Warm Cym Failures, Cold Cym Succeses… what am I doing wrong?!

[ClevelandFinds]

Hello!!

So long story short, I love cymbidiums, they are my absolute favorite orchid. I have been very much successful in growing cold cyms in zone 6 for some time now. However, I have absolutely zero luck with warm cyms despite getting my cold ones to bloom every season between the lot of them.

My warm cym is absolutely beautiful, or at least the massive amount of foliage I have. It sends out new growths often, in fact, there is almost ALWAYS new growths but never so much as a thought about spiking! I divided and repotted it two years ago. The other half went to a friend who is also experiencing issues blooming despite all the new growths.

I have read they like to be somewhat rootbound, but also read about them not wanting to be rootbound. The plant will likely need to be transplanted up next spring but wondering what the point is if the damn thing will never bloom.

Unfortunately I do not have a tag to provide the name of this massive plant.

Not to sound rude, but please spare me with the basic care of a cym… I have all that information already to be honest. I need some advance guidance as nothing I’ve done seems to work. Almost thinking I have a wonderful pot of decorative grasses! Ha!

[ClevelandFinds]

Proof I can grow and bloom the cold cyms! Just sayin

[Roberta]

Without a name, how do you know that this is a "warm Cym"? Actually, most Cyms do like to be rootbound... they bloom best when they're about to break the pot.

If it's really a warm-blooming Cym I'd expect it to do any blooming in late summer/early fall. (All Cyms, except maybe a few high elevation species, are fine with heat... the "warmth-tolerant" bit is just the lack of need for the fall cool-down for blooming.) Most of those have some tropical ancestors which tend to give harder leaves, which is not what yours looks like. Maybe try treating it like your known cold-growing ones... let it get that cold jolt at this time of year. (Pretty much, the "warmth-tolerant" ones are also cold-tolerant, unless they are those really hard-leaved tropical types so it won't mind...) It may surprise you...maybe it is a actually standard Cym that does need the chill. Without a tag, it's a wild guess as to what it is.

[estación seca]

Welcome!

The true warm growing Cyms. come from closer to the equator than the cool growing Cyms. Consider extending Winter day length to 10 hours with supplemental lighting.

[ClevelandFinds]

Thanks for the replies!

In regards to Roberta’s response…
1) I always assumed that the smaller cyms were warm cyms to be honest… but now I question that theory.
2) Years ago, I had a pretty substantial position with a retail supermarket chain and had the luxury of sourcing vendors for items I wanted my stores to carry.. one of which was sourcing a cymbidium grower during bloom season. The one I ultimately went with was a grower in Hawaii… certainly helped their case by flying me out to see their farm. Unfortunately they are no longer in business, but I am almost certain this particular cym came by way of that grower… hence being a warm cym.
3) Alternatively, in my area of the country, Trader Joe’s would always have Cyms available without id’s. They were always warm growers here, so if I did not get it from #2 above, it most certainly came from TJ’s. Whom by the way, really need to bring back cyms on the east coast. I would wait all year for them and had to elbow Mrs cleaver each time just to see them, let alone pick one out… so I KNOW they sold them. With that said, Trader Joe’s Floral Department is a loss leader for their business model, so perhaps that has since changed.

Anyway… that’s my response… and always appreciate the feedback.

---------- Post added at 07:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:32 PM ----------

I should also add, Roberta, that up until this past season… I’ve always treated it like a cold cym and would leave them outside as long as possible. This year I tried something different and treated it like a warm… so the stupid plant is clearly having an identity crisis?!

[Roberta]

Remember, "warmth tolerant" doesn't necessarily mean "warm requiring". I have several Cyms that I'd consider in the warmth-tolerant eategory, late-summer or early fall bloomers that obviously don't need a cool down to bloom (Most have Cym ensifolium in their background). They iive in my back yard with all the rest of the Cyms, winter nights often in the low 40's F and sometimes into the mid 30's. They don't suffer at all... Cym ensifolium itself tends to be intolerant of cold, but the standard Cyms that are part of the ancestry of those hybrids imparts the typical Cym cold-tolerance. So I don't think that you'll see any harm if you give that plant the same chill that you do the "cold" ones. Worth a try... Clearly at some point you have to bring them all in for the winter, but the question is, "how soon"?

---------- Post added at 04:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:41 PM ----------

My response crossed yours on the 'net ... sorry 'bout that. Only other factor I can think of is somehow increasing light. The leaves do look a bit dark but not all that much. (I shoot for "lime green")

---------- Post added at 04:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:44 PM ----------

Other than that, I'm out of ideas other than moving to California...

[ClevelandFinds]

Thanks Roberta… I actually appreciate the reminder about warm tolerant… not necessarily a requirement basically. I will likely just treat it along side my colds and let it be… maybe someday I will be shocked with a spike if I don’t curse it out anymore perhaps?

Ironically… we are relocating to Seattle in the near future… looking forward to going from zone 6 to zone 8… and leaving these guys to their own devices with some preventative measures. Planning on building myself a nice greenhouse or two that I can just leave them in all year long. I know what everyone is thinking right now though, I still plan on mirroring the temp requirements regardless of being in a greenhouse. Essentially the greenhouse will be a way of having to lug them all over the place when the weather changes. Plus I can give them more light, as you mentioned, when needed.

Last question… any good suggestions on where online to purchase a nice cym in spike without needing a second mortgage (we all know the growers that charge several hundred for a single cym, albeit with pedigree… that I do not need quite frankly.) I have dozens of orchid growers websites bookmarked, but wondering if anyone knows the little guys of the world that have nice cymbidiums within the US?

Alternatively… any good orchid growers in Seattle that I will want to investigate? I’m already aware of Seattle Orchid, even though they are not in Seattle…. But any others out there?

[Roberta]

In spike, Trader Joe's or Walmart where I live... likely not the same for you though. Casa de las Orquideas has excellent plants, I would expect that they have some in spike, Also Santa Barbara Orchid Estate Both do their own breeding, plants have pedigree, but certainly don't cost even $100 much less multiples of that. I'm guessing that blooming size, mature plants are in the $50-$75 range or less (in spike just will run up the shipping cost a bit) I don't know of any growers in the Seattle area. (Cyms or otherwise). But if you are in Seattle in February, definitely check out the Seattle Flower and Garden Show Information about the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival . Lots of orchid vendors.

[ClevelandFinds]

Thanks for the response. To be honest, I’ve purchased from both those vendors online and agree, they are fantastic. With that said, and sit down for this, where I live (Ohio), it is few and far to find a cymbidium these days. IF you’re lucky enough to find one at any of the premium garden center greenhouses, you’ll spend no less than $100, I’ve seen them as much as $175 in garden centers here. I purchased a beautiful cym two years ago from SB and that ran me $165 after it was all said and done… was it worth it, no… but let’s be honest, we make money to spend money… and I wanted it! Ha!

[Roberta]

IOM (It's only money... I tell myself) I think shipping is the killer for you, a blooming or in-spike Cym tends to be on the large side and size raises the price on packages a lot more than weight does. Probably not a lot of ways around that...I do have the benefit of being within driving range of nurseries.