I just got this Oncidopsis (labeled Burrageara) Nelly Isler 'Swiss Beauty' from Carter and Holmes Orchids. It came in the little black plastic pot, without much drainage. I tipped it out of the pot to look at the roots; it's planted in moist sphagnum and is quite tight in the pot. I'm wondering if I should leave the plant as is, or re-pot it into a bark mix? I've received orchids in the past that are potted in straight sphag. which always seems to get very compacted and I end up repotting them into a bark mix. This little orchid is in bud so do you think it's okay to leave it for awhile or should I repot it right away?

I would enjoy the blooms first.. then repot.

Thanks Lindsey! I put it back in the little plastic pot and sat it inside a ceramic container to keep it from tipping over. I will probably repot it into a bark mix after the blooms are finished.

Hi, Lin. I agree with Lindsey. Just cut back the water for this plant because of the moss and plastic pot. You have the name correct as it is a Oncidopsis.

Jim

Thanks so much Jim!

A correct name??? Isn't that a first?

Alice, it was labeled Burrageara but when I googled for information I learned that it's now called Oncidopsis.

Lin, that one looks like it's going to be a beauty. My experience with Oncs and their relatives has been that they actually like quite a bit finer mix of medium than Cattleyas, Brassavola or Phals or the like. If you do re-pot I'd use something like small chunks of coconut coir mixed with perlite. I got a nice small bag of 1/4in chunk coir from Tropiflora a while back and although I do have to rinse it and soak before use, it's been excellent.

These orchids have much thinner roots than most others I grow, and also like to stay more moist, so when I buy one (usually from Trader Joe's ) that has all that sphagnum around it, and it is in bloom what I've done is just take a pair of chop sticks or sturdy tweezers and yanked some of the spaghnum out of the root ball - very carefully so as not to break roots. This at least creates some air spaces in there to let the roots breathe a bit while the blooming goes on. If I have a pot with holes handy, I will just drop the whole plant into the new pot and leave it be until the flowers are done, then go after more of the sphagnum with my chop sticks and replace medium with something chunkier but still pretty fine. If some roots are attached to pieces of moss I leave them be and just shake the new medium into the interior spaces as best I can. A little bit of moss in an orchid's pot that likes moisture isn't going to worry it, I don't think. I've had MUCH better luck doing this with my little Onc-sters.

You can get a pot from Lowe's or HD with some holes in it for that little lovely, and don't use their "usual" bagged bark mix for the new medium. It's much too coarse.

Elaine, thank you so much for that advice! I will be ordering supplies in the next few days and will definitely order some chunk coir! I have a couple of orchid pots with holes (both ceramic and terra cotta) that I need to wash thoroughly and I'm sure I have a terra cotta pot that will be the right size for this orchid.