Cymbidium Advice Please!

[Piper]

I don't grow Cyms, but I've done a lot of research on them, because I want to grow Cyms! Their fussiness with cool nights was one concern. But it's their mammoth size that's kept me from binging. The miniatures are less fussy, and don't grow as large as the standards, but don't be fooled. There's nothing miniature about their size.

Divisions are definitely the way to go. I was over at a friend's house, and he has Cyms in his little greenhouse. The leaves were perhaps a yard long, in bushy plants bursting out of 16" pots. He had three of these. They were all divisions of the same plant! That's when I decided to pass on Cyms. For now.

I'll let the guys who grow them advise on fert levels and frequency. But as a general rule of thumb, heavy growing requires more feeding.

McJulie

[Mehera]

LOL! Well it's being to sound like if these flourish and bloom and also grow as you say, there will soon be cymbidiums in the houses of all my friends in the Arkansas valley. I wish more of them liked orchids.

[Diane]

Ahh - don't be worried, they will get large if you let them, but that takes at least 2 or 3 years of good growing. My largest is in an 18" pot that I moved it into this year. The rest are in 8 and 12" pots. Figure that if the plant is happy it will increase 75% in size each year. Mine get fed on a regular schedule with the same strength as everyone else, except the timing on bloom fert is different.

Relax, Have fun!!

[Mehera]

Another question: is a 2.5" potted cym large enough to bloom? These tiny pots are proving very hard to keep moist outside and I would like to consolidate my four pots of the same variety (King Arthur) into one pot to maintain them more easily if they will not be blooming anytime soon anyway. These little pots have about 3 or 4 bulbs. Gracias.

[Diane]

That must be a mini... right? (I don't think one pbulb from one of my standards would fit in a 2.5 pot!)

Yes, you can consolidate them - maybe make 2 6 inch pots from the 4 2.5 inch pots.

[Mehera]

Thanks Diane--that's what I'll do!