What is wrong with my Cymbidium?

[supersheep]

I'm hoping someone can help me save my Cymbidium, as I'm not sure what's wrong with it. I've never had a Cymbidium before and this was given to me as a present. It had three connected pseudo-bulbs, all with green shoots, but very few roots when I was given it. It wasn't in any medium, so I put it in a clear pot with holes and used some orchid potting mixture (the make was Orchid Focus, mainly bark chippings). I put it on a windowsill that doesn't get a lot of direct sunlight, but there's not a lot of choice in my house. Another window gets a lot of sunshine and I think this may be too much (it killed one of my Phalaenopsis last year during an unexpected heat wave)

This Cymbidium didn't do anything for a couple of months, but then I noticed the shoots on one bulb were going all brown - from the outside in. I feared an infection, so I removed this pseudo-bulb. The rest of the plant seemed fine, but then the brown seemed to spread and now the other two pseudo-bulbs are growing brown. A few of the leaves have gone brown too and snapped off. The pseudo-bulbs are still firm to the touch though.

I've attached a few pictures to show what I mean.

Does anyone know what's wrong with it and what I can do to help.

[cbuchman]

In general, Cyms like lower temps and much more light than Phaleonopsis. It also looks quite wet. Was it just watered? Do you have good air movement?

[supersheep]

Yeah, I just watered it today. I wasn't sure if they liked more or less water than Phals, but as I had a tendency to over-water phals, I was being cautious and not watering this one too much.

There is good air movement, but it's kinda like either in full on direct sunlight facing South - and getting hot! Or very little sunlight facing North, but cool. Which do you think would be best?

There is still hope for it, then?

[WhiteRabbit]

Links to Cym culture here http://www.orchidboard.com/community...d.php?p=636559

Cyms like a lot of sun! They can take heat, but many require a period of cool nights in late summer - fall to initiate spikes. But, if yours is lacking in the roots department, I wouldn't expect it to spike this year. Right now, concentrate on recovery.

[james mickelso]

You drowned it. There were no roots to absorb moisture and it got too wet. There is enough energy in the pbulbs to grow new shoots until those new shoots get roots. When you watered it, it stayed wet and drowned. The connection where the new and old pbulbs was got fungal rot and it dies from the outside in. Sorry. I have grown lots of cyms where I didn't water them at all until the new growth had roots of there own. They just sat in a pot in warm temps and medium light. No media at all. I just lost three new shoots from three sets of old back bulbs because I watered them. You would think I would know better. Some make it. Some don't.

[supersheep]

Thanks for the help guys and the links. I'll move it to the sunny window and keep my fingers crossed.

Is there any way I can stop the rot? Should I take it out of the medium and just leave it in the pot on it's own?

Would I ever need to mist the leaves/shoots?

Sorry for all the questions, but I've looked at the links and other sites and I can't find much info on the stage my Cym is in at the moment - ie, pretty much just a bulb with a few shoots!

[Cym Ladye]

I suspect you cannot find any links to help with the current status of your plant because it is beyond help at this point when rot has started on so small a division. Sorry, I generally do not say this, but I recommend you toss it and move on to another genus more compatible with your indoor environment. The majority of Cyms. do not do well indoors all year long, and a sick plant has even less chance to recover.

[Corsetière]

I just had a major case of rot on one of my cymbidiums and it looked like your photo. It was recovering from some poor care that the seller gave it and I had it outside. It got rained on quite a bit with our last storm, which caused the rot.

It had a lot of pbulbs, so I cut out the rot, soaked in hydrogen peroxide, soaked in seaweed treatment, and I'm going to see if it rebounds. Good luck with yours too!

[Optimist]

There are 4000 or more types of orchids. Phals like low light. Cymbidiums like high light. Id even go so far as to say that cymbidiums can't be grown inside unless it is during a winter rest they need practically full sun. Even in the winter if I did not expect it to freeze I brought my pots outside.

[supersheep]

Thanks guys. I'll not toss it just yet though - I'll wait to see what happens.

I have got some hydrogen peroxide, so I might try that first.