Cymbidium leaves dying from infection

[Roberta]

Cyms need lots of light...The best indoor light that you can give them will get them through the winter, but they really want almost full outdoor sun, perhaps with a little noonday shade but not much. Light requirement is closer to what you would give roses, than anything that you'd give to most orchids.

[estación seca]

In your climate they could grow outside in sun in the summer. That's how much light they like. It's difficult to give them enough light inside at any season.

Fungal and bacterial infections are uncommon unless humidity is very high or temperatures are far from ideal.

[Girl_With_An_Orchid]

Wow. Ok. So I can move them over to the middle of the window then. That will give them full sun through a screen almost the entire afternoon. With that, more water and less fertilizer they should be much happier right?

[Roberta]

I don't stop fertilizing Cyms either, maybe a little less than in warmer weather. If they are growing they need fertilizer..In spring and summer they are so hungry that I supplement the regular fert that all the orchids get with time release, this time of year just what everybody gets.

[Girl_With_An_Orchid]

Interesting. So I should keep doing what I’ve been doing which is feed every watering? I’ve been giving them miracl-gro’s acid lovers + the tomato food as well. I also use their orchid leaf food mister. It’s got nothing but the main 3 but it was what I started with and all my orchids seem to like the little supplement. I know there’s better food out there so if you have any recommendations I’m interested.

[Roberta]

The question on fertilizer, is "at what concentration"? More important, is when you water to do it thoroughly... so that the water runs through the pot. (That pulls air into the root zone and keeps fertilizer salts from building up) Forget the "orchid food mister" ... orchids don't benefit from foliar feeding because leaves have a waxy cuticle (a water-conservation feature). Some may fall on the medium, but if you want to fertilize the roots put it where the roots can get it.

You had been feeding with every watering but not watering enough. Better, water thoroughly, feed "weekly, weakly" and just supplement with time-release. The exact fertilize formulation is not particularly important. A balanced fertilizer (all 3 numbers the same) is a good place to start. There are no magic potions.

[Girl_With_An_Orchid]

Got it. And I agree that misting the leaves is useless. I mist the roots with water than the spray. The water helps with humidity, rinses any salts off the top roots (that’s my assumption at least) and stops aerial roots from dehydrating. How weak is “weekly, weakly”? Half?

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[Shadeflower]

some of the most impressive grown orchids have been grown by a gardener who only fertilizes via this orchids leaves.

His roots only get RO water. He gets twice the blooms I get.

With high nutrient demanding plants this would not be feasible but with orchids it seems it can be and I am amazed by his results.

So misting should not be dismissed completely, considering it has resulted in some of the best results I have seen

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[Roberta]

Do you guarantee that none of the fertilizer that is sprayed on the leaves doesn't eventually get washed onto the medium? Sounds to me like a good way to get mineral spots on the leaves, unless there is some good watering that washes everything. (I don't make any point to keep fertilizer off the leaves, so some gets there, but the next time the plant gets watered - from above - anything on the leaves washes into the pot.)

[Shadeflower]

I asked him that too Roberta as I reckon it must do but he was vague on that.
I wouldn't believe it if I haven't seen what has been achieved with just misting leaves even if half does end up dripping into the pot

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