Spotlight: Oncidium Sharry Baby

Hybrid (Oncidium Honolulu x Oncidium Jamie Sutton) 

Oncidium Sharry Baby have been quite popular since the 80s, and their popularity endures today because of their unbeatable chocolatey scent. 

Care

Easy grower.

Light: Oncidium can handle direct morning light and prefer bright to very bright conditions. Sharry baby prefers 1000-2000 foot-candles, too much light and the leaf tips will begin showing blackish spots. Sharry baby gets spots easily and develops dry leaf tips. Eastern or Souther window. Some Sharry baby's are happiest with 3500 foot candles and need this much light to bloom.

Humidity: 50% or higher is ideal. They like a little bit of misting every morning. 

Water

They can withstand considerable drought because of their large pseudobulbs. Wrinkled pseudobulbs generally indicate lack of water, either because a lack of watering or because of deteriorated roots. Should be watered in the morning using tepid water, to give the orchid adequate time to dry before night-time. 

During the growing season, water daily or every other day.  Drainage is very important. Water when nearly dry. 

Temperature

Do not expose them to cold drafts or tempatures below about 10C or 50F. Even temps in the mid-50s will cause the plant to slow its growth if they last too long. Oncidium generally prefer 26-29C or 80-85F. 

To get a sharry baby to rebloom it needs a night time drop in termperature. 

Blooming

Sharry Baby's have long-stemmed flowers that need stakes. Ofcourse this orchid is all about the scent, as its flowers smell strongly like chocolate, or some say vanilla or milk chocolate. 

Videos:

Brad's Sharry Baby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JoUo3lBNhg

Parents:

Oncidium Honolulu

Oncidium Jamie Sutton