Need help with Cymbidium

[AtantaR]

I have a Cymbidium Little Black Sambo 'Black Magic'.....got it about 2 months ago. Its a very young plant....had one little 2" p-bulb with two leaves and a growth with 5 leaves and then a new growth about an inch long. This new growth only got about a half inch longer within the past two months. Very slow...but today I noticed the growth with 5 leaves turning yellow. With further inspection there is rot at the bottom and all the leaves just broke off. All thats left is a small p-bulb with 2 leaves and the new growth. I dont want to lose this guy. He hasnt been around for very long....Any suggestions? I just repotted it from the store mix about a month ago. Then this happens. Ill get a picture up soon..thanks

[cindiras]

What type of potting mix are you using? What is your watering style? And finally, what level of light does your cym recieve?

[AtantaR]

well I repotted it into bark, perlite and charcoal mix. Pretty much the most generic mix for orchids. mmm I havent been watering it much. Tho when I repotted I let it soak for a lil bit with 1-1-1 B-1 organic in tepid water as well as soaking the bark mixture. When I do water its after its totally dry with a sprayer of the same 1-1-1 organic at about 120ppm. But I never spray the leaves. I just water the mix till it runs out the base... But recently with the rot I think I will hold off on both water and ferts......... but its sitting right next to my denro. but behind my oncidium about a foot away from a west window. Its gets a lil less light then my dendro.

[cindiras]

Cyms love light. The brighter, the better! They are also heavy feeders when growing. I DON'T dilute fertilizer for them! Since mine are in S/H (clay pellots), they have constant access to water and are never dry.

[AtantaR]

Hmmmm good to know you dont dilute fertilizer.....maybe I should try S/H on this one....but what about winter rest?....wouldnt S/H cause more rot during the winter. Ive also heard that Black Sambos like to be dry during this period. Besides everything else...Im actually not giving it a winter feel since im keeping it in the house where its 65-70 all day and night.....any more thoughts?.....thanks for your help thus far Cindi

[cindiras]

Gotta tell you I don't have Black Sambo, so what you have read on this specific cym might be better culture for it than what I provide for my cyms. The ones I have are currently sitting on my basement floor (cooler on the concrete) under T12 four foot flourescent lights. I am using the sunglow, or wide spectrum bulbs in this fixture. I have a box fan blowing on them 24 hours a day, they are potted in 2 quart or one gallon plastic lemonade pitchers with no drain holes. When the water level gets down to an inch, I fill the pitcher to about half full again. Do they get a winter rest? Well, the flourescent light isn't as bright as the sunlight they recieved all summer and fall and they don't appear to actively grow in the winter, or needthe water topped up as often during the winter season, but I don't totally ignore them.

[orchidlady]

I got into a discussion with another of my local orchid society members about Black Sambo. She was having similar problems with rotting/dying plants of this clone. She felt that she was probably watering too much. These plants are Australian Cymbidiums that need to dry out more than the typical ones. She decided to get another plant at the sale the OS was having and I took a look at it. The leaves seemed much more succulent-like than they typical Cymbidium I am used to seeing, so I suspect they like drier conditions based on the appearance of the leaves.

Susan

[AtantaR]

hmmm its has to like really dry conditions cause I was barely watering it...Im thinking when I transplanted it that it soaked for to long in the water....or i should have not even soaked it at all...........Thanks for both of your incite...or if anyone else wants to put in their 2 cents?.....Ill throw a picture on here tomorrow so you peps can see how pathetic it looks....Thanks again

[Dail]

hmmm its has to like really dry conditions cause I was barely watering it...Im thinking when I transplanted it that it soaked for to long in the water....or i should have not even soaked it at all...........Thanks again

Andrew, I think you gave it far too much moisture when you were repotting. Having soaked the plant and the medium, I would not have watered that cym for at least a week. I hope it recovers.

Good luck.

[cindiras]

Here are a couple of my cyms in semi-hydro-