New (baby?) Cym

[My Green Pets]

Hello,

I received this Cymbidium Beauty Fred about a month ago. It's my first Cym, and I'm pretty excited about it!

It seems to be very young as it only is one bulb. I would like to know if it looks all right, and how many bulbs it will need to grow before I can start hoping for a spike.

Currently it's getting about 3-4 hours direct morning sun, medium kept moist, fertilized weakly weekly, and temps have been very cool at night recently (60F/16C) which apparently Cyms like.

[WhiteRabbit]

Looks good

I don't know how long before it may be bloom size. About 5 years ago, I was given a Cym seedling (smaller than this), it has a number of growths now, but I don't know if it's near bloom size, or not ... Hopefully someone can give us an idea!

[Philantha]

When I googled Cym Fred Beauty, this came up from
TheOrchidGallery.net:

The breeding is Cymbidium Vanguard x Cymbidium Fred Stewart.

These produce lots and lots of flowers, but there are no awards, so honors are possible if you are into that sort of thing. Otherwise, just enjoy the spectacular flowers when this orchid blooms.

This is a seedling, about 3 years away from first flowers. But a mature plant in bloom would cost $35 to $50 or more, so be patient, grow it up and voila!

Grow these in moderately bright indirect light. Keep moist. Fertilize twice a month, rather weakly. You pretty much can't go wrong.

[Cym Ladye]

Along with the previous advice, this is a Standard sized Cymbidium and will have fairly big pseudobulbs with long leaves. I suspect it will need to be potted up into a 1 gallon pot when it gets its second growth. Seedlings generally bloom on the third bulb but depending on care may need a forth bulb. There are always the exceptions where you can get a bloom on the first or second too! Average is 3-4 years from the size you show in the photo.

Be sure not to let it sit in water in the ceramic cache pot you have it in. Let it thoroughly drain before returning it to the outer pot.

[My Green Pets]

Thank you for these responses. 3-4 years sounds like a very long time to grow more bulbs. That means only one new bulb per year!

It looks like I am in for a long learning experience with this little thing. Maybe I will update this thread every so often until it blooms

[Cym Ladye]

One bulb a year is the average on a standard. Some will grow out in both directions with more a they get established in the pot but for average care, one is the norm. Be patient.

Be careful in writing the name of a plant. Yours is Cym. Beauty Fred, not the reverse. The parents are as stated in an earlier post, however, (Vanguard x Fred Stewart) and is a cross registered as 1979.

[My Green Pets]

Thank you Cym Ladye. I will keep you posted on Beauty Fred's progress.

[My Green Pets]

Spotted this today. Could it be a new growth?

[Cym Ladye]

Yes, this is a new growth. Enjoy it but pull those little weeds before they take over the pot, as they will very quickly!

Keep an eye on the mix in the pot. I believe you are in an area with high humidity and it may break down quickly. When you water it, check to see if you are getting fines coming out the bottom holes. If so, consider repotting in the same size pot if the roots allow, or pot up into a 5" pot (usually called a fern pot commercially) and fairly easy to get, if you cannot easily fit the roots back into the 4". I also tend not to like this coarse a mix, but you are in an area where this will drain better than a smaller size bark.

[My Green Pets]

I repotted this plant today. The bottom 1/4th of the pot is red lava rock, the rest is Better Gro Orchid Bark and a small amount of sphagnum moss mixed in.

I'm pleased with the roots, they seem to be growing well.

Photos:

A. Roots,


B. Roots,


C. And more roots...


D. The new growth exposed.


E. New potting medium.


F. The whole plant.


G. Compare to 6 weeks ago: