Cym Little Sambo 'Black Magic'

[turkeytaker]

This one struck my fancy the other day, so I picked it up at a local store. I'd seen pictures of it before and thought it was gorgeous, so I decided to splurge and get another giant plant to add to the mix.

I've never had a cym before, so I'm not quite sure what to do with it.

I know they like cold, so I figure throwing it outside with the pleuros and dends in the autumn and leaving it out until it gets too cold would probably be a good start. I'm in Georgia, so it doesn't really get very cold or stay cold long.

This guy is bark, and I don't really have a good track record with bark. What other media are satisfactory for this guy? I vaguely recall them liking a lot of water, so I'm assuming something peaty or something mossy.

So far, I've been watering when it gets dry, but I itch to water it more. Any household culture recommendations are welcome.

Thanks!

[fred]

http://www.orchidcare.com.au/media.html

Many different potting media have been used for cymbidiums-straight osmunda, fiber, rockwool, or fir bark, mixes of loam, dried oak leaves, and redwood fiber, or various combinations of standard horticultural materials. The important thing is to have a light, porous medium, capable of holding moisture but draining thoroughly. When plants need to be divided and repotted, do it in the spring after blooming. Repot only when the medium has broken down, for cymbidiums do best when not disturbed.

Household culture link
http://www.orchidspot.com/

[kmarch]

Dear turkeytaker,

If you're in Georgia you could probably grow your cymbidium outdoors. This guarentees enough sun in summer and the required cool in autumn to bloom. How cold does it get in winter where you are?

Another great source for orchid culture info is the culture sheets n the American Orchid Society website. check it out.

-K

[arleneg]

One of the members in the orchid society I'm in uses redwood fiber only for her Cyms. She treats it with insecticide before potting her Cyms in it. Plus, when repotting, she just pulls out the plant with all the fiber attached and just adds more fiber around the roots. Her Cyms are beautiful and healthy.

From what I've been told (and from observations at orchid shows), Cyms like their roots really packed down in the potting mix.

My mom bought a Cym. Little Sambo 'Black Magic' a few weeks ago. I'll have to wait a while to get a division from her.

[turkeytaker]

It will occasionally drop into the 20s at night here, kmarch, but usually only for a couple hours before warming up to the 40s or higher.

Most of the mixes suggested are hard to find around here (and shipping costs are pretty astronomical) and there's a pretty wide spectrum, so I'm wondering exactly what could be substituted and if they're terribly picky. I notice Fred mentioned a loamy mixture. Would a peat/perlite mixture be fine, do you think?

Other than light and leaving the roots alone, it looks like it should be a pretty easy plant.

[kmarch]

My Cymbidiums are potted in medium bark with some peat, charcoal for freshness, and perilite. Simple as that. That should be pretty easy to find at your local nusery, an orchid nusery, or an orchid show. A lot of people call Cymbidiums semi-terrestrial meaning they grow in alot of leaf-litter organic junk. They seem to like a lot of water when growing, more than I sometimes feel comfortable giving but I let them drink it up anyway.

[turkeytaker]

Terrific, kmarch. I've got both (and charcoal) on hand, and I'd be much more comfortable with that than bark. I'll repot it when I see it starting to grow new roots and not move them around much.

Thanks!

[kmarch]

Dear turkeytaker,

Check my post again, I think you might have missed a detail. I do use bark as a potting ingredient for Cymbidiums along with a little peat, charcoal and perilite.

A medium-size fir bark (not wood mulch) should be fairly easy to find at any good nusery, which ever orchid nusery you may shop at, or even at an orchid show.

[turkeytaker]

Yup, I missed that, kmarch.

I got some feedback on another forum about someone having success with their cyms in hydroton, so I think I'll probably try that. I am an avid overwaterer, so I'd end up having to repot every four months, even with the best bark mixes.

Also, I just noticed that I messed up the name. It's supposed to be Little Black Sambo 'Black Magic.'

Thanks everyone!

[kmarch]

Hi turkeytaker,

Here in Melbourne Australia we grow our cymbidiums outdoors year-round. Our winter temps (at least where i live in the city) drop as low as 4-6C (39-43F) in winter. So except for those few very cold nights you mention, I think you could grow them outdoors very successfully.

It is autumn here in Melbourne now and our Cymbidiums are just beginning to spike. Hopefully in another couple of months I'll have some good pics to post (fingers crossed).

[turkeytaker]

I think I'll slowly acclimate it to the outside, since I won't have to bring it in every time it gets cold. It'll be nice to have another tall plant off the shelf.

I've got a good place for it, but I'll have to find something to shade it, partially.

Crossing fingers for your spikes...I've always loved these guys, but never thought I could grow them here and didn't have the guts to try!

[PhalPal]

Hey everyone - I grow my mini-cyms in coconut chunks, perlite, and a small amount of peat mix, as well as a dose of Osmocote. The coco gives them a lot of breathing room for the roots which they love, and makes it nearly impossible for me to over-water. Never let them dry out completely. Mine live outdoors all year and do well in temps from 30-100 degrees. Once or twice a winter we get a frost and I cover them with burlap overnight. They should do well in Georgia; be careful of direct, hot summer sun. My experience is that cyms are one of the easiest to grow! Good Luck!

[Ellen]

Cym Little Black Sambo is one of the ones with pendant spikes, so you might want to consider growing it in a basket rather than a pot so that the flower spikes can hang down as they are supposed to do.