salt. If you can use rain water so much the better. Fertilizer in liquid form must not be too strong. When we use Osmocote High K we only use Acadian Seaweed extract and Aminogro as stimulants every 4 weeks. Leaf tip die back commonly becomes a problem thru over feeding and poor water. It will be worse if the plant’s root system is not in good condition.

In summary:

Odontoglossums like an airy humid and cool environment. Stuffy hot houses definitely don’t suit. Pot annually in Spring or Autumn depending on growth. Odonts. are potted when the new growth is an inch high, not when dormant. Odonts flower on young plants but don’t leave flowers on for too long. Many growers believe flowering every two years gives the plants a better chance to flower well. Leaf colour should be green and shiny. Pale yellow leaves suggest too much light or lack of Nitrogen. Give plenty of air, when its hot and dry, make sure you maintain humidity which should be 70% – 80%. Bulb shrivel will occur if you leave flowers on for too long or the root system is inactive or dead.

If all this sounds too hard well its not really, and its what most of your orchids will need to thrive. Odonts. perhaps are more fussy but grow them well and you will be well rewarded and all your companion orchids will benefit from the better climate you have created.

Miscellaneous Genera

As above.

What to do in extreme summer conditions:

The following 3 articles were written during the recent bush fires, and tells you of our orchid experiences and how we dealt with it in our nursery. We will keep them posted for a little longer as many customers have asked us for advice:

Sizzling Summer observations:

In Victoria we can get record temperatures Between 40C & 44C during extreme summer days. Our preparation with extra shade and moving all plants on higher benches down to ground level had paid off. Sure there are some Masdevallias with burnt leaf tips and the occasional casualty (usually root bound and dry) but overall not bad.

Our advice is to keep humidity high. Fine misting, not watering, is required. If the shade is 80% or more, misting the leaves is not dangerous, it will not burn them. Just the opposite: it will cool the leaves. Misting is very efficient and approved by most water distribution companies. Air movement must be good or you will end up with a sauna. If you place plants under the benches, which is good, make sure they still get free flow of air. Maybe stick a fan low down to blow over the leaves. Feeding soluble fertilizers should be at very low levels, its not a priority. Maybe seaweed is better. Whatever don’t let plants dry out. Normally we let plants dry off a bit between watering but not in this type of heat. Pick up dead leaves, don’t let them accumulate, they get wet and soggy and can cause rot to start. Keep a good look out for any signs of rot setting in.

Regarding shade:

Use plenty, its better to over do it than under. We put 80% black on our Masdevallia igloo but have since added 50% white over the top. This is much better and reflects the heat where as the black only got very hot. No bunt leaves in this area though it was still 40C+ every afternoon. Misters for cooling and humidity are doing the trick. We have used water saucers in this area on 25% of the plants but I can’t tell the difference between those with and without so far. The Dracula collection are all in trays with water holding capacity, approx. 10mm deep. They all look very good, hardly any burnt leaves which is rare in Draculas.

Odonts. will be fine apart from those carrying buds or flowers. These plants can shrivel bulbs at the best of times and under stressful conditions this will be accelerated. Best to remove all flower stems , they don’t flower with any quality in mid summer, no matter what. Hope these few observations may be of use even though the worse may be over….

We found all the plants moved to the floor did well. Some left on benches did burn the leaf tips during those extreme conditions we had. Any plants that dried out suffered, a few died but not many. Humidity seemed to be the key factor. If you could maintain over 60% or higher damage was reduced. We have had contact with many gorwers and those who followed our advice seemed to come out OK. Hot and dry was definitely the problem.

What now?:

Collect up dead leaves, remove badly damaged leaves completely. Don’t trim back leaf tips yet. Too many cut leaves will dehydrate the plant. Where plants have lost all leaves tip out of pot, discard all potting media, sit back in pot with a few chunks of coir fibre or moss. Spray frequently and keep very well shaded. When (if) new growth begins repot as normal.

Feeding:

Keep up the Seaweed liquid feed every 10-14 days. Use 1/2 strength soluble fertilizer Manutec, Peters or similar. But add 1 gram per litre white or brown sugar. Plants need sugar and when under stress this is even more important. We use sugar with every feed. Make sure you water into pot, not just leaf spray.

In general:

Spider mite will attack now. Spray Eco-Oil every 30 days. Lots of butterflies around so watch out for caterpillars, use Dipel. We will get some high humidity days as well as plain hot days so make sure air movement is maintained. If you have packed plants in trays and placed under benches you will need to take some extra care. Spread them apart if you can and keep those dead leaves collected up. Hope this is of help and we look forward to seeing lots of healthy plants again when this is all over.

Some new Summer Sizzler notes:

Now that its over – hopefully… Finally some cool damp days and time to assess the damage or be pleased at the survival rate. Considering we have endured the hottest days in Victorian history most growers are amazed how their orchids came through. If not unscathed at least still kicking and showing how tough orchids really are. Lots of growers said their Masdevallias dropped all their leaves. This often means a sad farewell but don’t be too quick to chuck them out. Keep them fairly dry but in airy and humid conditions and wait to see what happens. You may be surprised at the appearance of a new growth amongst the stubble. The new growth will be soft and tender so don’t throw water at them. Perhaps stand the pots in 4-6 mm water so they absorb from the bottom. Also watch out for Aphids, they hone in on tender young growth and can set them back again really quickly. A fungicide spray such as Eco-Rose must be applied to prevent infection setting in.

If you have badly burned leaves but still hanging on the plant, just leave them be. Don’t cut them back or dehydration may set in. Again Eco-Rose fungicide should be sprayed at monthly intervals. This of course applies to all your orchids not just Masdevallias. If your Odontoglossum spikes are dropping buds due to the heat remove the spike to give the plant a chance to recover. Any orchid looking stressed should be assessed for possible re potting, certainly remove flowers, they take a lot out of the plant and won’t look their best anyway.

Insects will be out in force so don’t forget the Eco-Oil its only effective if you use it! more later.