The Monster Cym No One Else Wanted - Now What?

[Carolla]

Thanks! At least it seems quite happy as it is and grew new pbulbs. I think its supposed to be pink and have the name "rose" in it somewhere, it came tagless and very cheap from a gal closing her storefront. Cheap = be patient!

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Glad that you are leaving it and not dividing. I bet it will be happier that way too.

cheers,
BD

[catttan]

If there's anything I've learned about most orchids (Excluding Paphs), it's that they would prefer to be left alone, even when they've grown roots all around the pot and, like the photos above of the cym I just wrestled out of its way too small pot, which seems to have somehow eaten the medium it was in because the root ball is a solid, impenetrable cylinder of nothing but roots. I have Catts that have to be supported because the new pseudobulbs are growing out of the pot and and tipping it over constantly.

I have also come to dread repotting, whereas, when I was really new at growing orchids, I repotted everything I could - often because it was in an ugly pot. Your Cym was recently disturbed, and is a recent division as well, so it's probably still traumatized. I would play it safe and leave it be - if the pot bothers your sense of aesthetics, you could place the whole pot into a prettier one - PROVIDED the pretty pot has free drainage AND a lot of ventilation, so that the air can continue to get to the ugly pot. Also, I'd leave it alone in the ugly pot unless it's in a place of great visibility. Once my Catts and other orchids are in bloom, I put them in decorative pots and enjoy them around the house. After they've bloomed, they might get repotted, or not, but they go back to row of non-bloomers, where many of them remain in their ugly pots, essentially. Unless the pot it's in already in an insufficient pot, as in, poor medium quality or insufficiently loose drainage, the I would leave it alone and really watch the temps when they start to go below 50. I have been told that the a hybrid Cym - not a warm-tolerant one are pretty darn hardy. I've left my own outside against the building until temps go into the forties During the DAY. They like it bright but they like a good near-freezing few days to start spikes. When you have to bring them in for the winter, transition them slowly and keep them in the pretty pots again. I wouldn't expect too much from it at this point - it may sulk for the next few tears

Good luck -

Maura

---------- Post Merged at 10:28 PM ----------



What's your secret, Yew?

Of you mean it's putting out keikis like mad, there's no secret .... our heat, moisture and humidity simply encourages vegetative growth but no blooms. I also use slow release Osmocote. BTW I'm trying to obtain as many Heat -tolerant cyms as I can, Apart from our local finlaysonianum and dayanum species, I have several pots of Golden Elf(easy bloomers here), Golden Vanguard , 2 pots of Chen's Ryby (one of which is the huge pot I was referring to in the prvious post) anf 2 other pots of NOID 'miniature' cyms, a green and a white. The Golden Vanguard produced a spike a month ago, but all the buds dropped just as they were abot to open. I attribute that to a sudden hot spell at the time. What looks like another spike is emerging and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this time we may be able to see some blooms.

[Carolla]

I have a question though, I think I've figured out how to cool my Cymbidium, but how long a cool spell does it need to get it to flower? (Providing it would do so this year, seems not too likely) Would it accept a period of going into a cool (inside the garage, heated, but not warm) room at night to keep it from freezing? If it needs a long period of cool, could I move it into this room and put a light on it? (There's no windows to use.) Thanks in advance for any help you have!

[Katherine]

All i have to add to this very good advice is that I would give the plant a good soaking with super thrive before I potted it.
Love the story Maura.