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By Orchid Gurue at 2010-03-18 12:20
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If you only could have one orchid then this is the one to grow for its grace, fragrance, ease of culture, and beauty.
Chinese Cymbidiums are being recognized for their unique beauty and grace. The following culture and historical background notes unlock some of the mystery of successfully growing these beauties of nature.
In China, the Asian Cymbidium became a part of history even before the establishment of Western Civilization! Throughout Chinese history the Cymbidium has been a symbol of virtuosity, and friendship, and was known for its elegance and sweet fragrance. In about 500 BC, Confucius compared the Asian Cymbidium flower to the Virtues of education: “A solitary Orchid, stands, adorning the side of a mountain, perfumes the air even in the absence of appreciation. A true scholar, learned in morality and philosophy, is always a gentleman, even in the absence of wealth.” Also in his writhing Confucius referred to the Asian Cymbidium as the “King of Fragrance” a term that has withstood time and is still in use today.
In ancient times, Nobility collected the Asian Cymbidium species. Often species were harvested from the high mountains and brought back to the palace. Certain natural variations of the plant would make it more desirable. The Nobleman would try to grow and cultivate plants to bring out the desired traits. Having found prized attributes in a particular species, they would then divide the plants. The Emperors and Nobility prized these Variations. They would plant their divisions in elaborate containers and often exchanged or given as gifts with visiting land barons. Of course, the rarer the attributes the more valuable the gift! Discussions would begin with a tea ceremony, burning incense and discussing the orchids and growing conditions.
Asian Cymbidiums: Controlled Growing Conditions
In cultivating Asian Cymbidiums whether it is in a greenhouse, growing under lights or outdoors, particular attention must be paid to the growth media, the pot and the growing conditions. For centuries Asian growers have been using specialized pots to constrict the root spread, allow deep growth and maintain ventilation. It is not a coincidence that in every Asian orchid growing culture these special pots have evolved with consistent dimensions: a width to depth ratio of 1:3. The pots differ slightly from culture to culture. In all cases they can be glazed or unglazed. In Korea the traditional orchid pot is cylindrical, tapers in the middle, has a larger mouth, and often contains several side drain holes; the base allows for ventilation under the pot. In China, the pots can be square or cylindrical, may contain side drainage holes and may have feet to raise the pot off the ground. In Japan, the pots are usually glazed, cylindrical, with a flared mouth and three feet. The pot should be chosen to compliment the size and shape of the plant and not to overpower it. The pot should allow room for new growth, but still restrain the lateral growth of the roots. I prefer the Korean pots for Cymbidium sinense, because they are larger and more ventilated, while Cymbidium ensifolium shows better in a slightly smaller pot.
Cymbidiums. Spikes can be twice the height of the plant. The number, shape, fragrance and timing of flowers vary by species. Within a species, many of the variations are named dependant upon the color or the flower. For example, in the sinense species, there are variations with flowers that range from almost black, sinense “San Chuan” to pure yellow “Wu Tsu Tsai” to red, sinense “Ta Ming” to almost pure white sinense “Pai Mu Su”. Pure color flowers are thought to be the most valuable.
The above information is taken mostly from an article written by Eric Wolff and published in the AOS June 1999 magazine.
Stephen Moffitt
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