That, I'm sad to say is a true story. The wind usually comes from the North west direction. My back porch faces the east. I would tuck this Cym in the north corner right by my lattice wall with a Virginia creeper growing on it with my grill on the other side of it and the stinking wind was still blowing it off the porch. I can't tell you how many times I had to retrieve it from the lawn and put the media back around it.

I thought this poor thing is never going to grow. So all these new growths is a big win for me.

And another sad story, we were having a big storm one time snow blowing and you couldn't see anything just a white out. I had my horses in the shed and was trying to go feed them but I couldn't see it. I ended up on the fence line but finally did find the shed. That's why you don't leave the car you will get blown over by the snow in a big drift :shock:

Well I have some bad news. It turns out that 2 of these growths were spikes. I think I now maybe can tell the difference between the growths and the spikes. So I was so happy they got about 4 or 5 inches and then, wiping tears, I blasted them both. I want to just cry. I mostly water it every day but I must have missed a day in between. They are both brown and dead.

So, I will try again next year.

Awww, that's terrible. Another thing could be the constant wind drying out the buds, even if there is enough water in the soil.

I never thought of that, it has been hot and dry and windy. Well what ever it was they are gone now.

Maybe next time you see spikes, you should move it into the house, into a sunny window. I know you aren't supposed to move Cymbidiums in spike or the spike grows crooked, but maybe that would save the buds.

I have some small "warmth-tolerant" Cymbidium hybrid seedlings from Carter & Holmes. I put them into 32-oz / 1 liter foam cups as containers, so the sun would not heat the soil above ambient temperatures. To my surprise, they enjoy full sun through a window. They have never shown any signs of heat stress, even though I don't have a fan blowing directly on them. They take more desert sun (through the window) than almost any other genus I have. I don't have duplicates or I would put one outside, in dappled shade to start.

Sorry to hear of the spike die off Shannon, but not unexpected in your area of dry heat and winds. I think you may be on the right track with pursuing the heat tolerant Cyms. Most of these will be in the Novelty size as opposed to the big standards. A good source of these is the Orchidpeople in Hawaii and they ship. Visit their web site or Face Book for more info.

Glad you invested in the cachepot. Saves a lot of grief!

Maybe I will try this next year if it decides to bloom for me. I guess I can't complain to much since it didn't cost me anything. It has been a good growing experience for me. When I decide to try more I will look into the warmer growers. Although I guess I don't even know what I have for sure :biggrin:

---------- Post added at 10:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 AM ----------

:rofl: I know right. It did take me a bit of time to find the right one, and this one is nice and heavy. Even our winds can't blow it over. There wasn't anything in town I had to go to the next town to get it at Home Depot. Luckily it's not to far away.

I'll take a look at the web site as I don't have a face book account. What do you think about SBOE? I have never ordered from them but I have looked at there sight many times and they sure have some nice orchids.

I'm trying not to order any more till next year :shock: but we will have to see if I can do it. I want dear hubby to build me a shelf outside to put them on so they are setting up a little bit.