Blooming Cymbidiums

[tunachris]

How are everyones cymbidiums doing right now? I have about 7 plants that are in spike/bloom. Last year I didn't get a very good bloom season, but lost some spikes due to a cold snap in Jan. 2007.

This year I went back to a couple of techniques that I neglected last year. First I watered my Cymbidiums with epsom salts at a ratio of 1 tablespoon to a gallon of water. I applied this to the cymbidiums once each month in Sept., Oct., and Nov. The other thing I did once again was to roll back the shade cloth over my growing area in late Oct., and I will keep it rolled back till late February or mid March, depending on the weather.

Due to the hot dry weather in my area, I don't see any blooms till pretty late, the first plants are flowering right now. In years past I have gotten flowers in late Nov. and early December, but I tend to be behind the coastal areas of So. Cal. I do have flowers into late June or even early July however. At the moment the growing areas is covered with clear plastic to keep any rain from drowning the plants. Hope to get more rain this season, as I have been storing rain water to get me through some of the summer.

[wien78]

Hello. New to cyms, just have 1 so far. I have many phals, onc. and brassia doing great with those, bloom every year, but I have had this one for a complete year and it looks okay even getting new growth, but no spike. I am a patio grower part-shaded south exposure in so. cal. Do cyms really need changes in fertilzer in order to bloom here? I use standard orchid fert. almost everytime I water.

[orchids3]

Hi tunachris, Its always good to see another cymbidium enthuiast. I would look at what this fellow says about growing orchids outside. Casa de las Orquideas Online He is near Sab Diego and was past Editor of the CSA Journal. I have grown in Southern Calif myself but live and grow cymbidiums in NE Florida. I never protect my plants from rain and it has rained as much as two weeks straight. My growing media is a lot differant than you probably to cope with it. If you use media that gets soggy and stays wet the roots will rot. I like airflow around my cymbidiums so would never enclose them in plastic. Guess everyone has a little differant approach but have been growing for 30 years and have 2500 Cyms. and learn somethin new everyday.

[Bobfharris]

Originally Posted by wien78

Hello. New to cyms, just have 1 so far. I have many phals, onc. and brassia doing great with those, bloom every year, but I have had this one for a complete year and it looks okay even getting new growth, but no spike. I am a patio grower part-shaded south exposure in so. cal. Do cyms really need changes in fertilzer in order to bloom here? I use standard orchid fert. almost everytime I water.

There are some interesting discussions about different fertilizer regimens. For many years I followed the idea that half the year low nitrogen (June to Dec) and half the year high N (Jan to May). An interesting book called I've got Spikes from Australia suggests that a 3-1-5 or similar is best all year long. Other regimes suggest that a 3-1-5 might be ok if you interrupt for a month (say May-6 weeks before the sun is overhead) with a very high potassium fertilizer with little or no nitrogen.
As always sufficient Mg and Ca must be present. You might experiment with this. In any case the plants also are somewhat temperature dependent depending on the variety. Some more than others.

[tunachris]

I don't enclose in plastic, I just use plastic sheeting to keep the rain from getting the plants to soggy. We have had steady rain for the past 6 days so the plastic keeps the rain from drowning the plants. I have all my cymbidiums growing in 100% CHC and all seem to do well in that.

I like CHC because it retains moisture in hot weather without getting soggy and breaking down. In fact for the past couple of years I only "pot on" into bigger containers when the plants start to outgrow thier containers. I find that cutting a lot of roots back tends to set the plants back for at least a season aftere re-potting. I have also noticed that with CHC the roots tend to remain much healthier than in bark mixes.

I have switched back to grow/bloom formulas in my fertilizing regime this winter. For a couple of years I used Jerry's Grow, and just lowered the fert. ratio in the bloom season. I ran out a few months back, and as far as I know, it is no longer made. I liked using Jerry's Grow due to the fact that it lowered the PH of my rather alkaline water. I store enough rain water each winter to just about get me through the dry season on the weeks I only water with plain water, and then use the fert. during the rest of the time. Guess I will have to figure something else out. I have seen a radical decline in browning of the leave tips during the summer due to this?

As far as blooning goes, I am not sure what is most important. I know we have the requisite temperature drop starting in the late fall. Nights are often in the 40's this time of year, with many days up to the 80's through the late fall. It is supposed to be the day/night temperature differential that is critical for good blooms.

[orchids3]

I like CHC but get a little soggy in Florida so I cut the mix 50/50 with pearlite or something else to improve drainage. Right not I am using Stalite but will wait a year before I recomend it to someone else. Have heard good reports on Jerrys grow but it was out of business before I tried it. Jacks Professional is good stuff too. I learned to love cymbidiums in California then moved to Florida. Its taken me a while to adjust to the differant conditions.

[AndreaM]

Cymbidium Iowianum is my favorite cymbidium because the flower spikes grow so tall and the flowers look so "species" like. This orchid is the original Indian species discovered in Burma (Myanmar) from which today's hybrids are derived. Does anybody know the names of the first hybrids that came from this orchid?

[orchids3]

Iowianum? Never heard of that species - do you mean Lowianum? I think Cym. Eburneo-lowianum was the first cymbidium hybrid and maybe the first orchid hybrid.