First Cymbidium! Lucky find, and a question.

[Abbie9]

I had no intention at all of adding to my collection when I went grocery shopping yesterday, but of course I still always have to walk by the orchid display just in case... I've never seen any orchids other than Phals, Oncids, and Dendros for sale in local places like Home Depot, Kroger, Trader Joe's, etc., so I was really surprised when I came across about a dozen gorgeous Cymbidums! (I'm guessing this is some Easter special thing?)

Most of them had 1-2 spikes in full bloom, and then I saw this beauty, and knew there was no way I was going home without it! This makes #13 in my collection.
5 spikes, 3 of them full of unopened buds!!




Anyway, I've never had a Cymbidium before, so my question is... the potting mix it came in, which is close to regular potting soil, will that be OK to leave it in for a while until it's done blooming? Normally I immediately repot into something with more aeration, but I'm thinking since it seems to be thriving in that environment, I'd rather leave it alone for now... but I have no idea if Cymbids do fine in a more wet type of root environment like that in the long-term.

Any advice from personal experience? I've read med-cool temps, bright light, regular orchid watering schedule, etc. Seems pretty basic as far as orchid care goes. It's not going to stay on that windowsill, I've got it under my LED lights with the rest of my plants now. (Although, it's kind of overtaking the whole setup! I'm going to need more lights and more shelf space soon!)

Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks!

-Abbie

[Ordphien]

Cymbidium are always available at those box stores in my area...
That's a beautiful one. Any fragrance?


A few of the commercial growers use a peat based potting medium that's looks a lot like soil.
It's fine for the orchid but looks scary lol...
Our maybe it's soil lol...

I'm new to cyms but mine have been growing like crazy under my care.
They get an hour out two of direct morning sun, strong dappled sunlight all day, and full sun for an hour at noon, and 3 hours of direct full sun in the afternoon.

They are outside and have been getting temps down into the 30's and up to 85.
I don't fertilize, I just mixed in osmocote into the potting medium.
They are all in 1 gallon nursery pots, and potted in coarse chunky bark mix.

And I water them.... around once a week...
To be honest they are my most un demanding orchids.
I set them outside and water them when I remember.
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[Abbie9]

Thanks for the info! And yes, it is quite fragrant, at least compared to the rest of my orchids.

I will leave it be for now and see how it goes!

[NYCorchidman]

These common standard cymbidiums are terrestrial so the growers use different mix than regular orchids (epiphyte) mix.

They need moist at all time but still good drainage.
I don't think LED set up works well for cymbidiums mainly because it is so tall. the light will only be hittig the top portion of the plants. If you want to try aritificial lighting for cymbidiums, it will have to be something very strong so you can hang the light quite a distance from the plant yet the plant still received a good enough light from the set up.
Otherwise, you want to find a good bright location as the other member mentioned.

At the moment, you don't have to worry too much about the light and just enjoy the bloom.
Try and keep the plant not too warm indoor as doing so will either blast the entire spike or shorten up the life of the bloom depending on how warm.

Good Luck!

[shaelyn]

those pink blooms are pretty! that looks just like some I saw at Kroger today...I had to pick up two myself
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...s/100_2783.jpg

I'm reading up on them as much as I can too. my inner phal grower says to repot immediately, given that greenhouse mixes aren't necessarily best for the home, and you gotta check out what the roots are doing...but specifically for Cymbidiums, I keep reading otherwise. I'm going to hold off on repotting these too.

anywho, here's the other thread I found that may help you:
http://www.orchidboard.com/community...cymbidium.html

Originally Posted by Cym Ladye

Leave it for now. Absolutely DO NOT REPOT a Cym until it is through its primary flush of blooming. Put it in a pretty cache pot so it will not tip over. Just do not let it sit in water. Repot in the spring when it warms up and the bloom is essentially over.

good luck! yours is beautiful <3

[Abbie9]

Thanks all! Yeah, the lighting setup seems... not ideal. The height and width of the leaf spread is overshadowing my other plants, and like was mentioned above, doesn't seem very effective. Might just keep it in a big window for now, or put it outside.

Good luck with your new additions too, Shae! Mine also came from Kroger, haha. I guess they are pretty generic, but oh well, still just as pretty

[shaelyn]

gorgeous

[birdybrain]

I was sorely tempted several times when these were available a few weeks ago in my area, but they are a bit too large with my current space limitations. Yours is really beautiful!