Cymb season has begun

[camille1585]

Your Cym collection is stunning! I assume that your climate lets you grow them outside year round?

[rbarata]

Yes, I grow them outside year round. It's a common orchid here growing in balconies and gardens.

In the meanwhile, here's another one still opening. It's similar to the previous but pink.

[camille1585]

Very nice pink. It looks like my one and only noid cym which is sitting in complete neglect at my mother's house and rarely blooms.

[rbarata]

Originally Posted by camille1585

Very nice pink. It looks like my one and only noid cym which is sitting in complete neglect at my mother's house and rarely blooms.

Is it growing indoors?

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by rbarata

Is it growing indoors?

It's outside in the sun most of the year and in the winter it's in the unheated basement behind a large south facing window. Back when I was a student and home on weekends (and was taking care of it) it would bloom every year. But my mother waters it when she remembers, and fertiliser even less... When I go visit in May I'll repot it, and probably divide it as well since there's a large mass of backbulbs in it now. And add slow release fertiliser! I'm quite attached to it's it was my very first orchid. I bought it back in 2005 or 2006.

I found a very old photo of the blooms in my gallery here
.

[rbarata]

And what else is she doing differently from you?
And the environment at her house. What's different?

[camille1585]

It's almost always grown there. The difference is that I water and fertilise it as needed, and she doesn't! Neglect is the problem, but being in an apartment with no way to give a cool bright winter, I have to leave it there.

[rbarata]

I'm not sure but I think those reasons (water and fert) are not enough to prevent it from blooming.
I also neglect mine, especially in watering. They spent almost three weeks without water for several times and they always bloomed.

Is the pot made of clay?
I noticed a huge difference between clay and plastic pots. Clay needs more frequent watering but it also cools down the roots as water evaporates through it.

[rbarata]

One more...this one's white.



This one never gave me so many flowers as all the others but if has a second spike.



A general view of the Cymb Alley

[Roberta]

Nice Cym collection!