cymbidium question
 

I have a quick question about my cymbidium. I don't think it has dried out since i've had it. I tried to repot it at one time, but i was damaging the roots trying to unpot it, so I just left it alone. It seems to be in soil with a little bit of fine bark at the top. It doesn't really look unhappy. I've had it for probably 6 months, and it's lost a few leaves but i believe that's due to age. I water it once a week or once every two weeks. During the summer it wasn't as bad because i could put it outside and I know it dried a lot better than it is no being inside with now air circulation and hot temperatures. I guess I'm just looking for guidance because this is the only orchid i own that NEVER seems to dry out. I'm guessing that it has a lot to do with it being planted in what looks like regular soil. I can see some of the roots from the top of the pot and touch them and they are moist and seem healthy. I just need for someone who is experienced with cymbidiums to tell me if my care methods are ok or if i need to change them. I've attached a picture of the plant too.

I recommend that you get it out of that soil, and into a more open, airy medium so the plant can "breathe".

It looks a bit abused, based upon the browning leaf tips. Whether that's due to the potting medium or over-fertilization, it's had to say.

Will the same mix that i use for all of my other orchids work fine for my cymbidium? i use sun bulb's special orchid mix that contains perilite, bark, charcoal, and maybe more. Also, what's the best way to bust this thing out of it's pot because it seems like every time that i attempt to do it, the roots break? The medium is like a solid lump of dirt with tons of roots running through it.

Here,s what I would do for that Cymbid.If it were mine .
If the pot is made of plastic I would flex the walls of the pot to seperate the roots from the plastic and remove the plant.
Soak the root system in some tepid water for 30 minutes. Also add one drop to 5 liters of sporekill to the water I think Hysan or Physan is your equivalent
Untangle the root system , don't be afraid of breaking roots, but try your best no to break too many ,especially be careful of new roots just emerging from the bulbs
Using a sterile knife cut away any dead roots .Also any broken live roots .
Clean away as much of the old media as possible . Remeber that growing root tips are very fragile and a jet of water will damage them .
Cut away all the leaf die back,and old flower spikes sealing the edges with sulphur.
Place the whole plant on a sheet of clean news paper, and leave to dry for about an hour or so .
Don't overpot the plant allow for about two seasons growth. Position the plant in the new pot so that the growing points have sufficient room for one or two new growths
Pour in the fresh media tamping it down a little as you pour. remember that the fresh media will settle over the next week or so and it will need topping up so that the new roots are not exposed.
Cymbidiums must never dry out and watering every two weeks is far too little , try growing the plant in S/H rather . Hope this helps .

Good tips Des! I wish I had know all this when I repotted my Cym two years ago.

Hey Kanikdude,

Follow those good tips and you should be OK. You could always soak the whole thing before trying to unpot it. Soaking will soften up some of those roots, making them a little less prone to break.

Even though you need to keep it moist, the roots still need to breathe. Getting it out of that soil and into fresh media will really help. That sun-bulb stuff may work. Look for something with coconut husk chip in it, like Farfard's. You could also make your own by adding some peat, pearlite, good sterile nursery mix, or whatever to your sun-bulb mix.

OK, i'll try to repot it tomorrow. I was looking on my potting mix bag and it says right on the bag that it works for cymbidiums, so it should work fine (i guess i'm going blind already). I also just recently but some primeagra and epiweb and might throw a little bit of that in the mix. Thanks for all of the responses.

ah - cymbidium stew! ;)
I kinda do that - throw a bit of everything in lol
good luck with your cym! let us know how it goes

Everyone on this thread seems overly concerned with "breaking cym roots" or "damaging cym roots".

Relax! It is virtually impossible to divide or repot a Cym without damaging or breaking roots and they will survive just fine. That is why I allow plants to dry out (lose most of the media moisture) before repotting as it is much easier to loosen the old media. I then remove with a sterile knife at least 1/2 to 2/3 of the root ball!!! :evil: I then pick out the old mix with a pointed skewer, and remove any rotten (soft) roots from the base of the green bulbs. I know that in the south and south eastern states, it is necessary to treat the cuts with a fungal or antibacterial solution. However, in drier climates, allowing the plants to dry overnight will accomplish the same thing. Think of it as healing a cut on your finger - when exposed to air, a scab will form to seal the cut and the cut will heal faster.

Before you all start saying "Whoa Nellie" on this, let me give you my reasoning.
1) Roots are inevitably broken during repotting,
2) Broken roots will die at the break,
3) Leaving a bunch of broken roots, which will die and rot in the new mix, leaves no room into which the healthy roots can grow.
4) Roots will regenerate from above any cuts,
5) Keeping the roots above the bottom of the plant will help prevent rotting of roots in the initial reestablishment of the plant.

This has worked for me for more years than I want to admit. ;)

CL