What are these growths on the base of my cymbidium?

[Mercurianmad]

Hey everyone! The cymbidium has been adjusting to its new environment for a few weeks now. I’ve been soaking the pot for a few hours every 3 days, heavily misting the top roots daily, and I’ve Had the humidifier going on it too since fall has brought our relative humidity in the California mountains to 20😯!

Now several of the outer, older leads began to yellow and go black on the base of the leaf at the bulb. Then the yellow leaves fell off today and there’s all these weird growths at the base of the plant that the leaves were covering up. Is this good? What are these?

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[SouthPark]

MM ..... the growths in the middle pic are new off-shoots that --- if allowed to grow normally without issues, will turn into new bulbs and leaves.

[Roberta]

It's hard to tell from the photos... but given the time of year, flower spikes are very likely. As they develop, if they start to flatten at the top they're growths... if they stay bullet-shaped, they're spikes. Don't worry about the dropping leaves... Cyms tend to shed a few in the fall. (I go through my Cym area every few days picking up the dropped leaves, or I end up with a mess)

Don't worry about the humidity. Cyms are among the toughest of orchids. (My first orchid, a Cym, was given to me by a co-worker who lived somewhat inland, where summer temps are often in triple digits F, and winter nights near freezing, desert winds can take the humidity to single digits) I figured that if she could grow orchids where she lived, it would be a piece of cake where I was, closer to the coast.

So especially when it's dry, just water them copiously. (Mine get a bath every day during the hot days of summer or when those hot, dry winds blow) Bring them in when nights dip below 40 deg F (since you can get significant cold) but otherwise, pampering is not needed.