Most Oncidium orchid species produce dozens of small flowers at once, giving us a magnificent display that lasts for several weeks. The flowers can be yellow, white, red, pink, green or brown.

The shape of these flowers can vary, but they all have one thing in common: the lower petal is always perpendicular to the side petals. This distinctive flower shape gives Oncidium orchids the common name of dancer orchids.

Orchid Varieties
There are hundreds of species of orchid, all native to tropical and subtropical regions, including the Andes Mountains, the rainforests of Jamaica, and the tropical river valleys of Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.

If the relative humidity drops below 50%, use a gravel tray or humidifier to raise the humidity. Grouping your plants together also helps maintain a good level of humidity around them. You can water the leaves a little every day.

How to grow an orchid
Oncidium orchid plants need a lot of light, but can’t stand direct sunlight. If you can’t place them near a window, use artificial lighting, such as fluorescent bulbs.

Use one warm white and one cool white tube under a spotlight. Place the orchids 20cm under the light for 14-16 hours a day. Make sure they stay dark even at night, because the plants need to rest.

Keep the orchid potting medium slightly moist throughout the growing season. Be careful not to overwater and remember that Oncidiums store water in their pseudobulbs, which makes them more tolerant of dry soil than wet soil.

Water less at other times of the year, allowing the soil to dry out well between waterings.

If you wish to transplant your orchid, remember that the best time to do so is immediately after flowering. In this way the plant will be able to create new beautiful flowers with a soil richer in nutrients.