My first Cymbidium type orchid

[OrchideeNormus]

Well, the bug has bitten me again! I just couldn't pass this up today at the grocery store lol. It's my first cymbidium, it was on sale because it looks like poo.Yes, yes, I know I jump in but what can I say? I'll never know if it's a good fit if I don't try lol.
I've been reading about them and so far, they seem fairly easy. I thought I would come by here and see what kind of advice y'all have. I am not really sure if these kinds of orchids have just really unattractive foliage or if there's something going on with this one. The root system appears to be healthy but the psuedo bulbs look like absolute garbage, even after I cleaned them up. The flowers are looking pretty poor as well. I'm considering just cutting the spike and try to display the nice looking flowers in a vase.
I'm going to have to order some medium for it before I can repot it, it seems this is the perfect time to do it. I think I'm gonna go with a bark mix for this one. I'm waiting on opinions/ advice before I do anything. I included some pictures of the plant to show the roots, psuedo bulbs and general appearance. The close up of the leaves is to show some spotting I'm unsure if I should be concerned about. I'm open to ANY care advice. Also, don't mind the dusty dirty table, it's an outside table and it's extremely dusty here lol. I've given up trying to keep it clean! On that note, I live in southern Arizona so the temps are high in the summer (high 90's, sometimes 100+) and cold in the winter (it drops below freezing frequently, especially at night). Dry most of the year, with the exception of monsoon season. During the summer humidity will be high in my home because I have a good ol swamp cooler, aka evaporative cooler and it definitely keeps the humidity on the high side. I recently purchased a small evaporative humidifier for my living room to keep the humidity and airflow up during the winter months. I plan on keeping this plant in particular outside as long as I can, I realise once the temps start getting hotter than the 80's I gotta bring it inside. I'll probably be bringing it inside at night for now as well because it still is in the 40s (43 tonight). Let me know if you think this is a good plan, or a horrible one lol. I appreciate any and all advice 🙂

[Dollythehun]

FWIW, they generally need a 20 degree difference between night and day in order to set buds. My plants didn't get that this fall. They only got cold with no swing. They didn't bloom. I use repotme.com's cymbidium mix. But I have used bark and others here use many different mediums.

Your plant looks like it has been underwatered. Otherwise, I don't think it looks bad. Good find. We really do have some ultra expert cymb growers here. I just dabble. They'll weigh in soon.

[Roberta]

Nothing wrong with that plant that a little love won't cure. Don't sweat the leaf spotting... it happens. It needs a bigger pot and fresh mix for sure. I use small bark with perlite - Cyms want to be a bit on the damp side though not soggy. As for growing conditions... In summer if you can give a little shading especially at mid-day, the triple-digit (F) temps are no problem at all. In winter, a few degrees of frost (like down to 29 deg F) are also no problem, especially if it warms up during the day. If you're expecting significant frost, you can keep the plant happy by tossing a bed sheet over it, maybe with a string of incandescent Christmas lights for a bit of warmth. When it's hot and dry, just water more. Time-release fertilizer when you repot is also helpful, saves you a lot of work. Cyms are just about the most durable orchid you can own. No need to pamper, it needs outdoor light and temperature range. Thrives on abuse. Enjoy!

[OrchideeNormus]

Dollythehun - I was looking at their potting mix, I like it. It looks like it will hold a nice amount of moisture. I'll probably end up going with that. As far as the temperature swing, I got that covered here. The desert definitely swings!

Roberta - you've confirmed most of what I've read. I think it will be a good fit in this climate. I'll try leaving it outside tonight and see how it looks in the morning. If it likes it out there I would like to leave it! It looks better on my porch than in my house.

Thank you both for the input

[Roberta]

43 deg F at night? Not even exciting. Also... old leaves do get ratty - but especially in the fall, they drop off. Don't be in a rush to remove leafless back bulbs that are firm (not an issue this time, everything looks fine, you'll want to keep everything attached) until you need the space in the pot. They're energy storage for the new growth. No rush to repot other than getting it out of bad mix. (I have potted Cyms as early as now, or as late as July or August, and had them not miss a beat either way)

[OrchideeNormus]

I was just guessing 43 might be too low, the internets says between 50 and 80 lol. I don't plan on taking anything off it, with the exception of the dried stuff leftover from previous leaves and sheaths (already did that, and a few flowers that were really messed up). I don't think it's got enough psuedo bulbs to divide it or anything. I might just hold off on repotting until fall, or at least until I see new growth. It fits so perfectly in this old cacti skeleton lol

[Dollythehun]

Mine were out after freezing. I covered them with a tarp. Roberta told me to bring them in they had "gotten the memo." But, they didn't.

I like repotme. Their customer service has been excellent and I like their mixes a lot.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by OrchideeNormus

I was just guessing 43 might be too low, the internets says between 50 and 80 lol. I don't plan on taking anything off it, with the exception of the dried stuff leftover from previous leaves and sheaths (already did that, and a few flowers that were really messed up). I don't think it's got enough psuedo bulbs to divide it or anything. I might just hold off on repotting until fall, or at least until I see new growth. It fits so perfectly in this old cacti skeleton lol

Cyms are not particularly picky about new growth for repotting... they will produce it in the next few months anyway. My main concern is that if it has been in that mix for more than a couple of years, that the media may be turning to mud at the bottom. Don't wait until the roots (which at least the visible ones look very good) start to deteriorate. If it will fit back into the same pot, fine (they do like "tight shoes") but especially since they like to stay damp, the mix does break down leading to root death and you want to avoid that. Fall is too late to pot.... August is pushing it. Ideal time is spring, once it is done blooming - so somewhere between April and June is best.

---------- Post added at 03:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:49 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Mine were out after freezing. I covered them with a tarp. Roberta told me to bring them in they had "gotten the memo." But, they didn't.

I like repotme. Their customer service has been excellent and I like their mixes a lot.

Frost in Indiana is a whole lot more serious in than southern Arizona... A few degrees is no big deal, snowstorms not advisable...

[Dollythehun]

Roberta... I would never allow that But the temp differential is important. Mine didn't get that.

[OrchideeNormus]

Roberta - duly noted! Luckily, I have spent most of my life in southern Oregon so I've learned the difference between a frost and a HARD frost lol. In my area we do actually get quite cold during the winter. We've even had two snow storms this season lol. The winters are short lived, last week it was below freezing, this week is like spring. I'll make sure to cover it up or just bring it inside when it's severely cold. A plastic tarp is typically what I have on hand for a light frost so I'll go with that when needed