Potting Media for Cyms???

[orchids3]

It kind of depends on where you grow. I had good luck with Fir bark in California and horse Manure would probably have worked but in Florida where I live now I like the chc and Pearlite and thats after a lot of experimentation. I have about half of mine in CHC/Pearlite and half in Osmunda. Prefer the CHC Mix

[orchids3]

I agree with TunaChris about potting on. In CHC the drainage is good enough so that I dont get root rot and can pot on. Also there is just enough water retention to make the plants grow well. I now grow in Florida but did grow in S Cal. - do you have a problem with salt buildup or do the CHC media flush out well enought to keep buildup from happoning?

[eveslyn]

Hi 3 - I'm here in central coast CA, about 45 miles NW of SBOE. Have not heard of a salt buildup problem in CHC from growers here.....yet. I guess if you double-soak and rinse the chips first and flush periodically, the salts from fertilizers/water will not accumulate too much. I add some charcoal and pumice to my mix now and have not noticed that nasty white residue. I also buy a cym mix from one of the local growers that uses small bark, pumice, charcoal. I grew for a while in Sarasota about 6 years ago(no cyms) and had to be careful about root rot - I used really big bark and clay pots. (Imagine moving around a cllection of big standard cyms in 12"-14" clay pots - ROFL.)

[orchids3]

eveslyn
Oh yes I can relate to moving - From Carona Ca to Stratford, Connecticut. My collection crossed the Majave in late July. Then from Stratford to Jacksonville Fla. in May (Piece of cake) My cymbidiums made out ok as did Phals and Cats but I lost some of the nice botanical stuff I had collected in the Philippinel

[Randy]

Greetings Friends,

Here in S. New Jersey I use a mix I purchased from a local grower, Waldor Orchids (great people!). My cyms are thriving in it. It's a real mixture: bark, charcoal, chunks of peat and a little perlite. It holds the moisture very well and the cyms I repotted this year in it have really taken off. The ones that didn't get repotted this year will get done next year. I have a fairly good group of cyms. ~ 15, all the way from big ones to minis.

I have a couple of early flowerers that should start throwing up spikes in about a month when it becomes more temperate. Although most will need to get cold first. So when the flower will depend on when they get a good chill.

So far my absolute favorite is my Cym. tracyanum. Very reliable flowerer and I love the fragrance!

Randy

[Lagoon]

Hi there Randy, I'm just starting out with these. So far I've got warm growers, I love growing them they seem to do well for me. We'll see how they fair thru-out the winter months under lights.

Do you have any photo's of your blooms?

[Randy]

Hi Gloria,

I'll have to look through my pictures at home. I do have a few. My tracyanum may even be posted here somewhere.

Randy

[tunachris]

I have been using Jerry's Grow when I fertilize, which is supposed to lower the PH of the water as does the CHC. My water has a Ph of 7.8-8.0, so it is very akaline and is fairly hard. I am almost out of Jerry's Grow, so I am not sure what type/brand of fertilizer I should use when I run out. Any suggestions whould be most appreciated.

I save enough rainwater each rainy season to carry me through the dry season on the weeks I don't fertilize. I am close to running out now, so I may have to use tap water for a month or so. The same thing happened last year, and all went well.

I did have some loss of buds due to a cold snap last January. I was away on a fishing trip when it occured, so no measures where taken to protect the plants. I lost a couple of Cattlyas toward the outside edge of my growing area which is a covered patio. All of the Cymbidiums made it, though a couple lost their spikes due to weather. Funny thing was plants right next to each other would either make it or loose the buds.