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edie_h

New, blooming NOID oncid in what looks like potting soil - Repot now?

Edie
7 years ago

I went and bought a grocery store orchid because I was excited to find something in bloom that wasn't a phal. Wegmans had a beautiful assortment and for $20 I couldn't resist. It was labeled only "Exotic Orchid." I'm in the Northeast US. We got our first snow in October this year. It's going to be a long winter.

When I bought this in November, there were four spikes with open blooms on two spikes. These are the last buds to open on the last two spikes. When blooms are done this will join my other orchids under the fluorescent tubes. I'm growing in an apartment and have more plants than windows. My orchids seem to like the warmth from the lights.

Based on online photos, I decided mine looks like Aliceara Patricia McCully and so I have been following guidelines for oncidium alliance. I know it's still a NOID, but I needed to figure out how to care for it. This is a new orchid type for me.

This is what I'm worried about. It looks like potting mix for terrestrial plants. Worked in a greenhouse somewhere, but I don't know how it will work over winter in my house. Do I leave it alone, repot now, wait until the last blooms drop, or leave it until spring?


I actually bought an orchid that I think is in the same family back in May, also from Wegmans. Same green slotted plastic pot, with roots coming through the holes and covering the surface. I can't even see the mix it's in and can't get it out gently. I think I'm going to have to cut the pot. I wanted to wait until the blooms finished, then decided to wait for new growth. After a summer outdoors, it decided NOW is when it wants to make new roots. Does that mean now, when we have the least daylight, is the proper time to repot? And what do other cold-climate indoor growers pot these in?


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