Cym. Little Black Sambo 'Black Magic'

[Cym Ladye]

Originally Posted by brsucculents

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So I'm not a Cymbidium person, but is the Cym Lady still on this site? Where did she go?

I am here brsucculants. LBS is not as temperamental as canaliculatum but it is fussy in what it likes and does not like. It does like water in the summer but I have lost growths too. I think your idea of watering from the bottom might be worth a try as well as being sure they are somewhere warm and will get a lot of air movement.

I have tried several places to put mine in the winter where they will get bright sunlight during part of the day but no direct rain/water. When we do have a windy storm, they will get some moisture blown in which they channel down the midrib of the leaves, more mist than any direct water.

As far as a seasonal water program, I treat them as I do my canalicultums - no direct water from late fall to spring. When they start to spike, you do not want water during the early formation or the buds will blast. As I said - fussy!

My environment here in Nor. Cal is so different from yours, it is hard to tell you exactly how what I do will relate to what conditions you have. I do know that the best results I have seen here in my area are from a grower who hangs her plants in a deciduous persimmon tree in the summer and hangs in a sunny, South facing, and protected from rain, under the eves area in the winter. Her plants grow rampantly and bloom the same!

[MattWoelfsen]

This is one of those iconic plants that if you have a chance to get one, go for it! So I did! Now I have this thread. Thank you all for this discussion!

[estación seca]

Somebody I know keeps kvetching that it's too big for their grow space- but won't part with it.

[MattWoelfsen]

I have seen pictures of huge plants but have been reading that this is considered a compact plant? I can't wait to see my plant, from the vendor's picture and description, it can get up to 2 feet tall. Compared to what I grow this would be a very large plant indeed!

[estación seca]

From memory I would say this one is 2 feet from top of pot to tops of leaves. The pseudobulbs have fairly tight spacing, but the extremely stiff leaves splay out. The inflorescence is larger than the plant.

[MattWoelfsen]

Thank you estacion!

[Hawaiian Sunshine]

Hope you don't mind my joining the conversation. I have one of these Cymbidiums that is currently throwing out a spike. The bulbs on the plant are about the size of my fist. The tallest leaf is 27 inches above the base of the plant. It is growing in a 10-inch clay pot with New Zealand sphagnum moss as the media. I water the plant daily. I had the plant under 50% shade cloth but moved it out to full sun about a year ago. It is doing much better under full sun.

_C0A0842.jpg by Mel Waki, on Flickr

[MattWoelfsen]

Thank you for posting your photo Mel Waki. So glad to see a healthy looking plant. I hope you post it again when the blooms open.

[Cym Ladye]

OK,, everyone. I'm back! ....

Just in the midst of getting ready for Orchid show season and I have my hands full. For the LBS, my suspicion is a lack of air movement resulting in too much humidity around the plant. I have had the same problem and it was solved by hanging the plants high and being sure water was not in the growths at night. Hope this helps.

[MattWoelfsen]

My Cymbidium Little Black Sambo 'Black Magic'. AM/AOS has arrived! It is much larger than I expected!

I have scoured this forum for additional information about this plant. But still lack some answers:

1. Should this plant be re-potted in a larger pot?
2. Should I remove the back bulbs?
3. Now that this plant is going to bloom, should it be watered more often?