There are only a couple pseudobulbs. I've read advice to divide plants only when divisions can be at least 3 pseudobulbs. Does this mean the plant is too small to buy for non-ideal non-greenhouse environments? I do have grow lights though, so it's better than most apartments.

The pseudobulbs do look very plump and healthy to me.

And the price tag for a good measure. I've seen Oncidiums for $25 and $35 depending on the pot size at the NYC's flower district, so this seems good.

can I ask which trader joe in ny

It looks healthy! I may have to head to the one on Metropolitan Ave and see if there are any there. I have a tiny hybrid oncidium that's blooming now (first time, I don't even know what color it is!). For the price, I say give it a go; you may get more blooms in Feb/March, if it's happy. :)

If you do get it, but don't want to bare-root it, try to pull SOME of the moss out. The sellers completely pack them and soak the moss so that the plant can survive as long as possible with no care. The problem is, the roots are suffocating to death. I've only purchased one Trader Joe's orchid. The demise of that plant ended up being my cat, but as you see from this pic, there were two plants and an insane amount of moss jammed into a tiny, 3" pot. It's pretty horrible what some places do to make a buck.

That is the easiest question of when. Buy one in each season! when I first started growing orchids I bought at least a couple blooming orchids in each month. But if a good deal shows up, be impulsive. A wonderful vice. Give in.

> can I ask which trader joe in ny

The one on 6th and 21st. They also had several other Oncidiums or whatever they are (pictured), just a few or even one of each. I checked the Trader Joe's on 14th St today, and there was nothing there but Phals.

Your first photo doesn't look like an Oncidium. Might be a mix but sort of looks like a Zygo. The later photos are Oncidiums which are easy to grow. The dark colored plant looks like a Sharry Baby which smells like chocolate. Give it a sniff!

I grew them for years in NY in a window and summer outside. They like cooler temps so should do fine in your place. Buy them now and slowly acclimate them to your environment. Don't put them in direct sun but a bright location. They do not like to get dry so keep them slightly moist. I wouldn't repot and would wait until Spring to do it.

Wait on the first plant in your photo until someone else comments on it. If I'm correct, that is not an Oncidium...but I could be wrong.

Jane

Zygopetalums look close indeed, although it did not smell like chocolate. Did not smell at all.

It's an Oncidium and it looks very healthy. Buy it and repot with small bark after it finishes blooming. Leave it alone until them. After bloom, unpot it wash off the roots and repot in Orchiada bark. You might have to look for it, it is better, also twice as expensive but definitely worth it. You'll probably have to contact a local orchid society for a source.

Nick

Mystery solved. It's an Odontoglossum/Oncidium intergeneric. It was on the label, but I did not notice and did not want to take it out of the sleeve in the store. I went back and got one this morning. Yay!

It does have a very faint smell, I needed to get right up there to smell it. Hard to tell what it smells like.

I am going to read up on the culture. Any advice meanwhile?

There are three pseudobulbs and a shoot that is not bulbous yet growing on the other side. Growth in two directions - that is a good one, as I've read somewhere.

The soil looks like peat and perlite. I'll try hard to resist the itch to repot till it's done flowering. The pot has drain holes in the bottom but none on the sides.

I think I might take a bit of soil off the top (and the mold with it), as it's planted a bit deep, and plop the whole root ball into a bigger pot with bark around it. What do you think?

Leave it alone, don't disturb the roots until finished flowering. It looks very healthy.

Jane

I et my boyfriend go to the store and get me one he is coming to Trinidad on sunday thanks for letting where u got it its a good deal

It looks like you may have a Colmanara Masai Red. I have one. It is not blooming at the moment. But it looks very similar to yours down to the round flat pseudobulbs. I agree with others about leaving it alone until after it is done flowering.

Colmanara Masai Red looks very similar, although petals on mine look more crinkled.

I'll hold on repotting till the flowers are gone.