The Orchid Garden

Cymbidiums in Northeast?

Question:

My mother grows some standard cymbidiums in her basement under cool/warm white light combo in the winter and outdoors in partial shade in the summer. She lives in eastern/central Pennsylvania  She does quite well and often has spikes with 7-8 flowers on each (usually 2 spikes).  She has had corsages made out them for the family in the past (sometimes they flower for her right around Easter). She tends to grow them in clay pots and medium bark/charcoal/styrofoam nugget mixture.  For fertilizer I know she uses Shultz Orchids and another orchid-specific fertilizer and a dose of Superthrive each time.  Watering is done weekly whether or not they dry out in the meantime (although they never quite seem to dry out by then).  The temp in the basement tends to be in the 60’s and lights are on about 14 hours/day.  The cymbidiums are grown among phals, dens, and brassia.  Our summers tend to be in the 70-80’s sometimes going up into the 90’s.  Sorry that’s not too specific, but that’s what she does and it seems to work:) Mary

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hi! I live in Southwestern Connecticut, and currently grow Catts, Denrobiums, a few Paphs, Phals, Oncidiums and misc. species. I put some of them outdoors in summer (am currently planning to make a small screen house for them this year, so I can put all of them out!). I’m dying to try my hand at Cymbidiums, and would like to hear how others in the northeast are doing it, what sort of light they are placed in, what fertilizer they’re using and how much and how often, etc. Also, what sorts are you growing? Standard, mini or chinese? Any recommendations, and any suggestions as to dealers? I’m especially fond of fragrant ones. Please email answers if you can…..don’t get on here as often as I’d like…. Thanks in advance!

Response:

Hi! I live in Southwestern Connecticut, and currently grow Catts, Denrobiums, a few Paphs, Phals, Oncidiums and misc. species. I put some of them outdoors in summer (am currently planning to make a small screen house for them this year, so I can put all of them out!). I’m dying to try my hand at Cymbidiums, and would like to hear how others in the northeast are doing it, what sort of light they are placed in, what fertilizer they’re using and how much and how often, etc. Also, what sorts are you growing? Standard, mini or chinese? Any recommendations, and any suggestions as to dealers? I’m especially fond of fragrant ones. Please email answers if you can…..don’t get on here as often as I’d like…. Thanks in advance!

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi! I live in Southwestern Connecticut, and currently grow Catts, Denrobiums, a few Paphs, Phals, Oncidiums and misc. species. I put some of them outdoors in summer (am currently planning to make a small screen house for them this year, so I can put all of them out!). I’m dying to try my hand at Cymbidiums, and would like to hear how others in the northeast are doing it, what sort of light they are placed in, what fertilizer they’re using and how much and how often, etc. Also, what sorts are you growing? Standard, mini or chinese? Any recommendations, and any suggestions as to dealers? I’m especially fond of fragrant ones. Please email answers if you can…..don’t get on here as often as I’d like…. Thanks in advance!

I just tried one last year.  I lived in Maryland.  I mixed Osmocote with a water retaining bark mix and placed in a one gallon plastic pot. It seemed to do well under a tree in the SW corner.  I may try giving it more light this year. I am told that to get them to flower you have to leave them where the temperature differential is 10-15 degrees.  Furthermore if you bring them in before the buds mature they will fall off.

Response:

Filed under: Orchid Flower

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