What makes a cymbidium "early" vs "late"?

[MN Tomato]

So I have this cranky old cymbidium, and I don't want to jinx it so I am only going to say um, there could be something actually happening with it this year. But it only started showing spikes in late December. I'm in Minnesota, and we keep it outside until "hard freeze" (predicted below about 27° F) and then bring it in. That was November this year, which is late, although it got brought into the garage once or twice before that. So that might have something do with it.

This year we also shut off the heat to a spare bedroom and so the temperature in there stays 50-55 which has also helped probably. So it's had below 55 nights since about mid October at least.

I went to the orchid show put on by the Minnesota Orchid society this weekend at Como Zoo and Conservatory, and had some lovely talks with the orchid society members there. There were a few cymbidiums in bloom on display, and the people that had cymbidiums all said they did the very same thing to theirs that I described in my first paragraph. And some had blooms now and some are still just starting spikes despite the same treatment.

But they all said they weren't "cymbidium people" and so couldn't answer why some are earlier and some are later, so I thought I would put it to you all. Is it something in its ancestry? Do some really need a much longer chill than others, or how does it work? If I would like to buy some varieties with earlier blooming times, what would I look for? I have never seen that in descriptions.

I read the very interesting and helpful Floribunda articles about how Dutch growers time their cymbidiums to bloom year round, and it describes them as "early" and "late". But I was not sure whether this refers to the "natural" behavior of a variety or actually the season they are prepping them for -- forcing I guess you would call it with narcissus bulbs.

[Fairorchids]

Ignoring the Dutch growers for a moment, it is genetics (ancestry), that determines whether a Cymbidium blooms early, midseason or late. There are a very few plants (mostly 'table tops', aka 'warmth tolerant'), which can bloom randomly throughout the year, but they are very much the exception.

When the Dutch 'time' the blooming by manipulating light & temperatures, they are doing so with a collection of different clones, each of which has an individual normal blooming time. They can make an 'early' bloom 'extra early', or 'a little later', but they can't make it bloom in April. With enough varieties to work with, they can then produce flowers throughout the year.

I grow a lot of Cymbidiums. I move some/most outside each eyar, but anything that has not been repotted yet, stays inside till I get it done. If I do not get it repotted till July, then it stays inside all that summer. I have noticed, that the plants that go outside tend to bloom earlier than siblings that stay inside (and repotted later).

[Roberta]

The bloom time of Cyms is definitely heavily influenced by their ancestry. The peak of Cymbidium blooming is roughly February through April so that is sort of the "early" vs "late" reference point. Many of the so-called warmth-tolerant Cyms tend to be "early" - like late summer and fall. They are bred not to need a fall cool-down that "standard" Cyms need to bloom. I have some of these (Cym ensifoliium is in the background of most) that start blooming as early as August (really "early") through November. Then, I have Cym Kuranda (Cym madidum x suave) that blooms for me in June. Is it "early" or "late"? With a bunch of plants, of different ancestry, I have only a month or two that are "Cymbidium-less" Now, within the "normal" range, weather can shift the blooming time - for the ones that do want that fall cool-down (cool nights and warm days), if the weather pattern is "off" - for instance there have been years where the nights didn't cool off until October/November, the bloom cycle was shifted as much as 6 weeks to 2 months later relative to most years.

Now, I live in "Cymbidium heaven" - these are back yard plants that grow and bloom very easily, in response to environmental triggers and whatever their ancestry dictates. This is a different situation than for commercial growers in places like the Netherlands who are growing for particular markets and go to a great deal of trouble to accomplish that. (I put them on the patio, squirt with a hose when I think about it and they just do their thing)

[MN Tomato]

Thank you, that is very interesting and helpful. The idea of "extra early" or "a little later" early makes it very clear. My plant (now actually spread into four large nursery pots) is a NOID standard cymbidium from a blooming plant arrangement many years ago so I don't know its genetics. But understanding the regular range as Feb-April is very useful.

When I was a student many years ago I spent time in Athens, Greece which is also probably a "cymbidium heaven". There was an old-school cafe I would go past a lot that had huge tubs of what I recognize now as cymbidiums on its covered patio, and they bloomed in the cold and rainy months of winter, so that makes sense.

I would love to recreate that so I am thinking to get a few more different varieties (so that I have cymbidiums that don't bloom in different colors, ha ha). I have plenty of room, if I can find someone to take some of the spare divisions of Ol' Cranky off my hands. To any Minnesotans about, I am thinking of hiding them among the daylilies at the neighborhood church plant sale come June. Message me!

I think I will have to look to mail order to get more, because even the better nurseries here seem to carry only the regular phalenopsis for orchids most of the time. Weren't any for sale at the show either except for a few goeringii.

I have looked at seedlings at Casa de las Orquideas but I would wait until it gets warmer so as not to freeze them in the mail. I have had my eye on one of your pendant crosses too Kim, if there are any left! Though I don't know if I am a seasoned enough cymbidium grower to qualify for plants with actual pedigrees.

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

[Fairorchids]

To most people, pedigree is just a plastic label with a name. They grow all the same.

I keep strict track of names, so I can register any new hybrids I might develop (and charge a few more $ for the plants).

[Cym Ladye]

If you are looking for the warmer growing, intermediate sized plant, contact Bob Harris of the Orchid People in Hawaii. He is developing several nice new genetic strains of Intermediate sized plants which will grow and bloom in areas like yours. Stay with known hybridizers when shopping. Check the AOS list of orchid nurseries too.