Okay... so its trash then- the care sheet.
I will not buy from that place again. i did not know it was bad advice. The orchid was in full bloom when I received it/ it also had some brown spots on some of the leaves but the poto bulbs look nice and round, green and healthy.

so How do I care for a brassia witch doctor properly?. Right now its under my T5 lights with a humidity tray Its sitting in a plastic container so its roots don't get water logged. the bedroom window is open so it gets lower night time temps. Repotting.... is it nesscary? Roots are coming out of the pot and drainage holes. I had a hard time getting it to stay upright because of it being so top heavy.

Alex, this culture sheet is simply riddled with spelling and phrasing errors, I can't imagine receiving any advice written like that from a pro!
Who wrote it?

I think the care sheet given to you is playing it too safe, maybe for the sake of most newbie orchid growers who oftentimes tend to overwater their orchids eventually killing the plant. But typically for me, the Oncidiums I have grown here in my area, being very dry and such a low humidity location, they are always thirsty here especially during these warm months. I just give a bit more interval in watering when the cold season/winter is here. You will have to adjust your watering regimen as the season/temperature/light level changes. As already mentioned, I just use ordinary tap water, not distilled water. I do my watering early part of the day, not at night.

Growing them will vary from location to location since we have our own micro climates, so you will have to observe closely your plant as it goes, watch the pseudobulbs and the leaves, they will show you if they seem to be thirsty. I would not be surprised if the blooms drop sooner since the plant is still acclimating in your area. Some areas have good humidity levels, so you may have to adjust watering again.

Oncidium leaves are often with brown spots, they just get it a lot, I would not worry much unless it is spreading way too fast, looks sunken, or oozing then something else is going on there. That is why it is important to provide good air circulation all over the plant.

A good indoor/outdoor sensor will be nice to have, so you can really see what your temps and humidity levels are inside your room.

Since you know the name that it belongs to the Brassia genus, these group of orchids are native to Mexico, Central America, West Indies, South America. Imagine the conditions there, very tropical and humid. That should give you an idea what kind of humidity levels this orchid is looking for so it will endure nicely. Hope that helps!

At least he/she did not tell you to water with ice-cubes.

I rewrote it, I'm not a very good speller.


Yeah So how often should I and how do I water the brassia? I got it on wensday.



Also I was thinking of either repoting it so it doesn't continue to be top heavy or fall over or just place it into a bigger pot and put orchid bark all around inside to stabelize it..

Alex, your spelling is forgiven! It is not that important.
Touch the medium, if it is approaching dryness, take it to the sink, flood the pot and the roots, let it drip off and place it back into its spot. We can't tell you exactly how often and when, you need to to see, feel it yourself.
After a while, I am sure you will be able to gauge the amount of water your plant needs.
Let us know how it goes.

Alex, I agree with Ursula's advice, but yes, you can just set the whole pot into a larger one to stabilize it. After loosing many to my repotting, I am doing just that. It works for some, but all orchids are not the same. Growing orchids is always trial and error, depending on type, environment, watering practices, etc. It's a learning experience, and those that have hundreds will rarely mention how many they lost, while learning. I'm always trying different methods with some I am partial to, but don't seem to live for me. Eventually, I may just decide I can't grow those, but not until I have made every effort that's affordable. Do your research..there are lots of sites like AOS that have have culture sheets, or like orchid species.com that show where these plants live naturally. If you follow this forum, you will see that while Ursula is in the N.E., Jim and others are in the S.E., while I'm in So. Cal. We all have different growing environments, so we learn what will/won't grow where we live.

Thanks for the advise. I took it over to the sink and gave it a good watering.


I also noticed one of the lowest flowers has begun to droop and turn a different color. maybe its still adjusting to the new home.


I'm going to orchids limited next saturday hopefully. No more brown spots have happened. Is it nessscary to open the window at night. it gets in the high to mid 50's at night and I know Brassia likes a drop in temp. Could that be causing the flower to drop.

It could be, or it could be just that it is at the end of it's bloom cycle. When you buy an orchid "in bloom", you don't know how long it has been in bloom, and some can stay in bloom for months, while some blooms last only a day. I have Phals that the blooms will last for months, and Sobralias that only last 2 days, but will put out more blooms as the old ones die. Some will drop buds with a sudden change in atmosphere.
I don't do well with Oncidiums, so I can't tell you for sure.

Good to know

And tell us about your trip to 'Orchids Limited', pictures are welcome. I've never been there but have ordered from them years ago.

Oh, lucky you, Alex! What a great nursery to visit!! Please, please let us know how that went. I too would love to see pictures!