Cym. White Cloud?

[Steve B]

My wife, bless her heart, (as they say in the south) found this cymbidium at 50% off today and felt compelled to bring it home for me. Whilst I appreciate the generosity, I have absolutely no idea how to tell her that I don't think I have enough experience (yet!) to properly grow this beauty or that my conditions here in Canada are not really suitable. Is $25 too much for an experiment orchid like this? Cause I can almost guarantee that this orchid will go through some hard times before good.

I also have a question about the name that I am hoping somebody can help me with. The tag says Cym. 'White Cloud' (Via Spring Snow x President Polk). The RHS database gives me a different cross when I do a search under 'White Cloud' and I get no results when I use the parentage search.

I have down loaded the culture sheets and I will be studing/recording/researching as much as I can. Here are a couple pics. for reference.

Oh - and that is Ms. Freckles checking out her next victim! Don't ask.

Cheers,
Steve

[patticake]

Wow Steve! What a nice find! What a nice wife! I haven't attempted Cyms for the same reasons as you. I'll be watching your progress! I know they like a lot of light. We have some great Cymbidium growers in this forum, so maybe they can give you some extra tips!

BTW- I LOVE Ms. Freckles!!!!

[Vivienne]

Very Nice!!!
Ms. Freckles is going to have fun with the leaves. My cats do! At least they don't chew them, but they give them a mighty batting!

[Steve B]

Thanks Pattie & Viv

This is going to be challenge. I am thinking I might put it in my backyard. It is treed with some areas that get light in the morning, shade through mid-day, then light in the evening. Or I have thought about my front porch that faces south but I'm worried there might be too much sun. Either way it's going outside in the next couple of weeks.

We have 2 cats that destroyed a couple of palms we had so I am going to have to be watchful with them until it warms up a bit. Right now they are just batting the leaves but it will only be a matter of time before they start chewing. Hopefully the cat grass we grew will keep their attention diverted long enough.

Steve

[evagentry]

Hi Steve, I have three cym.You can put them outside when frost danger is past, if you put them on the porch make sure they don't get too much direct sun, happy growing!

[norris]

Hi Steve, that was nice of your wife to give you that Cym. It has really nice flowers, I love the white ones, I'm waiting patiently...not! for my own white one to bloom.
I'm sure you can keep yours healthy, you mentioned that you have an area outside that gets morning and evening sun, that would be perfect, and like others have said, you'll just have to bring it inside when it gets cold in the winter. Good luck

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Steve B

I also have a question about the name that I am hoping somebody can help me with. The tag says Cym. 'White Cloud' (Via Spring Snow x President Polk). The RHS database gives me a different cross when I do a search under 'White Cloud' and I get no results when I use the parentage search.

Two possibilities exist, either:
1) You have a cross (Via Spring Snow x President Polk) which has not yet been registered and named and which was inappropriately tagged with the cultivar name 'White Cloud' either by the breeder or the nursery from which it came.

2) You have a Cymb White Cloud the name of which was incorrectly expressed on the tag on which they also wrote the wrong parentage.

I believe the first possibility is the most likely as I have seen it many times before. While plausable, the second possibility would require the person who wrote out the tag to be remarkably out-to-lunch. Not unheard of, but probably not likely.

If the plant were mine, I'd make a new tag that read:
Cymb. Via Spring Snow x President Polk I'd drop the 'White Cloud' cultivar name as it's irrelevant.

Now for its culture. Get a good Cymbidium culture sheet like those at: AOS | Home. Cymbids are semi-terrestrial, like open but moisture retentive mix. They like to be kept moist most of time, I get lazy and mine dry out a little occasionally but never bone dry.

Their cycle is that they grow fast, like mad in spring and summer, pseudobulbs mature in autumn. Let the plant get really cool in autumn. Many people in your area (the Great Lakes area - where I am originally from) grow Cymbids outdoors and leave them out until the temps start dipping below about 40F (5C) at night. This cool autumn is necessary to initiate blooming. When you bring them in, keep them as cool and as bright as possible indoors. Later in autumn/early winter the plants willstart tospike and they bloom in winter/early spring.

If you give them lots of water and let them get cool in autumn you'll probably do fine.

Often orchids in my care sip a bloom cycle or 2 as they adjust to my growing space. Don't be dissapointed or think you're doing somethign wrong if your plant skips a bloom or 2.

Let us know how it goes.

[Steve B]

I have no one to blame on this but myself. I was in a wally world this weekend and found 2 isle displays that had on them "Mother Day Flowers". Everything was $23.99.

It was all I could to to leave with 1. I convinced myself that I could double my odds at success.

And for record keeping purposes, my front porch gets too much sun.

Steve

[solay]

Hi Steve B,
Yup, that's how they creep up on you. Pretty soon you are going to hit the 100 mark. They are very resilient plants and not too fussy. Just make sure they get as much light as possible without burning for blooms. I find the ones I keep under trees that get very little light don't always bloom while the ones that get some direct sun light or the ones under the 50% shade cloth blooms well. The leaves of the ones I leave in full sun turns light green to yellow but still survives and bloom. Sometime in the hottest months a few leaves might get burned. Just snip off and move to a shadier spot. The plant will recover.

I'd say the prices sound great to me. I end up buying smaller sized cymbidiums for those prices and most without labels.

I find cymbidiums can stand temps. around 30 degrees with no problems here in Northern California. I only protect them when it drops below 30. Good Luck.

[sandra]

You're funny Steve. You went from:

Originally Posted by Steve B

My wife, bless her heart, (as they say in the south) found this cymbidium at 50% off today and felt compelled to bring it home for me. Whilst I appreciate the generosity, I have absolutely no idea how to tell her that I don't think I have enough experience (yet!) to properly grow this beauty or that my conditions here in Canada are not really suitable.

To:

Originally Posted by Steve B

It was all I could to to leave with 1. I convinced myself that I could double my odds at success.

...in less than 2 weeks!

All of us here, totally understand.

[flowerchild]

Hey Steve,great looking find at Wally World I might have to check it out!!!!

[Steve B]

Thanks for the tips Solay! I've already have burnt leaves on 1 - learnt that lesson fast. So now they get full sun until 10-11ish. Shade the rest of the day until the trees grow leaves and start providing dappled shade.

Sandra,
I know eh - I guess I just needed that push over the edge. As I said, if I screw up one, I'll still have another chance at success. Plus the more I have been researching and reading the more at ease I am becoming.

Hi Cindy,
I found them in London on the weekend so I am not sure what's in KW. It had the same grower info as the one I found in Zehrs here in Guelph so there must be a flood of them coming through our market. I was at Sheridan on Friday - some big noid Brassia's and Maudae type Paphs. I saw what you picked up at T.O. this weekend. Sounds great, can't wait to see some pics.

Steve

[Orchidflowerchild]

Originally Posted by kmarch

If the plant were mine, I'd make a new tag that read:
Cymb. Via Spring Snow x President Polk I'd drop the 'White Cloud' cultivar name as it's irrelevant.

Unless it's a mericlone of an unregistered plant, at which point dropping the cultivar name could make things awkward... And given the way Cyms are sold, I imagine it probably is a mericlone from a cloning farm that doesn't necessarily bother to register things before sending hundreds of them into the market. Questionable practice, yes, but I think keeping the clonal name is worthwhile. Especially cinsidering it's just a few more strokes of the pencil, and should it or it's parent plant recieve some sort of recognition, and thus be registered (to legitimate the award)...

-Cj

[Steve B]

Originally Posted by Orchidflowerchild

Unless it's a mericlone of an unregistered plant, at which point dropping the cultivar name could make things awkward... And given the way Cyms are sold, I imagine it probably is a mericlone from a cloning farm that doesn't necessarily bother to register things before sending hundreds of them into the market.

What am I missing here? Can somebody please explain just for my knowledge? I did not think it possible to have 2 different hybrids registered under the same cultivator name? It made sense to me that this was a case of the wrong cultivator name or the wrong parentage cross. How does mericloning affect naming? Sorry for the questions, I'm just trying to learn.

Steve

[little monster]

I have lots of cymbidiums, I thought they were the easiest to grow , i live in california and the weather here helps a lot. I have mine n direct sun, and most of them bloomed this year. let us know how its doing and we'll try to help, don't leave it outside if gets to cold.. and I think is gonna do ok