Oncidium sotoanum: care update!

After a bit of a fizzer last year, this year my Oncidium sotoanum has burst forth with eight spikes of lightly fragrant blooms! This cool growing species is remarkably easy to grow once you find the right spot, so in this video I'll go through what worked this year...and what didn't last year! And go over basic care and a brief look at it's hybrid offspring the Twinkle orchids.
This is the short I made about potting up the seedling Twinkle orchid: • #shorts Potting a seed...
And this is the seller I bought my Oncidium sotoanum from: darkstarorchid... however this seller actually has some! robertsonorchi...
(If you are overseas Australian growers are not able to ship internationally.)

[@michaelmccarthy4077]

sotoanum is probably the most floriferous species. I have seen specimens produce five spikes from a single bulb. This trait doesn't always present in the progeny, but there are a few that do other than Twinkles. One that might interest you should you ever see it is Rosy Sunset. The flowers are a bit larger than sotoanum and it produces loads of them on multiple spikes.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thank you - I'll see if it's around.

[@polinapechenkina2453]

Gorgeous orchid! You did a great job getting it to bloom like that.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@katiagassarino8823]

Really wonderful orchid, I’ll have to buy one. Thanks Matthew!

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@navin7633]

Please do a video / series on how to pot. Thanks a lot in advance.

[@helloplantlovers]

Good idea! I will.

[@viktorijastumpf528]

Wow,such a beauty!

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@deemaxwell4172]

How lovely! I now have great hopes for mine which I purchased back in October.

[@helloplantlovers]

Good luck with yours!

[@sannekemartha7737]

Thank you for this video !! Kind regards from The Netherlands, in Europe.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@lisascenic]

You are an absolute treasure, Matthew

[@helloplantlovers]

Well thank you for watching!

[@patsfreund9164]

WOW! Certainly enjoyed watching this video! What a beautiful oncidium. You have done a wonderful job caring for this plant. I just love oncidiums....I've found them to be very easy-care and very floriferous. Thanks for sharing.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@barrydeutschmann8068]

Hi Matthew from CT ; I took my twinkle fragrance fantasy to our Cape Orchid Society last night along with the Pleurothallis Restrepiodes and a Seasnake ; all of which I do believe you have ! The twinkle you have looks close to blooming ; maybe one more year ! The scent is crazy !! Would like to send you pics but IT challenged! Thanks for your videos I find them very cool and we are in similar areas so I tell everyone I know here to watch and learn! Keep well and if you ever come to Cape Town we would love to host you at a meeting !

[@helloplantlovers]

Thank you! I'd love to!

[@Sheesha87]

I got an oncidium twinkle "red" from Bunnings in the same little tubes! It flowered only a month after buying it. It has wonderful tiny dark red fragrant flowers.

[@helloplantlovers]

Oh lucky you!! Mine's still a wee thing!

[@Sheesha87]

@@helloplantlovers mine is almost the same size as yours, so maybe you will be lucky enough to be rewarded with blooms soon.

[@helloplantlovers]

Really?? Mine seems a million miles from blooming....but we live in hope!!!@@Sheesha87

[@lienlienchan]

I agreed with you that this plant like to dried a little bit before watering again. My plant is small but it 's producing spikes so I'm expecting it to bloom in the a month or 2 months. I love this plant.

[@helloplantlovers]

Good luck with yours!

[@bacchanalbeauties8957]

Wow beautiful orchid, great job

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@BrendaW-j5x]

Hi Matthew, love your videos. I'm in Sydney & have 20+ different types of Twinkles. Mainly got mine at local orchid shows & online from various QLD orchid nurseries. They flower from May to Sept.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@rebeccayu5571]

I bought my Twinkle from a grower called The Orchid Place south of Sydney.

[@AlonaMeyer]

Hi Matthew, thank you for your videos. I'm in a hunt for sotoanum couple years now, but here in WA is more complicated to purchase orchids. I bought same Twinkle from Bunnings a few months ago and it's in spikes now. My other Twinkles (red, yellow and white) I bought from Rosella and they bloom every year. Our weather conditions are very similar as I live in the Southwest. 😊

[@helloplantlovers]

Try joining a few orchid groups and see if you can find one at one of their plant sales? I love the SW - my Mum lived in Bridgetown!

[@besottedorchids3605]

I just ordered one from ecuagenera.

[@AlonaMeyer]

@@helloplantlovers Thank you for your reply. I am a member of local orchid club, but not many people here have variety. Most common orchids are Australian natives. I love Bridgetown, such a cute little town, going there tomorrow to buy a few plants from one of our club members, he is going downsize.

[@christianer7802]

Here in the States, I bought an Oncidium Twinkle last fall, smallish plant, and it's sent out 4 small spikes of golden flowers. I was so surprised, as I didn't expect it to bloom the first year!

[@helloplantlovers]

That sounds promising! Thanks for watching!

[@LaplaceDaemon]

Amazing looking plant! I looked up the origin of the name in the publication where it was described. It isn’t a descriptive name, it’s named after someone. Auto-translated from Spanish: ,,ETHYMOLOGY: We dedicate this species to our collaborator and teacher, recently deceased, Miguel Ángel Soto Arenas, for his dedication to the knowledge of biodiversity, particularly orchids, for having shared his knowledge in field trips and discussions.“

[@helloplantlovers]

Oh how wonderful!! Thanks for looking it up!

[@giardinodialberi8751]

MORE ETYMOLOGY: Thanks for this brilliant research, LaplaceDaemon. I wish I had read your Comment before I tore off on a two-hour rampage through my nomenclature books and the internet, only to arrive at two guesses that were vaguely close to your stellar conclusion. Just to add a few spices to the soup, here are a few more factoids. - - - - - - - - - - CAUTION: I'm no expert. - - - - - FOR THE BASE "SOTO": Matthew, you were right when you related "thicket" at timestamp 3:00, as the plant is from forests in Central America, and according to two online sources, (1) Soto translates to copse or grove. ALSO (2) Soto is a Spanish surname. A genealogy site says the last name Soto is a "surname of Spanish origins commonly thought to refer to one who lived near or in a forest or grove of trees, or possibly a swamp." - - - - - FOR THE SUFFIX "ANUM": The suffix "-ianum" is an alternate way to honor a person, e.g. Smithianum, according to How Plants Get Their Names (Liberty Hyde Bailey, 1933). I theorize that if the specific epithet were designed to describe the grove or thicket habitat, the Latin would NOT be "soto" + "ianum", it would be simply "soto" + "um" perhaps, if you follow the pattern of "aquatic" + "um" in Myriophyllum aquaticum.

[@iris_13113]

This is the orchid that made me find your channel when I got it last year. It took your video and some fails to get it to finally be in a good spot. Thank you. But unlike many for me the scent is strong and it triggers my Allergies, all my living room (where this orchid is) is filled with it's scent, my mother thinks the scent is mind. I do get the vanilla to it, but it's mix in a peppery/spicy scent and that is what it makes me sneeze like crazy. I still like the orchid and the flowers but my allergies don't.

[@helloplantlovers]

Oh no! Mine isn't super strong I have say - you have to really be close to it. Thanks for watching!

[@barbararadzeviciusbondi4150]

Hello Matthew. Love your knowledge sharing and enthusiasm for these small orchids. We have taken a DEEP DIVE into Oncidiums and small flower orchids. I still have my grandfathers Orchid reference books..so lucky. I've just made a Special Episode of my podcast Bondi Crafter, on a visit to the Orchid Place in Heathcote, NSW. So many beautiful plants.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@sunnysun8683]

Yes, I've also got Onc twinkle gold. Lovely sweet smell. You will live it too. Good lucky. ❤

[@helloplantlovers]

Thank you!

[@newmanmansell760]

What a beautiful Oncidium😊🙏💞I have two Oncidiums. The weather here in Japan has dry sunny and cold winters, but because the temperature can drop down to -6℃, they need to be put into a greenhouse. I enjoyed watching and learning😌🤲

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@nikibliona4713]

What a beauty!!❤❤

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@besottedorchids3605]

I just ordered this from Ecuagenera. I can only hope it lives up to the gloriousness of yours.

[@helloplantlovers]

Good luck with yours!

[@besottedorchids3605]

Can you order from US nurseries? If so hauserman has the cheirophorum

[@helloplantlovers]

@@besottedorchids3605 Hi there - no - you can't import any plant material into Australia.

[@roslynbarclay1000]

Fabulous oncidium display! I’ve bought a pink, yellow & white twinkle from nurseries. I’ve just seen an orange one posted by a Perth resident! I’m jealous! I’ve asked locally but apparently orange ones are difficult & fussy so not popular with nurseries.

[@helloplantlovers]

Interesting! Thanks for watching!

[@besottedorchids3605]

I have the cheirophorum. It's a very small plant probably my smallest blooming orchid.

[@helloplantlovers]

Oh - I 'm definitely on the hunt for it!

[@sannaericditsler4034]

Thank you.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@besottedorchids3605]

My sotoanum just arrived from Ecuador ! Even came with two small spikes and a few blooms

[@helloplantlovers]

Goodness! That's a journey!! Good luck with it!

[@roslynbarclay1000]

Im back! Rosella orchids in N.S.W. & Robertsons nursery QLD both have twinkles & are reliable to buy on line. I’ve bought many healthy plants from both. Good luck!

[@helloplantlovers]

Yes - I've bought from Rosella before....I'll have a look! Thank you!

[@KerynWhite-dj4jd]

Hi Matthew, I have 4 colour range Twinkles, I loved them and their fragrance so much I went on the hunt for Cheirophorum and Sotoanum, my Twinkle’s mum and dad, which I am happy to say I have now, quite the little family happening. They are currently all together on a stand indoors (we get winter frost) flowering their little heads off and look and smell amazing, except for Sotoanum, which during the day I have to have outside the window so I can see it and of a winter’s night I have to put it in the laundry as IT STINKS!! I have no idea why when it’s children smell so amazing. I don’t know if it’s just mine because when you put your nose to yours I shuddered 😂. Mine smells like a pair of dirty old socks. I wonder if any of your viewers have a stinker like mine?

[@helloplantlovers]

That's hilarious!! Are you in Australia? Did you find Cheirophorum here?

[@KerynWhite-dj4jd]

@@helloplantlovers yes I am Matthew, Hunter Valley NSW and it was purchased from a state near you. I had been hunting for Cheirophorum for over a year and she only arrived to me last week, so she is new. You said recently that you seemed to have a theme happening with your orchids, it struck a chord as I realised so do I. I emailed every orchid nursery I could find, even hunted for a flask. Plenty of this orchid in the US of course, but not here. I have been told it is rare here and also hard to grow 😩 Every few days I would search for it on google and nothing, nothing, nothing, but then bingo, she showed up on eBay, I nearly fell off my chair. I don’t know if it is Kosher or legal to say exactly from where she came on here without approval, out of respect I wouldn’t want the person inundated. My advice would be to just keep hunting google and eBay 😀 PS I won’t tell you what I paid for it, or you would fall off your chair!! The things we do for our collections. 😁 Also, if you can’t source one and mine gets big enough to divide a piece, you will be my first port of call 😉

[@sylviabeichert943]

What a terrific show of flowers!! With all those flower spikes, does it require more fertilizer than most oncidiums & should fertilizer feeding stop in winter? Thanks Matthew. Thanks Matt

[@helloplantlovers]

I don't feed it any more than my other Oncidiums and I always stop feeding in winter.

[@cheriparks5162]

after watching the video I was determined to get one of these and then discovered one in my orchid area that I bought last month, lol

[@helloplantlovers]

Ha! Perhaps it's time for an orchid inventory on your phone!

[@donnaread4109]

Hi Mathew the Twinkle will look the same as Sotoanum might have fragrance. I got mine at an orchid Nursery in NSW Tinnonee Is the. Name

[@helloplantlovers]

Thank you!

[@nariepittman4632]

Oh your Sotoanum is lovely. I have two Twinkles, Fragrant Fantasy and one called Red 😅. My “Red” I also found in Bunnings (Hervey Bay). Never seen one since. My Red one is still growing and hasn’t flowered but has got yellow tips which my larger one doesn’t. Same conditions, same light, same water and fertiliser. Would over watering and fertiliser cause yellow tips? Definitely not sunburn.

[@helloplantlovers]

Yes - could be more sensitive that it's friend - have a look at the roots if you can - and if all's well try reducing fertiliser and allowing it to dry a bit more between watering. Good luck!

[@nariepittman4632]

@@helloplantlovers thank you 😊

[@mousekiss6477]

Splendiferous display on your O.sotoanum! I'm in Melbourne and just bought 3 twinkles last mnth - a small red with 4 spikes, a smaller yellow with 2 aged spikes, and an even smaller white, which like your white, was in a plastic pocket (mine was $10) I got all 3 frm Collectors Corner of Gardenworld in Braeside

[@helloplantlovers]

Ah!! I might have to make a pilgrimage out there!

[@mousekiss6477]

@@helloplantlovers Gardenworld is huge. I recommend going in the morning so you have plenty of time to see everything, esp for a first visit. They have a normal garden section, a pond section, and my favourite, the Collectors Corner. CC stock orchids, cacti/succulent, hoyas, bonsai and crystal/gemstones as well as a smattering of other fancy plantings/plants (in the "sauna" room for baby/sensitive orchids, they had a few Monstera deliciosa mint for $100/$200)

[@helloplantlovers]

@@mousekiss6477 Oh I've been MANY times before!

[@helloplantlovers]

@@mousekiss6477 I even made a 'Christmas special' video there! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mF7JlJ-lq9WojLc

[@mousekiss6477]

@@helloplantlovers Ahh! I thought it odd that a Melbournite plant lover didn't know it 😄

[@EMuro-wu7uy]

Those are gorgeous, just got my first oncidium orchid. It looks terrible. Any tips are appreciated

[@helloplantlovers]

I have a whole Play list! You might find something useful here: kzbin.info/aero/PLXVNKHj1A0dR7MByCRUkauBU8E6cc68HD

[@marygorchidsmore2058]

Gorgeous oncidium sotoanum, sooo many blooms!!! In your experience you think she needs lots of water so in theory she could do good in semihydro set up? Mine is in semihydro but it's not growing as well as I excepted to, so I'm thinking may be to switch over to bark and moss. What is your media?

[@helloplantlovers]

Hi there - all of my orchids are in a version of a bark mix. This one is in a pretty standard Oncidium mix: medium bark | perlite | sphagnum moss | a little charcoal. I've never used semihydro so couldn't say.

[@paulheyman1849]

Rosella Orchids at Grafton Barrita Orchids also have them. Cheers

[@helloplantlovers]

Thank you!

[@MrKylesorchids]

I wish I could hear you. I've tried everything. Maybe put your mic on the other side because that's the way you tilt your head. Otherwise, I enjoy your videos.

[@helloplantlovers]

Oh that's a shame! Thanks for watching anyway!

[@penelopecooke2127]

Hi loving your videos - where do you get the big bamboo stands you use?

[@helloplantlovers]

I get them on line from: nisbets.com.au

[@sabikeralasafarabi2103]

🥰👍🏻🥰

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@sabikeralasafarabi2103]

പ്ലാന്റ് തരോ

[@iBme-uBu]

Hi Matthew. I’m in south east Queensland and like the lady from Hervey Bay bought an oncidium twinkles ‘ct red girl’ from our local Bunnings. Had buds on it when I bought it and it’s flowering now. Not the most spectacular flowers I’ve ever seen I must admit. If I remember correctly Bunnings had other coloured twinkles on that day too. I have a very reputable orchid nursery near me and I highly recommend them for buying in store or online. Robertsons Orchids Woombye. The have been in the orchid business for many years. Online catalogue isn’t so great but if you email them they could possibly have any oncidiums you may be looking for. I’ve bought a few twinkle style oncidiums from them.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thank you - yes I've bought from Roberstons over the years! Never a Twinkle in Bunnings in Melbourne though!