Growing Guides from Santa Barbara Orchid Estate

Catalog:

Beginner
~ Cymbidiums
~ Indoor
~ Outdoor
~ Windowsill

Botanicals
~ August
~ Bulbophyllum
~ Encyclias
~ July
~ Masdevallias (cool)
~ Masdevallias (warm)
~ May
~ Miltonias
~ Oncidiums
~ Sarcochilus
~ September
~ Sobralias
~ Stanhopeas
~ Zygopetalums

Cattleyas
~ August
~ Blues
~ Classic
~ Cold Hardy
~ Favorites
~ Fragrant
~ Holiday
~ intermedia
~ July
~ June
~ May
~ October
~ September
~ Species
~ Splash Petal

Dendrobiums
~ Aussie hybrids
~ kingianum
~ speciosum

Gifts
~ Cut flowers
~ Plants

Laelias
~ anceps
~ hadrolaelias
~ Mexican
~ pumilas
~ purpuratas
~ Species

Open House
~ Fall Open House

Specimens
~ Specimens

Supplies
~ Bark & potting
~ Books
~ Fertilizer

<--Back to Growing Guides

Cymbidium Culture

For the Best Blooming of your Cymbidiums, keep them outdoors or in a place which is cool at night (40-55F is ideal and they are tolerant down to freezing) until the first flower opens. In temperatures that are too warm, buds may drop. If the location has bright filtered light, the flower color will be brighter. As the flowers begin to open, you can display the plant where you like.

Temperature

While cymbidiums may be considered temperature tolerant - withstanding limits of 27 to 100°F - most require periods of cooling in order to bloom. With the exception of some heat-tolerant miniatures, flower-spikes are initiated in autumn when the differential between day and night temperatures plays a key role. Indoor conditions or climates that stay persistently warm without cooling off at night (below 55°F in winter) are not suited for blooming standard cymbidiums. The ideal temperature range for cymbidiums is 40 to 90°F. During heat spells, it is essential to boost the humidity by watering and misting more frequently. During cold spells, cymbidiums can take 32°F but should be given some protection in case the temperature drops further. Damage to spikes will occur at 27°F and to the plant at 25°F. To guard against effects of the cold, plants should be moved up against the house or under a tree. If plants must be brought indoors, they should be brought into a bright location with night temperatures below 55°F. Warmer night temperatures for any prolonged period can cause developing buds to turn yellow and drop off; however, once flowers have opened, they no longer require the cool and may be brought indoors for show.

Light

Light is the most important factor in attaining good cymbidium culture. Mature cymbidiums need bright filtered light (55% shade) all day or full morning sun. Without proper light you will see weak growth and no flowers. Good light also brings out the best in cymbidium colors; shady conditions result in greener, muddier-colored blooms. Watch the color of the leaves; foliage should be yellowish-green in color, but too much light will result in a pale yellow color. Burning will cause a black spot at the arch of the leaf, or if severely burned, the leaf will be bleached white. If too shady, plants will be dark, lush green but will bloom less or not at all.

Water

When watering a cymbidium, water thoroughly, and then allow the mix to almost dry out before watering again. We recommend running copious amounts of water through; first to wet the mix and then again for the roots to drink up. Thorough watering also helps prevent salt build-up, which can result in tip-burn (browning on the tips of the leaves). Plants should be grown in a well-draining medium and should never be left sitting in water, which can lead to root or bulb-rot. One way to tell when to water is to judge by the weight of the pot; the pot will be heavy as long as there is plenty of moisture; light when it is dry. This may be an average of once a week depending on climate, plant size, and the condition of the mix; water more frequently in periods of dry heat and winds and less in cold, wet weather; finer mediums will hold more moisture and need less watering than courser mediums, which tend to dry out faster; large, overgrown plants will take more watering than younger disivions or seedlings.

Fertilizer

Fertilizer should be provided throughout the year since the potting medium provides none. The most convenient method is to apply a timerelease fertilizer such as Osmocote 18-6-12 once a year, at one tablespoon per gallon of pot size. Alternatively, a water soluble fertilizer such as 7-9-5 DynaGro or Peter’s 20-20-20 at 1/2 strength can be used along with regular watering.

Potting

The ideal time to repot is after flowers have finished blooming and the new growth is just starting (late spring for most varieties), if and when the potting medium has broken down or the plant has grown over the sides of the pot. Typically this is every 3 to 4 years. If the plant has room to grow (even if crowded) and the mix is in good condition, leave it. Plants may either be divided (to make more, smaller plants) or kept together and potted up into larger tubs (to make a multi-spike specimen). First, take the plant out of the pot and remove the old bark. Cut away any dead or compacted roots from the bottom of the root-ball. Always sterilize cutting tools between plants. If you decide to divide the plant, look for natural divisions which allow three to five-bulb groupings. If the dormant bulbs (back bulbs) can be removed without destroying the strength of the division, remove them. These can be potted separately to resprout and bloom in two to four years. Select a pot size which will allow the plant to grow unrestrained for three to four years. Usually, two inches between the plant and the side of the pot is sufficient. When placing the plant in the pot, position the bulbs so they sit just a little into the surface of the medium and so that the newest growth is in the center of the pot, with room to grow. Plants should be potted firmly by pouring the medium around the roots while tapping the sides of the pot and pushing down on the top with thumbs or a potting stick. We use fir bark or coconut chips (1/8 to 1/4 inch size) as a potting medium - not soil or potting mixes that hold too much water and don’t allow good air movement around the roots. If you are in the area, come see us for a potting demonstration!

SBOE@SBORCHID.COM ~ (800) 553-3387
1250 Orchid Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93111 ~ (805) 967-1284 ~ FAX: (805) 683-3405

© 2024 Santa Barbara Orchid Estate
All images and text herein these pages are copyright protected. Personal use of them and links to our page are permitted, but none should be reproduced in other websites or in any other forms of publication without our permission.

NOTE ON PICTURES:
Although we try to represent the flower color as accurately as possible, due the inconsistant nature of computer monitors, and the various difficulties of digital photography, the colors represented on our website are not always exact. Please consider these pictures approximations, and give us a call if you would like a verbal description of the flower.

Select a Genus:

Ada
Aeranthes
Aerides
Angraecum
Ansellia
Arpophylum
Aspasia
Barkeria
Beallara
Bletilla
Book
Brassanthe
Brassavola
Brassia
Brassidium
Brassocattleya
Brassolaelia
Brassolaeliocattleya
Broughtonia
Bulbophyllum
Burrageara
Calanthe
Campylocentrum
Cattleya
Cattleytonia
Cattlianthe
Catyclia
Cirrhaea
Cirrhopetalum
Cleisostoma
Cochleanthes
Cochlioda
Coelia
Coelogyne
Colmanara
Cuitlauzina
Cyclopogon
Cymbidium
Cyrtochilum
Cyrtorchis
Degarmoara
Dendrobium
Dendrochilum
Dialaelia
Dialaeliocattleya
Dichaea
Dockrillia
Doritaenopsis
Doritis
Dryadella
Encyclia
Epicatanthe
Epicattleya
Epidendrum
Epilaelia
Epipactis
Epiphronitis
Eria
Eulophia
Fall Open House
Felis
Fertilizer
Gomesa
Gongora
Guarianthe
Guaricatophila
Hamelwellsara
Helcia
Isochilus
Iwanagara
Jumellea
Kefersteinia
Laelia
Laeliocatanthe
Laeliocatonia
Laeliocattleya
Leochilus
Leptotes
Liparis
Lockhartia
Lycaste
Lyonara
Masdevallia
Maxillaria
Megaclinium
Miltassia
Miltoncidostele
Miltonia
Miltonidium
Mormolyca
Myoxanthus
Myrmecocattleya
Myrmecophila
Mystacidium
Nageliella
Neofinetia
Neopabstopetalum
Notylia
Odontioda
Odontocidium
Oerstedella
Oncidioda
Oncidium
Orchid Fair
Orchid Fair T Shirt
Ornithocephalus
Ornithophora
Osmoglossum
Otaara
Paphiopedilum
Pelatantheria
Pescatorea
Phaiocymbidium
Phaius
Phalaenopsis
Physosiphon
Platystele
Pleione
Pleurothallis
Polystachya
Potinara
Promenaea
Propabstopetalum
Prosthechea
Psychopsis
Psygmorchis
Rangaeris
Recchara
Renanetia
Renantanda
Renanthera
Restrepia
Restrepiella
Rhyncattleanthe
Rhyncholaelia
Rhyncholaeliocattleya
Rhynchostele
Rhynchostylis
Rodricidium
Rodriguezia
Rossioglossum
Sarcochilus
Sarconopsis
Scaphosepalum
Schoenorchis
Schombolaelia
Schomburgkia
Scuticaria
Sobralia
Sophrocattleya
Sophrolaelia
Sophrolaeliocattleya
Sophronitella
Specimen
Spiranthes
Spring Open house
Stanhopea
Stelis
Stenia
Stenoglottis
Stenorrhynchus
Summer Open House
Supplies
Tolumnia
Trichocentrum
Trichopilia
Trichosalpinx
Vanda
Vanilla
Vuylstekeara
Zygopabstia
Zygopetalum
Zygostates