Cymbidium Backbulbs- Shelf-Life?

[Mira_]

Hi, newbie alert- I'm wondering, do you have to plant backbulbs immediately after dividing them or can they keep for a little while? It would be around 1-2 months.

[estación seca]

The sooner the better, so they can develop roots. Orchids without roots don't last long. If you really have to store them that long, put them in some almost-dry medium in a pot, place them where they are cool but not cold and make sure the exposed parts get some light.

[bil]

Why can't you replant them? Could you not just shove them in a pot so they grew a little?

[Cym Ladye]

I let mine dry a few days but you can actually just put them in a quart plastic Zip Lok bag in a well lit but not sunny space and let them sprout in that. I put a handful of very damp mix in the bottom of the bag, bury the BB 1/3, seal and line up the bags in a flat under my benches. They usually sprout within a couple of months and some are ready to pot up within 4-6 months or less. Just keep out of direct sun or they will cook!

There is always the exception but a BB generally does not grow roots once it is removed from the plant. It is the new growth which develops the viable roots for the future.