Recommended Cymbidium Media???

[mayres]

Okay you cymbidium experts!
I only currently have one of these plants that was given to me last summer as a semi-rescue plant. It appeared to have been in the same pot for years, as there were over a dozen dried pseudobulbs in among the viable growth. I was inclined to repot immediately, but someone suggested I wait until spring in case it might bloom this winter. I was rewarded in January with four spikes! Now I'm back to the repot issue and wondering if media I use for other types of orchids is appropriate (fine or medium bark, perlite, coir, etc.?)or if I should use something different for this particular genera? Thanks for any suggestions. mike

[arleneg]

Hi Mike,

I'll be repotting the Cym (which I haven't successfully bloomed due to my negligence ) my mom gave me two years ago. She pots them in large bark. However, when I repot, I'm going to try medium or large coconut husk chips.

One member of the orchid society I'm in pots hers in redwood bark fiber, mainly used as a top cover for landscaping. All of her Cyms are growing beautifully! By using that fiber as potting medium, and as she demonstrated in a basics meeting, no roots are disturbed (not much, that is). When the old fiber starts to 'decompose'/shrink, just pull out plant and add more redwood fiber around the outside perimeter by slightly squeezing down on the old fiber and the roots. Then put in pot. Add more if there's space for more fiber. She really packs it down. Oh, before using the fiber, she treats it with insecticidal soap or Physan 20 the night before.

At any rate, since I still have coconut husk chips, coir, and Aussie Gold, I'll try the redwood bark fiber next time. My budget for orchids, supplies, etc., is low due to the big spending I did at the Santa Barbara orchid show last weekend.

[Anton]

I am using a medium bark mix to which I have recently started adding coir chips and perlite.

I have made this mixture up in a large plastic tub to which I have also added some 12 month slow release fertilizer (Ozmocote here in Oz) not sure if you have that over there, so at present they are growing quite well.

The test will come in Spring, but they seem happy enough with that mix.

I remember dad saying, try different mixutres but give each one a full season to see how it works in the long term. He had a book and wrote his various mixture formulae in and which plants had which formula and from that he came up with HIS ideal mix.

Oh to be retired and have that time tyo do it.

Pity mum threw it out after he died.

I think there are going to be a lot of similar suggestions coming with this post, but all will be different. What works for you.

[mayres]

So far it looks like some media that would be typically used for other genera would be fine here too. For some reason I was thinking I should consider some materials that might be used for terrestrials would be appropriate - maybe like peat? Hmmmm. Thanks for the comments. I'll try something this weekend and see what happens. I have been waiting for the weather to warm up enough to put it back outside and it looks like we're getting close.

[kmarch]

For my Big Cymbids I use large bark with corse perlite. For my seedling Cymbids, I use medium bark and medium perlite. Reliable although not very "trendy."

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Well, most Cymbidiuims (but not all) are semi-terrestrial. This means not so earthy as a potting mix for house plants, but something that will not dry out to quickly, as you do not want to let Cymbidiums dry out completely. I usually mix a little finer stuff in with my bark (fine bark and a little of the stuff I sift out of bark used for epiphytes)