The Orchid Garden

So I repotted my Cym yesterday…

Question:

Thanks, everyone!  Now there are even more plants on my list.  :-) Sarah — – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Susan, I tend to agree that the Chinese Cymbidium Golden Elf will trive either outdoors or in a greenhouse.  I have one in both locations. . . . Pam Everything Orchid Management System http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html If you want an easier plant to live with and bloom, try a chinese cym. Cym. Golden Elf. Blooms easily with a little less light than Cattleya conditions. But I think you would need a bit more than your Phal wants.  I grow mine semi-hydroponicly. If you have not read about it go to Ray’s web site. (firstrays.com)  It bloomed twice early in the summer and about October. I can not bloom standard Cym. They are not really house plants. They do beautifully if you can grow them outdoors. SuE Hi Pam!  I’ve always wanted to grow cyms but have never tried it because I’ve heard that they can be difficult.  How do their growing conditions compare to those of phalenopsis?  Do you have any hints for the newbie? Thanks! Sarah

Response:

Hello Sandy & welcome.

Thank you, it’s nice to be here. You mention a ceramic pot? The pot must have lots of holes for good drainage??

Yes, it is one of the "special" pots marked "orchid" from the garden centre.  It has holes all over the darned place.  I’m actually a little concerned it has too many holes for the Cym. Also don’t water it for about two weeks, at least this is what I was told. Somewhere on this internet is a fantastic site with step by step instructions with pictures, but I can’t find it in my files so maybe someone will read this.

Oh, that would be lovely.  I have one of the Rittershausen books that shows them repotting and dropping on Cyms which is why I sort of bought the book in the first place. Thanks for your help.  I’ll keep an eye on this thread in case someone finds that website. –  Sandy

Response:

If you want an easier plant to live with and bloom, try a chinese cym. Cym. Golden Elf. Blooms easily with a little less light than Cattleya conditions. But I think you would need a bit more than your Phal wants.  I grow mine semi-hydroponicly. If you have not read about it go to Ray’s web site. (firstrays.com)  It bloomed twice early in the summer and about October. I can not bloom standard Cym. They are not really house plants. They do beautifully if you can grow them outdoors. SuE – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hi Pam!  I’ve always wanted to grow cyms but have never tried it because I’ve heard that they can be difficult.  How do their growing conditions compare to those of phalenopsis?  Do you have any hints for the newbie? Thanks! Sarah

Response:

I removed two not-in-leaf pseudobulbs (well, one has a single broken leaf still attached) and read yesterday that I can plant these pseudobulbs and maybe they’ll root.  Does anyone have experience with that?

  Yes, unless they are rather soft they will sprout new pseudobulbs.  I found that it was it useful to put them in less direct sunlight till the roots sprouted (2 to 4 hours a day).  Too much light seemed to dry out the pseudobulbs before the successfully sprouted.  Don’t expect the new bulbs to grow to full size quickly.  It requires patience.  But it’s faster than growing them from seed and they are all virtual clones of the parent plant so that the best qualities of your variety will continue. What is the question?       Gertrude Stein’s last words No one mouth is big enough to utter the whole thing.    Alan Watts On Display in the UK     http://www.web-gallery.co.uk

Response:

Some time ago, I saved some nursery trays that succulents came in and now use them for the cymbidium backbulbs.  These are in semi-shade.  I refill the trays yearly with 1 part sand, 1 part peat, and 1 part perlite and a little bit of fine orchid mix.  I then place the bulbs with their labels at 3 inch intervals. In a matter of months they develop plants and within a year or so they are big enough to pot. These are the larger, standard cymbidiums as the Chinese types are a bit more difficult to develop from backbulbs. . . . Pam Everything Orchid Management System http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I removed two not-in-leaf pseudobulbs (well, one has a single broken leaf still attached) and read yesterday that I can plant these pseudobulbs and maybe they’ll root.  Does anyone have experience with that?

Response:

Hello Sandy & welcome. You mention a ceramic pot? The pot must have lots of holes for good drainage?? Also don’t water it for about two weeks, at least this is what I was told. Somewhere on this internet is a fantastic site with step by step instructions with pictures, but I can’t find it in my files so maybe someone will read this. Good luck & good growing, Cheers Wendy

: My Cym just finished blooming (3 flowering stalks, yea!).  It : has been slowly squishing up out of its pot for a while now so : I decided I’d better try to repot it.  Many orchid books later : I decided to tackle the task, daunting as it is to a newbie : owner.  It was difficult as blue blazes to get it out of the : pot.  We ended up using hospital scissors to cut the pot off : the plant.  Gods only knows what I will do next time I repot it : because I put it into a ceramic pot this time. : : I bought a "terrestrial mix" of medium, soaked it (it didn’t : say how long to soak it for though) and put some styrofoam : peanuts in the bottom of the pot.  I am worried now that : because I didn’t cone the medium under the existing rootball : that I have done something horrible.  Although the pot I put it : into is bigger in diameter it isn’t as deep a pot as what the : plant was in previously.  I hope I’ve done the right thing. : : I removed two not-in-leaf pseudobulbs (well, one has a single : broken leaf still attached) and read yesterday that I can plant : these pseudobulbs and maybe they’ll root.  Does anyone have : experience with that? : : : –  Sandy : — : Bacchae at cadvision dot com : "Beauty is terror.  Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver : before it.  We want to be devoured by it, to hide ourselves : in that fire which refines us." : –  Donna Tartt : :

Response:

Hi Pam!  I’ve always wanted to grow cyms but have never tried it because I’ve heard that they can be difficult.  How do their growing conditions compare to those of phalenopsis?  Do you have any hints for the newbie? Thanks! Sarah — – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sandy, Buy the special scissors that splice a plastic pot.  Cymbidiums tend to become root-bound.  And, placing it in a larger pot is the right idea. I have grown these orchids for over twenty-five years successfully. . . . Pam Everything Orchid Management System http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html My Cym just finished blooming (3 flowering stalks, yea!).  It has been slowly squishing up out of its pot for a while now so I decided I’d better try to repot it.  Many orchid books later I decided to tackle the task, daunting as it is to a newbie owner.  It was difficult as blue blazes to get it out of the pot.  We ended up using hospital scissors to cut the pot off the plant.  Gods only knows what I will do next time I repot it because I put it into a ceramic pot this time. I bought a "terrestrial mix" of medium, soaked it (it didn’t say how long to soak it for though) and put some styrofoam peanuts in the bottom of the pot.  I am worried now that because I didn’t cone the medium under the existing rootball that I have done something horrible.  Although the pot I put it into is bigger in diameter it isn’t as deep a pot as what the plant was in previously.  I hope I’ve done the right thing. I removed two not-in-leaf pseudobulbs (well, one has a single broken leaf still attached) and read yesterday that I can plant these pseudobulbs and maybe they’ll root.  Does anyone have experience with that? –  Sandy — Bacchae at cadvision dot com "Beauty is terror.  Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it.  We want to be devoured by it, to hide ourselves in that fire which refines us." –  Donna Tartt

Response:

Susan, I tend to agree that the Chinese Cymbidium Golden Elf will trive either outdoors or in a greenhouse.  I have one in both locations. . . . Pam Everything Orchid Management System http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If you want an easier plant to live with and bloom, try a chinese cym. Cym. Golden Elf. Blooms easily with a little less light than Cattleya conditions. But I think you would need a bit more than your Phal wants.  I grow mine semi-hydroponicly. If you have not read about it go to Ray’s web site. (firstrays.com)  It bloomed twice early in the summer and about October. I can not bloom standard Cym. They are not really house plants. They do beautifully if you can grow them outdoors. SuE Hi Pam!  I’ve always wanted to grow cyms but have never tried it because I’ve heard that they can be difficult.  How do their growing conditions compare to those of phalenopsis?  Do you have any hints for the newbie? Thanks! Sarah

Response:

Hi, Sarah, Cymbidiums don’t seem to grow well in the house.  I grow the regular cymbidiums against the house outdoors in morning sun.  Some of the species and Chinese cymbidiums I grow in the greenhouse where temperature is a bit more constant.  They require more light than phals and are easier to grow, depending upon climate and temperature. Cymbidiums can take temperatures down into twenties, if covered with cloth and into the hundreds if kept shaded and misted. For the newbie, I would try a standard (one of the large leafed) cymbidiums and a hybrid as species are a little more difficult. Cymbidium California (a SBOE yellow) is an easy-to-grow cymbidium. . . . Pam Everything Orchid Management System http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Pam!  I’ve always wanted to grow cyms but have never tried it because I’ve heard that they can be difficult.  How do their growing conditions compare to those of phalenopsis?  Do you have any hints for the newbie? Thanks! Sarah

Response:

I have been growing a cymbidium by our patio sliding door (eastern exposure) for several years now.  It is always indoors and grows far more than I would like.  It does get a bit cooler there because it is next to the window which ices up when it is really cold.  It has bloomed each late winter for the past four years and is ready to now. When I first bought the bulbs at a home and garden show, I had no idea what to do with them.  Consequently, they were potted in my good old African violet mix and have done quite well.  I always feel that I am doing such terrible sinful things to my orchids; but I’m a firm believer in "if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it".  It’s happy and when I repot it this summer (it mine is also overflowing its pot) it will again the the same potting mix. B Hi Pam!  I’ve always wanted to grow cyms but have never tried it because I’ve heard that they can be difficult.

– Barb Coon Rapids, MN http://chuck-barb.virtualave.net/african.htm

Response:

Sarah, If you stick with miniatures, especially those that are very close hybrids with Chinese species, or those species themselves, you will find they do great in the home. The Chinese species, for example, are tolerant of a wide range of temperatures, and need to be heavily shaded in the heat of summer, while enjoying a bright space in the winter when it’s cooler. — Ray Barkalow < First Rays Orchids http://www.firstrays.com Secure Online Ordering & Lots of Free Info! Hi Pam!  I’ve always wanted to grow cyms but have never tried it because I’ve heard that they can be difficult.  How do their growing conditions compare to those of phalenopsis?  Do you have any hints for the newbie? Thanks! Sarah —

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sandy, Buy the special scissors that splice a plastic pot.  Cymbidiums tend to become root-bound.  And, placing it in a larger pot is the right idea. I have grown these orchids for over twenty-five years successfully. . . . Pam Everything Orchid Management System http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html My Cym just finished blooming (3 flowering stalks, yea!).  It has been slowly squishing up out of its pot for a while now so I decided I’d better try to repot it.  Many orchid books later I decided to tackle the task, daunting as it is to a newbie owner.  It was difficult as blue blazes to get it out of the pot.  We ended up using hospital scissors to cut the pot off the plant.  Gods only knows what I will do next time I repot it because I put it into a ceramic pot this time. I bought a "terrestrial mix" of medium, soaked it (it didn’t say how long to soak it for though) and put some styrofoam peanuts in the bottom of the pot.  I am worried now that because I didn’t cone the medium under the existing rootball that I have done something horrible.  Although the pot I put it into is bigger in diameter it isn’t as deep a pot as what the plant was in previously.  I hope I’ve done the right thing. I removed two not-in-leaf pseudobulbs (well, one has a single broken leaf still attached) and read yesterday that I can plant these pseudobulbs and maybe they’ll root.  Does anyone have experience with that? –  Sandy — Bacchae at cadvision dot com "Beauty is terror.  Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it.  We want to be devoured by it, to hide ourselves in that fire which refines us." –  Donna Tartt

Response:

My Cym just finished blooming (3 flowering stalks, yea!).  It has been slowly squishing up out of its pot for a while now so I decided I’d better try to repot it.  Many orchid books later I decided to tackle the task, daunting as it is to a newbie owner.  It was difficult as blue blazes to get it out of the pot.  We ended up using hospital scissors to cut the pot off the plant.  Gods only knows what I will do next time I repot it because I put it into a ceramic pot this time. I bought a "terrestrial mix" of medium, soaked it (it didn’t say how long to soak it for though) and put some styrofoam peanuts in the bottom of the pot.  I am worried now that because I didn’t cone the medium under the existing rootball that I have done something horrible.  Although the pot I put it into is bigger in diameter it isn’t as deep a pot as what the plant was in previously.  I hope I’ve done the right thing. I removed two not-in-leaf pseudobulbs (well, one has a single broken leaf still attached) and read yesterday that I can plant these pseudobulbs and maybe they’ll root.  Does anyone have experience with that? –  Sandy — Bacchae at cadvision dot com "Beauty is terror.  Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it.  We want to be devoured by it, to hide ourselves in that fire which refines us." –  Donna Tartt

Response:

Sandy, Buy the special scissors that splice a plastic pot.  Cymbidiums tend to become root-bound.  And, placing it in a larger pot is the right idea. I have grown these orchids for over twenty-five years successfully. . . . Pam Everything Orchid Management System http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My Cym just finished blooming (3 flowering stalks, yea!).  It has been slowly squishing up out of its pot for a while now so I decided I’d better try to repot it.  Many orchid books later I decided to tackle the task, daunting as it is to a newbie owner.  It was difficult as blue blazes to get it out of the pot.  We ended up using hospital scissors to cut the pot off the plant.  Gods only knows what I will do next time I repot it because I put it into a ceramic pot this time. I bought a "terrestrial mix" of medium, soaked it (it didn’t say how long to soak it for though) and put some styrofoam peanuts in the bottom of the pot.  I am worried now that because I didn’t cone the medium under the existing rootball that I have done something horrible.  Although the pot I put it into is bigger in diameter it isn’t as deep a pot as what the plant was in previously.  I hope I’ve done the right thing. I removed two not-in-leaf pseudobulbs (well, one has a single broken leaf still attached) and read yesterday that I can plant these pseudobulbs and maybe they’ll root.  Does anyone have experience with that? –  Sandy — Bacchae at cadvision dot com "Beauty is terror.  Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it.  We want to be devoured by it, to hide ourselves in that fire which refines us." –  Donna Tartt

Response:

Filed under: Cymbidium Orchids

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