Cymbidium buds not coming into flower - Orchid Board

NethyJohn · #1 01-24-2021, 06:31 AM

Hello
I was given this cymbidium in flower in November 2019. It was my first orchid, unnamed and presumably from a garden centre. I now have 15 orchids.
It started to grow spikes in October, and I thought the buds would come into flower by Christmas, but still no flowers. I have attempted to attach a photo of the buds, which look healthy.
It sits in a south east facing window, up to 17c early afternoon, lowest 9c at night. We get about 8 hours daylight, although the sun has not been seen much recently. I have tried watering it, not watering it, and feeding it. Nothing works.
Any tips gratefully received.
John Clube

SouthPark · #2 01-24-2021, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NethyJohn

I have attempted to attach a photo of the buds, which look healthy.

That's the main thing. If the buds are still there and look in good shape, then that's fine. What wouldn't be fine is if buds turn yellow and fall off etc. But if they're still healthy looking, and a nice green colour ------ then just keep looking after the orchid. If the nice care is maintained, then it's likely that the buds will eventually open.

camille1585 · #3 01-24-2021, 10:58 AM

Welcome to Orchidboard!!

Patience, patience.... At this time of year at our latitudes, growth is slow. Especially with the temps yours is getting. Buds can take a while to swell up to the final mature size on many orchids, even if they LOOK ready to open! I've been staring at buds on a Catasetum for the past couple weeks, every day thinking "now they look big enough to open!" Finally got the first one yesterday!

NethyJohn · #4 01-24-2021, 01:27 PM

What a relief! The book says that Cymbidium buds fall off at 15c, and generally fall off easily. They are so near to opening that I did not want to fail for some easy remedy that I did not know about. Mentioning the temperature answers a couple of questions I have about other orchids.
Thank you very much for the welcome, and for the reassurance,
John Clube

Orchidtinkerer · #5 01-24-2021, 06:32 PM

some take a long time and seem to wait for the right time to bloom, ie spring once light increases again although since october is a very long wait indeed.
Hope it works out for you.

Roberta · #6 01-24-2021, 08:58 PM

I have a yard full of Cymbidiums, a few are open but there are also many plants with buds just sitting there. I used to exhibit at a February show that I was involved in running, and this was the time of year for nail-biting because buds that looked "almost ready" in late December still looked "almost ready" at the end of January. Sometime they opened in time for the show, and sometimes they perversely waited for a few more weeks. (I gave up on the exhibiting, it was too nerve-wracking to have to worry about the details of running the show while worrying about whether I would have anything for my display) So patience...they will tease you until they are good and ready.

NethyJohn · #7 01-25-2021, 12:37 PM

It is very nearly out. The colour is showing through the buds, and some have opened a bit. The problem may be that it has too much medium. I was given a small flowering plant sticking out of its pot, so put it into a bigger pot as soon as the flowers were over. It pushed straight out of that, so I sunk it in a big shrub pot in the summer, to last it a few years. It pushed out of that in just a few weeks, although leaving the sides loose. I think it is trying to grow into a palm tree. I wish I could leave it out in the yard, but it is safe outside here for only three months of the summer. It is not getting another pot, however big it grows.
Thank you all for your help
John Clube

Roberta · #8 01-25-2021, 12:51 PM

Problem? I don't think there's any problem at all with its slowness to bloom... Cyms just do that. As far as potting goes... They make lots of roots, so pot has to to be big enough for the root system. Then, as it fills the pot, the blooming just gets better. They do like "tight shoes" .. tend to bloom best just before they break the pot. When they totally outgrow the biggest pot that you want to deal with (my limit is 2 gallon/8 L pot, any bigger is too hard for me to lift and extract the plant), it's time to divide... either you end up with 2 or 3 plants, or share with a friend.

NethyJohn · #9 01-25-2021, 01:50 PM

"I don't think there's any problem at all with its slowness to bloom"
This group is great - my books do not tell me this, they just say the buds usually shrivel and fall. I had no other way of finding it out. It is immensely helpful to know this.
I will be using OB a lot more as a result.
I am now happy they will come out when they feel like it.
One plant this size is enough, it is staying where it is until the pots bursts.
Thanks for your help
John Clube