my cymbidium NOID

[oscar freak]

i bought 3 of these cyms that were going for next to nothing,2 are in flower and 1 is not.the plants seem a little battered but are carrying on with the 1st buds beginning to open.they are in a potting medium which looks like top soil and bark pieces,i plan on changing that when they are finished flowering so will have to do for now.they are in a greenhouse with watering/fertilising weakly weekly,as well as morning misting with the same mix.i found a couple of snails about the pot when i first got them which i promptly got rid of.i'd like to get the plants to a healthy lusch state is there anything i should be doing or not doing to get them there.was reading about calcium deficiency in orchids so now iv got something else to worry about,should i add some epsom salts to my mix etc.i dont see any other pests on the plants so im hoping it was just mechanical damage.enclosed are some bad pics will try to upload some better ones soon.

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[Cym Ladye]

Epsom salts is a supplier of magnesium, not calcium. For calcium you can add a bit of oyster shell (cage bird grit) on the top of the pot or in the mix when you repot. That is a simple way but for now, just feed whatever fertilizer you are using. If you read the label, it may have both ca and mg in it.

There are several liquid products on the market re ca/mg additives, but one step at a time with your plants would be my suggestion.

CL

[WhiteRabbit]

I haven't noticed a need to add supplements (beyond fertilizer) for my Cyms, watering with my local tap water.

[oscar freak]

ok will relax a bit.

[oscar freak]

another question,i'm worried about when to start increasing watering as its starting to warm up here nights are 8-9degrees celcius and days early twenties.plants are in flower.

[Cym Ladye]

How often are you watering now? There are several threads on watering under the search icon on the tool bar. That might help.

[oscar freak]

thanks will check them out today,im watering once a week currently but as i say its warming up here and while its possible a cold spell could come it seems over the past few years we've lost a month of winter,spring comes a month earlier these days.

[Cym Ladye]

There are a couple of ways to check your plants for moisture: 1) insert a toothpick (new for each plant) into the mix of the plant. If it comes out damp, you are ok for a few more days. 2) After a thorough watering, lift the plant and judge how heavy it feels. When it starts feeling light, water. After a few times, you will be able to establish your watering schedule. As the days get warmer, you will water more frequently.

Keep in mind that smaller pots dry out faster than larger ones. These may need water more often if you have a varied collection of pot sizes.

[oscar freak]

ok thanks,will try them out.

[oscar freak]

flowers all open eventually