Cymbidium - typical duration of blooms?

[wingspan]

Hi All,

For folks familiar with Cymbidiums:

On Christmas day, my first cymbidium (not sure of type - medium to large plant), which I picked up last winter, rewarded my patience as the first blooms opened. I've been quite pleased with the beautiful flowers and the subtle fragrance they've given my den. Over the last few days, about 4 weeks since the first flower opened, 3 of the blooms have fallen off. The flowers look quite healthy other than small dark spot have developed on the tip of a central part of each flower. I haven't the slightest clue how long these blooms should last - I am mostly familiar with phal's which I've found last anywhere from 2 to 6 months. I assume that various types of cymbidiums will keep their blooms for different durations, so perhaps my questions can't easily be answered. I'm hoping any cymbidium owners can enlighten me with what they've experienced or they believe to be typical.

Thanks so much.

Regards,

Mark
Vancouver, Canada

[mayres]

Welcome Mark!
I've only been growing them a few years myself - certainly no "expert".
One thing worth noting is that they will definately last a different length of time based upon the environment that they are in. For example, I believe a blooming period will last a lot longer on plants grown (and remaining) outdoors in southern california vs. plants that some of the rest of us have growing indoors during the cold season. For the few plants I've had blooming indoors this time of year I've found 4-6 weeks to be typical. I know they can last 2-3X that long outdoors and in greenhouse environments. Will let the experts expand on this........

[Ron]

Hi Mark.
I will help with my 2 cents worth.
I grow a lot of cymbidiums.Typically the should last from 2 to 3 months.
Now this depends on the weather, keep coolish they will last longer.
After shows I usually cut all my Cymbidiums flowers of and give them away.
My wife fill up the house with them.
Until then they are out doors in a Temp range of say 45f to 70f with a humidity of 30 to 50 %. they would last easily 3 months in this range, maybe some longer.
Indoors as cut or in pots they go off quicker due to the higher heat and lower humidity.
Still my wife manages to keep them in good condition for a month or more.
this would easily pass the 2 months since they first open.
Coolish conditions with these winter flowering plants seem to be the optimum conditions!
Best of luck
Ron

[wingspan]

Thanks Ron and Mayres,

I suspect my indoor Cymbidium is nearing the last days of it's blooming.. sadly! Next up after that are my 2 Oncidiums, going strong for 6 weeks now.

Ron, your comment about coolish conditions and flowering seem to apply to the 4 types of orchids I have. And interestingly, the plants next to the cold windows have all flowered (they also have some natural light exposure) whereas the plants in my orchid room (which has perfectly controlled conditions and only artificial light) are reluctant to bloom... only 2 of 8 phal's so far this winter. Phal's no less! I think phal's like to be neglected. My mother doesn't even water her phals, poor light, and the dang things bloom prolificly.

All my orchids have grown roots and foliage like crazy when the cool nights end and the warm days set in.

Coolness (especially cold nights) for blooms, heat for foliage and roots - seems to be the way it works.

[lmartiny]

Hello Mark. Welcome. How cold do you get there in West Coast Canada?
Phals are easy and respike fairly reliably I've found. And the neglect has some warrant I think. That is what mine have had. But with this site I have been being more attentive.

[wingspan]

Hi lmartiny,

Outside temps fluctuate around freezing plus/minus 5-10 degrees so the house cools down quickly at night to 62-63 F. The orchid room will be 70-74F during the day with a humidifier keeping it between 45-55% humidity. Without the humidifier, the humidity would drop to 25-35%. In the summer, the house is around 75-80F during the day, and reasonable humidity. The Phals grow 2-3 leaves each and send roots out in all directions, oncidiums and cymbidiums double up with new shoots.

I think the mistake I made with the phals was transplanting them into a primarily bark mix, in pots that I drilled 1/2 inch holes around the side and cut extra drainage holes into the bottom. Reason I did it was all the root rot that existed in that group of plants I got last winter from stores. The problem is that the aeration was excellent... so excellent that the medium dried out in a couple days, required watering every 3 days instead of every 2 weeks (in the spaghnum moss). I travelled regularly in the summer and they took a hit from not enough watering... my theory is they mostly won't bloom this winter because of that potting experiment.

So, in the spring, I'm going to go back to the spaghnum over an inch of rocks in pots that are designed to drain well.

I asked a question about Cymbidiums, and now I'm going on about Phals.. sorry!

Mark

[kmarch]

I second all the stuff Ron says except that I usually get only about 2 months out of my cymbids, which I expect is because they are always exposed to the full brunt of the weather (I don't grow in a shade house). Sometimes I'll get one that flowers late when it is starting to get hot. In those instances I'm lucky if I get a month out of them.