Question
Hello, I live in Sothern Maryland near Chesapeake Bay, I just bought an Oncidium sweet sugar at an orchid show 2 days ago, this is my 2 nd orchid I have a phal for 2 years and it is doing great, I got it to rebloom and she is loving my house. I have the oncidium at a south facing window with lots of light during the morning hours. My plant is in spike, only one flower spike with plenty of buds, I hope that they will opne nicely.My question is what to do with the flower spike when the plant is done blooming? and also what to expect for next year how can I tell that the plant is growing a new flower spike? where would I see it? I do not understand the pseudo bulbs that well, will the plant produce another bulb to bloom again? also one of the bulbs (it has 3) does not have leaves, will leaves grow out of it? I know there are many questions but I haven't find any info on the websites.
Thank you,
Veronica  

Answer
Hello Veronica,

Did you buy the Oncidium Sweet Sugar because of the fragrance?  Once those buds have been open for a few days and it warms up during the day, it will fill the room with its fragrance.  Enjoy!  

Now, on to your questions.  When the flowers have fallen off, remove the spike by cutting it off as low as you can without damaging the plant, it will not produce more blooms.  Oncidiums produce flower spikes from down low, emerging from between a leaf and the pseudobulb.  Save the support stake to use next year.  

Pseudobulbs are the enlarged fat part.  Orchids with pseudobulbs is an indication that in their native habitat, they experience periods of dryness.  As a means of survival, the plant stores a reserve of water to carry it through the dry period.  New pseudobulbs will emerge from the base of the existing p'bulbs in the spring and grow through summer.  All of them are interconnected by a short stem called a rhizome, to break a clump of p'bulbs apart you simply cut the connecting rhizome.  

Leafless pseudobulbs still serve a purpose, they are not dead but have just become dormant.  They are an extra reserve of water for the oncidium.  Once the leaves are gone, it will not grow new leaves.  If and when you repot the oncidium and there are 4 or more healthy p'bulbs, you can remove the leafless one.  By the way, oncidiums prefer remaining in the same pot for quite some time and when repotted, it is best to do what is known as "up pot".  Up potting means taking it out of its pot and putting it in the next size larger pot and adding potting mix to fill around the roots.  The time to do this is in early spring and when the p'bulbs fill the pot, almost growing over the pot rim.  

Hope this has helped and I've answered your questions.  Good luck and good growing.

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.