Confused about Cymbidium winter rest

[stonedragonfarms]

I'm somewhere in the middle of Water Witchin & Estacion Seca--ie it's of great help to know the parentage of your plants. for 80% of my Cyms I practice more or less what WW outlines [I apply Nutrigrow pellets after repotting/blooming at the end of April & water/fertilizer water all spring, summer & up to the end of October; after that it's straight water only; I only apply time-release ferts 1x a year]; the remaining 20% of my plants Cyms though are either section Jensoa [ie 'Asian' type cymbidiums] or Austrocymbidium [ie Aussie Native types/hybrids]--these need more dialed in culture depending on the specific plant/parentage. Some, like Cym. goeringii or Cym. canaliculatum need a more pronounced cessation of watering/water availability to flower well [if at all], while others, Cym. sinense for example, continue plugging away with no reduction of fertilizer, water or light.
Your specific question was about fertilizer reduction; in my collection, I follow the rule of thumb used for resting [ie water reduction] Laelias: circle Halloween [31 October] & St. Patty's [17 March] on your calendar; no fertilizer for that duration, straight water only [if you're using this as a watering rest guideline, no pour through the pot watering or repeated saturation of mounts--switch on intermittent misters or increase RH only]
Just my $.03

[Roberta]

I also treat Cyms the same all year. I'll give them all a dose of time-release fertilizer in the spring, then fertilize with the liquid fert that I use for everything, whenever I do the yard. The time release helps in that Cyms grow fairly fast and so need more than most of the other orchids, so it supplements what I give my whole collection.

[DirtyCoconuts]

just an outlying anecdote - i treat them the same all year and i will water them about weekly when it is not raining down here.

the sun moves but the plants do NOT so they get less light in the winter but still more than most orchids can handle. Cym golden elf is in the front yard in full sun for 60% of the day. just a little shade at the peak of the day

Chens ruby is under an eave and only gets full sun until 11 but has three spikes now.

i keep mine limited to warm growers and their progeny but i really dont get too worried about winter rest. just the natural reduction in rain is the only change

[Fairorchids]

Cymbidiums require no rest period.

They grow year round (albeit slower in the winter).

It is the only genus, which I fertilize at full strength according to fertilizer manufacturer recommendations.

And, I should add, I NEVER let them go dry.

[varda.elentari]

Thank you all for your very helpful and informative responses!

Since mine seems to be a warm-growing miniature, I'll think I'll see how it responds to being treated the same year-round for now.

[Cym Ladye]

Cool winter weather, less rain, fertilize less. Never the serious "winter rest" some genera need.

[varda.elentari]

Mine didn't get the memo that it's winter actually - it's growing actively, new shoots and everything!

[Roberta]

One of the wonderful things about Cyms...in winter, when most other plants are not doing much, they are in their glory.

[Shadeflower]

although lots of mine are extremely active at the moment ( I need more summer active orchids) my cymb is busy making a rest growth too.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Shadeflower

although lots of mine are extremely active at the moment ( I need more summer active orchids) my cymb is busy making a rest growth too.

Cymbidiums in general don't rest in winter. They are growing... as yours is. (There are exceptions to every generalization about orchids... Cym. canaliculatum needs to be drier in winter, but you're not likely to be growing that one. Hybrids, and most of the Cym species, are active in winter, no particular change in conditions)