Cym Spike--Now What!? Newbie!
 

Hi everyone, last week or so I posted in the beginner category, asking if my cymbidium was spiking. I received some appreciated responses! Thank you to all.

Well, now there is no question about it! It is indeed opening (picture below)! Happy-happy-joy-joy!

Not quite sure how to see this through though...any advice as to care; watering, fertilization, timing? Anything else I need to know?

I apologize for my absolute rank newb questions. Thanks in advance!

Is a standard, mini, or chinese?
Most like to be kept on the cool side and dry out a little between waterings in the winter. Mine really love the slow release foods such as Smartcote, but I also feed them when I water, during the summer, but not in winter.
In the fall, the cooling weather is what helps them to come into spike. In your area, leave them out until about the 3rd week in October or even Halloween, but protect from heavy frost. Keep moist in summer and dryer in the winter.

Thank you Vanda. The tag I have says Pearl-Balkis The Bride. I'm not sure eactly what kind it is but it is certainly not mini, being in a 2 gallon pot.

What I do do is turn my heat down when I go to bed, to about 16.5C. During the day I have about 18C.

I usually subscribe to the practice of benign neglect. I fertilize with a product I have called Plant Prod. (25-10-10) Usually about once a month, and water in between about every two weeks. The fine bark chips get fairly dry on top before I give it another shot with water which has sat for at least 48 hours. It sits in a south window with has frosted mac tac on it.

Last summer I put it in a protected spot with some morning sun on my deck, north side.

The bulbs feel hard as a rock, but some leaves do turn brown and pull off easily, outer leaves. I assume its because it is not getting enough light?

There are some pictures, here it is:
http://www.orchidboard.com/community...tml#post371317

Thanks for your answer! I hope I have given better info now.

I never allow cyms to dry out. The yellowing foliage may simply be older foliage being shed, tho I can't say that is positively the cause.

Thanks WhiteRabbit, I guess its watering time!

However my post says the bark gets fairly dry on top, I didn't mean to imply that the whole pot dries out, sorry I gave the wrong impression there. :)

I also think that the yellowing leaves are the ones that are being shed. As each plant dies, more are produced. I don't let them dry out completely, either. I was told to let them dry out a little when you bring them in for the winter, but I don't let them get bone dry.
Nyo, it sounds like the location that you have your plant in is ideal! But I do think that fertilizing more than once a month would be better, at least during summer. Try the slow relese, you can get it almost anywhere. I haven't seen one that is for orchids, so I just use one for hanging baskets. By the way, miniature cymbidiums are still pretty huge!

Vanda, thanks ever so much for your advice here.

So far I seem to have done everything ok--its only by pure chance, I assure you! I will see if I can find the Smartcote, or somethng similar.

Yes, its the outer leaves, they kind of get a brown tip then turn yellow and dry; then I just pull them off because they're a tad unsightly.

Again, not sure if this plant is miniature, standard, or Chinese type, its just one that I picked up at Walmart, because I felt sorry for it. From the top of the bark to about where the leaves start to bend is about 20 inches, I would say a little bigger in diameter. It lives in a black plastic 2 gallon pot, and there is very little surface area of bark left actually. Repotting is not something I look forward to, since the bark medium is unlike what is readily available in my town. I'm hoping it likes to be a little tight in the pot, but there are lots of new small shoots developing.

The flowers themselves, if I recall correctly, were maybe only 2 or so inches across, tip to tip. I have looked for this variety on Google but never have been sure if I have seen it. Again, the tag says1464/ PEARL-BALKIS 'THE BRIDE". It did not come with any other care tag or nursery tag, which I guess had fallen off.

Most of my plants are the grocery store phals with no name, so the cymbidium is a little different. The flowers are so gorgeous, I would love to have more, but frankly, it is rather large, and I suppose you can say the leaves are graceful, on a good day. Still, this has provided me with no end of excitement, seeing the flower spike and watching it grow, finding this Orchid Board and enjoying reading posts and seeing gorgeous pictures.

Thanks again for your response!

Cymbidiums are terrestrials, and can be grown in a good quality potting mix for houseplants. It is good to add a little coarse sand and perlite. I like this mixture better, because it is easier to tell when your plant is dry.

Myself, I wouldn't recommend regular potting mix, like for house plants. Cyms, like Paphs, are not true terrestrials. That's not to say, that it's not possible to grow them that way, but I think coarser media that still retains moisture helps to avoid root rot.

Cymbidium Society of America: Cymbidium Culture

AOS Cymbidium Culture Sheet

I was referring to Vanda's statement about letting his/her cyms dry out a little - I agree they should not be soggy, but I don't allow mine to become dry. However, I also grow mine in fir bark, which is airier and better draining than houseplant potting mix. I would think it probably would be better for them to be a bit dry in houseplant mix.
Mine are grown outdoors, so this time of year I rarely water them, but that's because they are getting some rain, and even when they aren't getting rain, the weather is cool and damp, so media dries very slowly.
Probably won't kill a cym to be a bit under-watered , but I think they are happier to not be. (mine have survived fairly long periods of neglect/little to no water, but they certainly didn't flourish, they bloomed poorly, if at all)

I look forward to seeing pix of your blooms :wtg:

Thanks so much for the information!

Mine seems to be in a mix with bark and some sort of stone, maybe a lava rock or porous stone. Not sure. Now I'm a touch more confused.

Of course, I will post some photos if they do ultimately bloom.

Thanks again.

could very well be lava rock in the mix - it's very porous so aerates the mix well, as well as having some moisture retention - I usually add a fair amount of perlite and/or pumice to my mix - as well as some styro pnuts.

Different people use different media to suit their growing conditions. For the most part, cyms don't seem to be extremely fussy as long as the mix retains some moisture, but drains well.

Since yours is spiking, it would seem the culture you have provided so far is making your cym happy :)

In warm places many people grow them right in their gardens, in soil. I had mine in a soiless mix, which is often recomended, but My neighbour has hers in potting mix and I noticed that hers look beter than mine, so I switched. They imediately improved. I do like to add a fair bit of sand and pearlite. I think it keeps it more airy.

Cymbidiums ARE NOT terrestials and will not do well in potting soil of any kind! They need an open, well draining mix. Many are available on the market and this Forum has given many combinations and recommendatiions. Most recent is the "Repot medium question" thread of a couple of days ago.

CL

The first time I re potted a cymbidium, the book I have said to mix leaf mold, sand, bark and peat moss. It worked beautifully. The only leaf mold I had were some rotting maple leaves. I also added a little compost from the compost pile, because the book refered to it as "compost" and I mis understood. The cymbidium didn't care. It bloomed beautifully.

I just checked the internet. I beg to differ. Cymbidiums are terrestrial.

Hmm whether they are terrestrial or epiphytic is very dependent on the background. For example, canaliculatum is definitely epiphytic and devonianum is decidedly terrestrial. Problem is that most of what we grow today are hybrids and so a mix of different species. In one sense it is correct to think of them as epiphytic in the sense that the media to grow them needs good aeration and drainage. On the otherhand, I see many people grow them directly in the ground where it never freezes as long as there is a high drainage factor. Here in Hawaii I've seen fields of them in the aa lava (very porous lava). Summary: Do not think of them strictly in terms of terrestrial or epiphytic unless they are species or primary hybrids from the species.

Very true. I have been reeding up on them, and some are terrestrial, but not all.

Well, I am very glad my thread has prompted such discussion. To everyone who has taken the time to look and reply to me, I say thank you, and I will post some pictures of the flowers, if they open completely.

please do! Cybidium are one of my absolute favourites!

Bob,

What is your source for saying devonianum is terrestrial? :scratchhead:

In "The Manual of Cultivated Orchid Species" by Bechtel, Cribb and Launert, as just one source, Cym devonianum is described as "An epiphytic or lithophytic plant...". No where does it say terrestrial and the photos I have seen from Keith Andrews or Ron Parsons of plants in the wild have been in the trees. Yes, eventually the plant may become so heavy as to cause the limb to fall, resulting in the plant ending up on the forest floor still attached to the limb. But that does not make it a terrestrial by orchid description.

:twocents:
CL

Hi CL
Kobsukh has posted many photos of it in the wild growing in the ground. Suggest you follow material on his blogs..for more info

Is there a way to close the thread? I think, rather than arguing about this or that in my thread, maybe move it to a new one, thanks. :)

NYO,

You are absolutely right on here. More and more species variation is being discovered and the habitats where and how they grow shows differences from the original described forms.

That said, those growing the hybrids of today only need to know that they are dealing with a diverse set of genetic material in each plant and "average" care, unless you are growing the species or primary hybrids of that species as Bob said, includes the providing of a light, well aerated and good draining media for the plants to grow in.

If this thread has prompted research by the readers to learn more of our fascinating species habits, it has succeeded. If it appeared argumentative at times, it was not intended to be..

Happy growing and continued learning,

CL

Well, I just think that rather than hijack the thread, start a new one entitled "Are Cymbidiums x y or z." Thanks. :)