It never changes, ask 10 people how to grow Cyms and you will get at least 10 different answers. Then you have to decide what will work best FOR YOU under your conditions, not for them. Everyone has a special "recipe" which they will swear by but may not work for anyone else because no one has the same conditions.
First: Learn how Cyms grow in the wild. The majority are epiphytes growing in bols on trees and therefore like to fast drain. They will stand lows of 28F and highs of over 100F for short periods of time with no damage. They prefer 50% shade and 50% humidity.
Second: Study your own conditions and your culture practices. They try to grow orchids which best fit into those conditions. That applies not only to the genera which fit best into your life style but the specific orchid types. For Cyms. Standard hybrids and the species from which they came can generally be cared for in the same manner. The small Asian species and their hybrids are quite different. So too are the warmer growing species and hybrids coming from the Australia species and the warm growing small flowered coriacious leaved group of atropurpureum, bicolor and the like. Most Cyms available on the market today are mass produced hybrid mericlones and can be cared for as you would the Standard Cym. Some of the plants and flowers may be a bit smaller but they are all mericloned because of color, number of flowers to appeal to the public and ease of growing.
Third: Keep it simple! Do not over water a Cym. Do not baby a Cym. and do not get carried away with anything but the basics for the sake of your pocket book. Use a high quality bark or coco chips with a bit of perlite and you are good to go. Learn when to water under your conditions and fertilize weekly with a good quality fertilizer. If you are a really busy person, consider using a slow release granular type which releases nutrients every time you water for a period of 6 months.
As a hobbyist grower, I have over 2,000 Cymbidiums from 2" seedlings to 3 gal specimen plants for exhibition. I do not use lava rock because of the affinity it has for salts in less than perfect water and then turns toxic to the roots of the plants. I do not use seaweed because all the necessary nutrients are supplied in the fertilizer I use.
Hybrid Mode
