Cymbidium Bud Blast
 

A friend of mine has a Cymbidium that successfully spikes with lots of buds, but before the buds can fully develop, they wither, droop, and die before blooming.

The orchid grows indoors until May when it warms up, but it's early March and far too early to bring it outdoors with snow on the ground.

I know all the traditional causes of bud blast - temperature changes, watering fluctuation, pollution, insufficient light etc. It's really an enigma. Do you have any ideas?

Hard to tell but I think it's time to do what has never been done, whatever it is.;)

Lack of light doesn't sound like the problem since the spikes and buds are forming OK. I would suspect low humidity or ethylene gas (gas stove, ripening fruit). Cymbidium buds are not as susceptible to temperature changes or drafts as Phals and such.

Mine live outdoors - southern California - and certainly get lots of temperature fluctuation, drafts, rain, and other insults with no problem. Low humidity (when the hot dry winds blow, which happens sometimes) definitely is rough on buds.

As far as doing what "never has been done" - as long as night temps stay above around 28 deg F and there is some warming during the day, they should be fine. A little overhead protection - even just the eaves of the house - can help too - the walls also radiate a bit of heat. Cyms are really, really tough.

Water
 

Do you think it might be a watering issue - getting really thirsty during bud development?

Cyms should never dry out. If they're going dry, that could certainly have an effect. (I grow my Cyms in small bark, they stay quite wet all the time, even when they gets chilly in winter. If it rains, they may be sopping wet. they don't seem to mind as long as the medium is in good condition)

This winter has been quite wet after a dry start (last winter was also unusually wet) , and I'm getting some of the best Cym blooming that I have had in years. (Of course I water with sprinklers when there isn't rain which is most of the time even in the "wet" season, but it's not as good as getting rained on for hours)

That's what I meant but I don't know where Bethy lives and her night temps. Mountain West is very broad.;)

In fact, Cymbs growing indoors usually face more problems than outside. They are not meant to grow indoors.:)

It sounds like this particular plant is mostly happy - if produces spikes that is a good sign.(Breeding can make Cyms tolerant of a range of conditions) If it is very cold there (I'm not sure of the exact area either) - and the mountains can be really cold and also low humidity - indoors can be extremely dry. due to heating. Under those conditions, the Cym plant(s) may even benefit from sitting in a saucer or shallow pan that contains water. It is pretty hard to overwater a Cymbidium.

If the person growing this plant also has orchids like Phals that bloom, then ethylene gas isn't an issue. But if the
Cym is being watered on the same schedule as Phals, then it likely is just too dry.

If it's in the home, is there a potential source of ethylene gas, such as gas appliances or ripening fruit, including tomatoes?

That was a possibility. If there are Phals or other blooming orchids around though, likely not because they're more sensitive and may be closer to the source.

Thank you everyone! Your thoughts have been very helpful.