New Cymbidiums from The Orchid People of Hawaii

[JScott]

So, all I really wanted was Cymbidium Keep Rolling By 'Orange 9', but all I could find were tiny seedling size plants, and I found one on Etsy for 60 dollars. I'm hesitant to order plants from Etsy anyway, and 60 is just absurd.

Then, I found it at The Orchid People of Hawaii for 25. The only problem there is that you have to buy 5 plants. They won't sell fewer than 5 plants at a time. Long story short, I eventually talked myself into doing it, because they had more than 5 that I would be happy to have, so finding 5 that I wanted was easy.

The plants got here today and they are magnificent. Every one of them is in spike, and they are all so healthy, almost bursting out of their 5 inch pots (I think I'll move them to 1 gallon pots once they are done blooming). I'm very happy with them, and I would recommend The Orchid People to anyone, if you are willing to buy at least 5.

[DirtyCoconuts]

Looking good!

[JScott]

I can't believe I've never successfully bloomed a cymbidium, and I just bought 5 of them lolololololol. But these are clones, not seedlings, so they are proven hot weather summer bloomers, so i should do better with these than with the seedlings I kept for 5 years until they were so heavy I could barely pick them up, and never got a single bloom.

And thank you! I'm thrilled with them. I'll post bloom pics of course when the flowers open.

[JScott]

I do have a question about the best way to handle them now that I have them. I have a great east window that gets the strong morning all day until the sun moves over the top of the house. I also have my backyard setup where they get filtered light all day (my Catts develop a nice almost yellow but still green color to them, and purple on the new growths, and they bloom, so I think it gets quite a bit of light out there).

It is my understanding that sudden changes in culture can cause Cymbidium buds to blast. What do you guys think is the best place for me to keep these while the buds develop? Keep in mind outside it is in the 90s every day, sometimes approaching 100, with nightly lows in the 70s, or often approaching 80.

Are the buds safer developing inside my house at my good east window, or should I just put them outside with the rest of my sun loving plants? The main thing that worries me about putting them outside is the heat. Would that much heat blast the buds?

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by JScott

It is my understanding that sudden changes in culture can cause Cymbidium buds to blast.

Quite possible JS. I have read that the group of cyms that require cold weather for decent chances of producing flower spike (not the warm weather spikers) can be known to abort the flower spike - even quite advanced stage spikes.

As for warm weather spikers ----- I definitely wouldn't be surprised if a change of growing conditions causes buds to blast. Will keep an eye and ear out about this.

[JScott]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Quite possible JS. I have read that the group of cyms that require cold weather for decent chances of producing flower spike (not the warm weather spikers) can be known to abort the flower spike - even quite advanced stage spikes.

As for warm weather spikers ----- I definitely wouldn't be surprised if a change of growing conditions causes buds to blast. Will keep an eye and ear out about this.

I know that is definitely true of the cool growers. Back in my younger days, I wanted so bad to grow Cymbidiums. I even bought several. They were in full bloom when I bought them, so the flowers were fine. Then they would grow new pseudobulbs, and all would be well. I would leave them outside, and we get the kind of fall weather that they need to spike, so they would start to spike. however, there comes a time when it is too cold to leave them outside any longer, so they had to come in, and when I brought them in, all the buds would blast. This went on for like three years before I finally gave up on them haha.

But I think that has more to do with the fact that Cymbidiums just need cold weather while the buds develop, and the change to warmer conditions caused the buds to blast.

With the warm growing ones, I don't know if moving them from one warm location to another warm location would pose any risk to the spikes, but I'd rather not chance it, and I'd like to keep my growing conditions as close to the ones they came from, and I don't think they came from a place where every day is 95, and the nights are 80, so I chose to keep them inside rather than put them outside. I'm sure if they were accustomed to my outside growing conditions they would be fine, but I think suddenly sticking them out there when it's 95 might make the buds blast, so I'll keep them inside until they bloom. Once they bloom and I repot them, they can go outside and I don't expect any problems.

---------- Post added at 08:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:51 AM ----------

The spikes are just starting to grow, they're only two or three inches tall at the moment. I don't know if that makes them more or less susceptible to blast from changing conditions, but I think it would make them less susceptible than they would be if they were farther along.

[Dollythehun]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Quite possible JS. I have read that the group of cyms that require cold weather for decent chances of producing flower spike (not the warm weather spikers) can be known to abort the flower spike - even quite advanced stage spikes.

As for warm weather spikers ----- I definitely wouldn't be surprised if a change of growing conditions causes buds to blast. Will keep an eye and ear out about this.

I have moved them up from the basement and had them blast. It's not cold down there either.

[JScott]

It's been 5 days, and the spikes are definitely growing well, so I think I'll keep them in the house by my good east window (gets direct sun from about 7 until about 1, Mayb not enough light to grow them there forever, but it should be enough to keep them happy while the buds develop) until after blooming and repotting. They seem happy where they are, so I'm just going to leave them there. And don't cooler temperatures tend to lead to better color on the blooms? I bring a lot of my outside plants inside during the summer while the buds are developing, because I feel like they have better color under the lights than they do when I leave them outside. Especially the Cattleyas seem susceptible to this. The flowers are even larger if I let the buds develop under the lights than if I leave them outside to develop.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

I have moved them up from the basement and had them blast. It's not cold down there either.

Dolly ------ I think that some environment measurement gear could probably help with comparing what changes there could be - light, temperature, humidity etc --- between the two spots where the orchid was. It's likely that something changed by an adequate amount, leading to the bud blast.

Originally Posted by JScott

However, once the buds reach a certain size, i will bring the plants back in. I do this with most of my outside plants. I find I get much better color when the buds do their final development in cooler temperatures. I've never lost a flower bud doing this. I think once they get big enough, they are very unlikely to blast. But I feel confident that the flowers will have better color with the buds developing where it is 70 degrees than where it is 95 degrees.

I have heard/read of spikes at various stages just 'aborting' (that's what they called it) ---- including relatively tall spikes without buds yet, as well as spikes with buds not yet large enough - just 'aborting' due to change in environment.

I think that what you noticed has truth in it ----- as in buds reaching a certain size (beyond a certain stage of development) gets the spike out of the 'danger' zone.

I have definitely seen tall promising spikes (with no buds forming yet) 'abort' - due to change in condition - such as shipped from temperate zone to tropical.

Fortunately, my Cym. Barrita Princess 'Princess' (I have two of them) - both had those late stage buds - and the flowers opened - so nice. The result was reported by growers to be expected - as in beyond a certain stage of bud growth, the chance of going on to flowering stage becomes high ---- or at least much higher than early stages.

Totally convinced that temperate climate cym flowers opening in the tropics - no problem. It's the spike development or spike formation triggering conditions - that's the problem for tropics here.

[JScott]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Dolly ------ I think that some environment measurement gear could probably help with comparing what changes there could be - light, temperature, humidity etc --- between the two spots where the orchid was. It's likely that something changed by an adequate amount, leading to the bud blast.




I have heard/read of spikes at various stages just 'aborting' (that's what they called it) ---- including relatively tall spikes without buds yet, as well as spikes with buds not yet large enough - just 'aborting' due to change in environment.

I think that what you noticed has truth in it ----- as in buds reaching a certain size (beyond a certain stage of development) gets the spike out of the 'danger' zone.

I have definitely seen tall promising spikes (with no buds forming yet) 'abort' - due to change in condition - such as shipped from temperate zone to tropical.

Fortunately, my Cym. Barrita Princess 'Princess' (I have two of them) - both had those late stage buds - and the flowers opened - so nice. The result was reported by growers to be expected - as in beyond a certain stage of bud growth, the chance of going on to flowering stage becomes high ---- or at least much higher than early stages.

Totally convinced that temperate climate cym flowers opening in the tropics - no problem. It's the spike development or spike formation triggering conditions - that's the problem for tropics here.

That has simply not been my experience. When I bring the plants inside where it is cooler for the buds to finish developing, the color is richer. This isn't an arbitrary conclusion I came too. Much epperientation has gone into me developing this method.I appreciate your concern , but that has never been an issue for me.

---------- Post added at 07:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:55 PM ----------

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

i sent them an email for a quote- i tried to stay away from the ones you got so we can swap in a while but i had to get that 'orange 9' !!!! woooooweeeeee hot to look at even

Hahahahaha, that was the one that made me order from him to begin with! I was looking for that one, and other than his, all I could find was a tiny baby one, and a 60 dollar one in a 4in pot on etsy. So I understand why you couldn't resist that one hahahaha. I couldn't resist it either. And I bet all of yours will be in spike too. All of mine are.

---------- Post added at 08:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:58 PM ----------

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Dolly ------ I think that some environment measurement gear could probably help with comparing what changes there could be - light, temperature, humidity etc --- between the two spots where the orchid was. It's likely that something changed by an adequate amount, leading to the bud blast.




I have heard/read of spikes at various stages just 'aborting' (that's what they called it) ---- including relatively tall spikes without buds yet, as well as spikes with buds not yet large enough - just 'aborting' due to change in environment.

I think that what you noticed has truth in it ----- as in buds reaching a certain size (beyond a certain stage of development) gets the spike out of the 'danger' zone.

I have definitely seen tall promising spikes (with no buds forming yet) 'abort' - due to change in condition - such as shipped from temperate zone to tropical.

Fortunately, my Cym. Barrita Princess 'Princess' (I have two of them) - both had those late stage buds - and the flowers opened - so nice. The result was reported by growers to be expected - as in beyond a certain stage of bud growth, the chance of going on to flowering stage becomes high ---- or at least much higher than early stages.

Totally convinced that temperate climate cym flowers opening in the tropics - no problem. It's the spike development or spike formation triggering conditions - that's the problem for tropics here.

And I think I misread what you are staying. Yes, I leave the plants where they are until the buds reach a certain size, and then I move them. So yes, I think you're right. Once buds reach a certain point in development, it is very unlikely that they will abort due to changes in condition. I think we are kind of saying the same thing.