cymbidium help!

[princessk]

i inherited a cymbidium from my grandmother that is decades old. it used to sit outside in southern california, but i moved it indoors to san francisco. at first a lot of the leaves started dropping and now i think it got over it's shock, but the ends of the stems are brown. i also noticed that they are sitting in dirt! here are my questions...

1) does cymbidiums need more water than phals?
2) right now, i'm only using water, should i start using a balanced fertilizer?
3) when do they usually bloom? since it's been neglected this year does it mean i should expect blooms next year?
4) why would the end of the leaves turn dark brown?
5) if the dirt works should i leave it, or do i have to repot?

sorry, for the all the questions, but i really want to turn this plant around since my grandmother had these fabulous sprays of orchids.

[robb]

...but i do have 2 cymbidiums which have survived my ham-fisted nuturing for >6mths now.

i did have about 4 leaves that ended up dying off after i repotted each (about 7 leaves total), which i took to be part of the ROOT TRIMMING that should happen each time it gets repotted.

you didn't mention what the plant's schedule was like, if they are due for a repotting, but if it's not too late now, maybe it would be good to pull them out and trim the roots, put some fresh new orchid mix in (i have great success with cymbidiums and the 'orchid soil mix' i picked up at Home Depot), and feed them a little bit with a balanced fertilizer, but mostly i think they want watering.

i'm not sure about the tips turning brown, but both of my cym's have multiple black/brown spots on leaves and pseudobulbs, but are both putting on new growth shoots too, so i assume it is ok. long and short of it, if you aren't steadily loosing leaves, it's probably just a transport/transplant shock, and should stop shortly!

perhaps an expert would be kind enough to post other suggestions?

[brookn]

Hi don't know much about Cym. but you can get a culture sheet from the Ameican Orchid Society. You probably want to repot, the dirt cannot be doing any good. The end of the leaves turning brown, could be fertilizer burn, not enough water, too much water, too much sun (not sure about the culture and how much is needed). I would get it out and do an all over inspection, especially look at the roots and repot into an appropriate medium. I would also soak the plant in some water before potting for about 30 min. + to get the soil off so you can see their condition. The culture sheets are the most important, if the culture is right the plant will be happy.

[Vivienne]

I have 2 cymbidium which both have new growths (not blooms yet). They are potted is a soil / bark mix or a fine and medium bark mix. I haven't mustered the courage to repot them (they're really big) so will do that next spring. I know they need to go outdoors for a cool down in order to produce blooms. Again, I haven't worked up the courage to take them out. Sure we're in Spring/Summer but the other night we had a freeze warning. Colorado weather is extremely unpredictable. I'm holding off until late Summer early Fall to put them out.

The tips on some of my leaves are brown. I just trim it a little bit. I use worm tea for watering and misting (which is done 1-2 times per day).

Just my 2 petals worth.

[mayres]

A few comments about Cyms from someone who has just a few (4). Common media around here is 1/3 standard potting mix blended with bark orchid mix. The overall effect looks very like soil - they are semi-terrestrial and will thrive in this mix. I have read that others on this forum have success with various bark mixes only - so I guess as in most orchids we have options. From what I have been told, once you get to mid summer or later - DO NOT REPOT - until after the next blooming cycle. I was going to repot one of mine late last summer and everyone said to wait until spring or you might affect the bloom cycle. I was rewarded for waiting with FOUR flower spikes! Again, not an expert, but people I know who grow more than I - watering can be something like twice a week in warm months - even every other day during very hot days - maybe weekly in winter. You should be fertilizing now and expect to see flower spikes starting in late fall after they have been exposed to some good cooling. Good luck - mike

[kmarch]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Originally Posted by princessk

1) does cymbidiums need more water than phals?

Go to the AOS website (www.aos.org) and download a culture sheet on Cymbidiums. This will give you good clear info on Cymbid culture. They can tolerate a lot of water. Mine are usually moist.

Originally Posted by princessk

2) right now, i'm only using water, should i start using a balanced fertilizer?

I'd recommend fertilizing only in spring/summer when the plant is growing new leaves and bulbs, and nothing in fall/winter (unless it is a bloom boost in fall). I believe in SF you could grow them outdoors with good success.

Originally Posted by princessk

3) when do they usually bloom? since it's been neglected this year does it mean i should expect blooms next year?

Their flowering cycle is initiated by a cool autumn. If they get the temp drop (like they would if grown outdoors) they will start f=growing a spike in fall and bloom in the winter. Give your Cymb good culture this spring/summer and it may very well bloom for you this winter.

Originally Posted by princessk

4) why would the end of the leaves turn dark brown?

One cause of brown (burnt-looking?) leaf tips is usually fertilizer burn. This happens when it has been given too much or too strong fertilizer. I'd stop fertilizing all together for a while (a couple of months) then start again with light feeding.

Originally Posted by princessk

5) if the dirt works should i leave it, or do i have to repot?

Cymbids are semi-terrestrials. They can take a bit of dirt in the mix. It also helps to hold moisture for the plant. I don't use dirt in my Cymbids but some folks use things like peat and the like.

Is it pot bound?

Get one of the AOS culture sheets and give it a good read. If you have questions afterwords, let us know and we'll do our best to help.

[PhalPal]

Hi princessk- I grow cyms outside and they do very well down here. Is there a reason why you have your cym inside versus outside? They do much better outdoors in bright light but not direct sun and need cooler night temperatures in the Fall to set flower spikes. Most indoor settings do not allow for this drop in temperature. Your SF weather will suit this plant just fine!
Cyms like to be potbound and a bit crowded in their pot, so I would wait until after flowering next season, if you do get flowers next year. Mike above pointed out that cym potting soil can look a bit like 'dirt', when it actually is more of a peat mix which is okay. (holds more water) Watering them is only a bit different from phals; they do not like to dry out completely (like phals) but want a bit more moisture near the roots. When you do water them, pour lots of water in from the top until it is thoroughly saturated and let it drain well from the bottom. Cyms are also heavy feeders and like fertilizer year round, but with your burnt tips I would back off for a while. Better not enough fert then too much. I mix a little Osmocote in with my mix which is a good slow-release fertilizer and I also mist them with worm tea, which is big on this forum!

Ask lots of questions and we will do our best to help you and your Grandmother's orchid through this transition!

[brookn]

oops, i guess i was wrong. sorry all. i was unaware of the soil thing, just tryin to help. my bad.