My one and only Cym.
 

I got this last May from my friend in Denver. I wish I would have grabbed another one as I think he gave them away shortly after I left. Cym lady helped me re-pot it but it had a bad summer getting blown off the back porch even though I would tuck it back in a corner. I finally found a heavy pot to put it inside of and I just put it outside this last week. It has at least 6 new growths and I am so stoked I can't even tell you. Thanks again Cym lady for your help. Two of the growths are bigger as they started sooner and I had it in a different place behind a giant plant so I kept forgetting to water it in time. I finally got better and then more new growths started. The 2 larger ones first.

They look really healthy. I've noticed mine grow better (and bigger) in clay pots.

Lookin' good! I've never had much success with cyms, but I think this is a good year for them; mine have done well and 2 of my 3 bloomed. Very satisfying!

Really, well I wonder if that's because you live where there is much more humidity? Most all the stuff I've read say's people usually use plastic.

---------- Post added at 08:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:38 AM ----------

Good for you, I would be so happy to get 2 out of 3. I am so hoping to get blooms next year.

Very exciting!

Oh yes it is. Thanks.

Well, it depends on the season. In winter, 80 to 100%.
In summer, 15 to 25%.

Your summers are more of what ours are year round. Of course mine has to be in the house in the winter and I do run humidifiers. The only time we have more is spring.

If your % is so low year round plastic pots are needed.

Sad isn't it? Well it's not all bad.

Sad? I can't see why. Maybe for decorative purposes but, if that's the case, there are some nice plastic pots.:)

Your plant looks very happy and healthy! I hope you have blooms soon.

Oh I just meant the humidity be so low is sad. I wish it was higher most of the time. I got a clay decorative pot I put it in so the wind doesn't blow it off the porch like it did last summer. All is good.

---------- Post added at 09:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:11 AM ----------

Thanks I hope so too. All I know is that it is green, I can't wait to see them. I'm hoping the green with some red in the lip.

Well, see things this way...the more difficulties one overcomes, the more experienced he gets. Achieving somethings against all obstacles, not only is more rewarding, but also makes one more confident.:)

Against some advises, I noticed my cymbs to grow more when overpotted. The ones I overpotted turned into giant plants with spikes more than 3 ft while the other are half the size and with slower growth.

So why don't you try to do it?
Plus, the weight of the pot won't let it flip.

I will keep that in mind, but I just re-potted it last summer so I'm not going to this year. We will see about how it grows and if I have to I can do it next year. I think it's doing quiet well so I'm doing something right. I have all the re-potting instructions that Cym Lady sent me saved as a go too. They are very detailed instructions and good to have on hand.

How many Cyms do you have? If I have good luck with this one I am going to have to get another one.

I have 5 blooming sized and two pbulbs with young leaves, potted less than a year ago.

You have done a nice job with this Shannon. Congrats!

I use decorative pots with all my patio plants to stop them from falling over in the wind. Technically these are called cachepots and as you discovered, come in a large variety of types and sizes. Just be sure they have drainage holes in the bottom.

Overpotting is still not recommended. Just continue to pot up from one size to the next larger size over a period of years. The longer the plant is in a pot, the larger it will get.

Thanks Cym Lady I think it's doing quiet well. I'm so happy with all the new growths. A question for you Cym growers, if and when this blooms will it be the new growths that are coming now or the ones they are coming from now that will bloom? I am assuming the blooms will come from the new growths as do most orchids.

The blooms will come from the new growths which have matured enough to initiate a bloom spike(s).

A friend went to the University of Wyoming. He told me, for entertainment, people would sit in the student union and watch other people being blown across the large plaza.

Another friend in Laramie told me people should never get out of the car if they break down in Wyoming in the winter. The wind would blow them for miles and their body would be discovered with the spring thaw.

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.