Cymbidiums for dummies
 

So I started a few months ago with the orchid hobbie, and got myself around 14 orchids so far (yes I am obsessed xD), and today my sister bought me a cymbidium orchid we saw at a really nice discount (15€) in a flower shop.

I only have epyphites, so I am a bit lost with this one, as I intend to report it asap, to check the root system and discard possible pests.

So could you guys being so expert tell me how do you care for them and what media do you use? And you know, things to look out for to have them happy and flowering :)

I'm actually using Seramis for my orchids, and it´s suposed to be to plant soil plants, so I was thinking about using it for the cymbidium as well, mixed with lava rock or something like that at the bottom to provide stabilitie as seramis is lightweight when dry.

The Cymbidium is a no ID until it flowers, and it´s quite large and heavy.

Welcome!

I use bark only. Do you grow them inside or outside?

Mix xD I usually take them to the terrace after having lunch so they have more sun. The terrace is west direction.
Having said this, coming October I will move to Seville, and I will have to mail my orchids. There I will only have inside space if Im not mistaken. Weather similar to Algarve I guess.

Thanks in advance!

Seville is a litle bit warmer in summer.
Note that cymbs grow best outside, at least that's my experience. They like to chill during those winter nights (caution with frost, which is not tolerated).
Plus, they are huge plants, not really suitable to have inside. Some of my cymbs have leaves with almost 1,5 m long.

Yes I am aware of their size. I wasnt too sure about buying it, but my sister already said she was buying in front of the shop owner, it was awkward to say no xD

Anyway, I still think mine has a size suitable for indoors, like decoration on a corner.
Its quite weird to have frosting in Seville, winter at night doesnt go below 5 unless theres a cold wave. I guess ill try to look for the most "outside" spot within the flat.

My first 3 cymbs stayed for 4 years inside without any noticeable growth, in fact they were on the way to be dead. When I put them out, they started to grow and bloom like crazy.
Very important...they need to chill in the autumn and winter to develop good and numerous blooms. So, outside is the best option, unless you can get the temp diferential indoors.

Ok, thanks for the info, I will try to find a place that has outside conditions, or as close as possible. Your info is quite valuable because the hardiness zone is the same. Ill leave it outside while I'm still in the islands. About the media, if you use just bark, I think i will be fine using just seramis and bottom heavy rocks. Do you think repotting before transport is unwise? I dont want to risk any pests if possible.

THanks for the answers, they mean a lot! or should I say, "muito obrigado" :P

About seramis, I never used it.
I would repot in their new place. Transport by itself must be "traumatic". If, after that, you'll add a repotting, it's a double trauma.:D
So, it's better to do it at once.

De nada!:)

Hmmm I noticed today tiny black dots, without any prominences, on the upside of the leaves. And the new ones doesnt have them or have very few. Can it be tiny sunburns from leftover water?

Also, theres a lot of dried leaves remains at the bottom of the pseudobulbs, should I remove those?

No, it is not sunburn from water droplets. That is a myth.

FWIW, I find that cymbidiums do particularly well in semi-hydroponic culture, or in traditional culture using LECA as a medium, as long as you can water it frequently enough.

The medium is open and airy, provides constant moisture, and evaporative cooling prevents overheating of the root system as temperatures rise.

Thanks a lot for the info on semi hydroponic. I think seramis will be perfect then, as it is very airy yet water retentive.

I took some pictures of the plant (I know the quality is bad, my phone is quite old, sorry about that).

Any clues about it based on them?

Cymbidium black spots - Album on Imgur

In this pictures you can see what I mean by black dots and like I said they are on the upside of the leaf.

It's the first time I post pictures, if I should have done things different just say so :)

Cymbs are not the prettiest plants, especially when grown outdoors. They always get those spots.
I wouldn'worry about it... At least I don't do it with mine and if you saw them you'd be scared.:biggrin:

OMG, thats SUCH a relief. I was like "did I waste money on a virused/sick orchid"? Because I will already put it under stress with the transport, I feared it might not be strong enough to cope with both things.

I looked up your weather
https://weather.com/weather/monthly/l/SPXX0061:1:SP

Very much like southern coastal California, and near-ideal for growing Cymbidium hybrids outside. Where I grew up they are very commonly grown in large containers by entry doors that get some direct sunlight every day.

Cymbidiums are terrestrials, they need a lot of water and a lot of fertilizer. They can be grown outdoors down to 0C (they will probably tolerate a few hours of -2 or -3C, but try to avoid it).

You want a light terrestrial mix. I use:

2 parts chunky peat (not the finely milled version you get in the garden centers)
1 part composted manure
1 part bark
1 part perlite

You can also include Leca nuggets, leaf mulch, etc.

Re fertilizer: In addition to the composted manure in the mix, I add a handful of NutraCote on top of each pot, and we apply 20:20:20 fertilizer with a watering every 2 weeks.

In NJ (same latitude as Rome, but significantly colder winters, I put Cymbidiusm outside in full sun in mid May, and they stay out till early November (unless a freeze is predicted). They have received snow several times, without suffering any harm.