Started Oncidium at the wrong time — lessons learned

I planted Oncidium at entirely the wrong point in the growing calendar and spent the first few months wondering what I'd done wrong. crown rot from water sitting in the leaf crown didn't help matters. Once I understood feeding with a half-strength orchid fertiliser weekly in summer things improved substantially.

extraordinary bloom longevity lasting weeks to months is what makes this plant worth persisting with. In a north or east-facing windowsill it finally looks as good as I'd imagined. peak bloom display through winter and spring redeemed the whole effort. If you're starting out: do your timing research before you plant.