Question on genetics and ease of blooming a cymbidium plant.

[DaylightFirefly]

My question is: how strongly genetic configuration of a cymbidium plant is connected to the ease of blooming?

In particular I’d like to understand how likely certain crosses or types of crosses are to have difficulties blooming?

I am thinking about adopting a cymbidium that professional grower or seller had difficulties to bloom? Just want to be realistic about my own expectations.

[Roberta]

Where do you live? Getting the conditions right for blooming the "standard" Cyms can be tricky. Where I live, they are easy - put them on the patio, squirt with a hose when you think about it, and they bloom, because the climate is perfect - warm, bright summers with relatively cool nights, a cool-down in the fall of a couple of months with warm days and cool nights, above-freezing nights in winter so they can get bright outdoor light. Pretty much everyplace outside of coastal California (Or southern Australia or Mediterranean Europe/Middle East or South Africa), there have to be compromises. Some Cyms have been bred to not need that fall cool-down and to be tolerant of hot, muggy summer nights and still bloom. There is, of course, a continuum. Some are more forgiving than others. That non-blooming Cym may be one of the less forgiving ones.

[Roberta]

Out of curiosity, do you have the name of that reluctant Cym? With a name, I'd be happy to look up the ancestry and at least make some guesses.

[DaylightFirefly]

I searched web and found this articleBrief Look at Polyploidy about polyploidy. I am curious if that could explain some of the difficulties with cymbidium blooms.

The orchid I am looking at is a cross between:
Cymbidium Snow Court,
Cymbidium Let Your Lovelight Shine,
Cymbidium Olymilum White Elf.

[Roberta]

Polyploidy affects what will and won't breed, but doubt that it has much to do with blooming, though a tetraploid may take semewhat longer to bloom on a young plant (but bigger flowers when it does).

Looking at species involved, I would expect this one to be fairly "warmth tolerant", that is , "not picky"... Both Snow Court and Olymilum are half floribundum (pumilum) which is actually a relatively warm-grower, and Let your Lovelight Shine has some Golden Elf and Peter Pan (both ensifolium hybrids) which would give warmth-tolerance too.

If this is a relatively young plant, maybe it just needs more time. (Especially if it's polyploid) If a mature plant, no idea why if it is grown under the same conditions as Cyms that do bloom. It certainly shouldn't be particularly picky about the climate thing. I'm guessing a nice white with lots of relatively small flowers, on a plant that isn't small (potential to become a beast but a lovely one)

[Dimples]

Would warm summer night temps (potentially staying above 70F/21C) for a couple months, followed by hot/warm days & cool nights in fall, be ok for Cyms? We’re on the boundary between coastal/inland. We’re inland enough that it feels a little generous to claim to be coastal, but not far enough inland to actually be inland. Lol

[Louis_W]

I do think that Cyms have a lot of polyploidy going on. I dont know much about them but ive heard of a few 6n hybrids.

My guess is that all the blooming issues dobt have to do with ploidy as much as ancestry and how the plants cultural needs are met. If you have one that needs a cold snap, and it doesnt get it, i may never bloom

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Dimples

Would warm summer night temps (potentially staying above 70F/21C) for a couple months, followed by hot/warm days & cool nights in fall, be ok for Cyms? We’re on the boundary between coastal/inland. We’re inland enough that it feels a little generous to claim to be coastal, but not far enough inland to actually be inland. Lol

Shouldn't be a problem. Depending on when the fall cool-down happens, bloom time can shift a bit. Last year was relatively cool (like historically "normal") but before that, there were a couple of years when it stayed hot to Thanksgiving, in those years the blooming was delayed by 4-6 weeks relative to prior (more "normal") years. Cyms adapt... In southern California, they get what they get and it doesn't seem to make any difference other than the timing. (I have a few Cyms that I've had for 25 years or so, and I track bloom dates, so have a fair amount of history)