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montereyorchid

non-blooming cymbidium

montereyorchid
16 years ago

I have a noid standard cymbidium that will not bloom for me. Are these pretty hard to bloom? I have no idea as to the ideal conditions for this plant, could someone help?

Comments (13)

  • terrysealey
    16 years ago

    Cymbidiums should not be coseted. They need to have a cool period to develop their spikes. Mine live outside in the summer and stay there until the threat of frost (usually early October)they then go into an unheated greenhouse or garage by a window. They are moved into the house when they flower or during a prolonged period of freezing weather.

  • susanblooms1
    16 years ago

    There is a lot of information about growing cymbidiums on the net, just do a google search. If you have the full name of your cymbidium, you may be able to find specific info for that plant. You'll find lots of details which are very helpful. I got my first last year (an intermediate) and following the instructions I found, had no problem getting mine to bloom this year. I got 8 spikes! 4 are still in full bloom now.

    In addition to the what the other poster supplied above, keep your plant moist (especially in summer-these are water hogs) and they like to be fed regularly during growing season, too.

    Also, I notice that you are in Kentucky. Standard cymbidiums like cooler conditions, so be sure to do the research so that you can try to give your plant the proper sun exposure and as close to the cool conditions that it needs, in fall and winter.

    Smaller cymbidiums (intermediates and especially miniature) are more warmth tolerant.

    Good luck.

    Susan

  • MsFlintlock
    16 years ago

    I have about a dozen Cyms. The only one in current bloom is Cym Rudolphs Nose. It opens before Christmas. The other varieties are either in bud or showing nothing. I say all this just to point out that the variety of your NOID determines when it's normal bloom time will be. And now may still be too early for it, so you can still hope. Cyms like life cooler than most other homegrown orchids. My cymbidiums bloom best when they've spent the summer with long hours of almost full sun and heavy fertilizer. (Some people have been known to plant them directly in horse manure, but that's another story). In the Fall I move them to an unheated office entrance hall with inadequate light (morning sun only), but they're protected from freezing. They bloom like crazy. They like cool or cold nights. Even high 30's is fine. Nights in the 40's is ideal. When I tried to overwinter them in my GH, all the buds blasted. Nights in the high 50's or low 60's jammed in with 300 other plants was not to their liking. I find they need a minimum of 3 to 5 psuedobulbs before they will bloom too. Most of mine came from a dozen backbulbs purchased on ebay years ago, so they are NOIDs like yours. I never got around to emailing Bloom pictures to the seller for her to ID them. Maybe this year, if she's still living. Good luck with yours. Msflintlock

  • petite_orange
    16 years ago

    To add to the above advice, cymbidiums can take a lot of cold. The standards are native to areas in China where they literally poke up through the snow to flower. My plants stay outside all year; though I'm in a sub-tropic zone, we do (and did this week) get temps into the mid-20sF, and have had them in the teens. I'll grant you, 14F will toast the buds right off!
    These plants also like to be very potbound. When I divide, even crowding a division into a small pot, it will take a year or two to flower.
    I grow all my cymbidiums in 100% fresh horse manure. As long as they get plenty of water at first, their growth and flowering is stellar.
    http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/6917/manure.htm
    Regards - Nancy

  • arthurm
    16 years ago

    The reason that standard cymbidiums are hard to flower in some places is that summer night temperatures are too warm. Sure they need a cooling down in winter otherwise the flowers might not develop.

    Here are some temperatures for Adelaide, Australia where you would be able to treat your Cymbidium as a garden plant provided you find the right spot in your garden and increased the watering in summer.

    Annual mean temperatures for Cymbidium heaven. Centigrade. Mean Low and Mean High. Southern Hemisphere.

    I bet if you do some research, you will find a similar temperature patterns for places that are Cymbidium heaven in the USA. This is the first fundamental, forget about mixes etc. too warm on a summers nights results in few or no blooms.
    They are so common here, Sydney, Australia that if you say orchid, the general public immediately think Cymbidium. Go North a little bit where the summer nights are warmer and the Standard Cymbidium becomes as scarce as hens teeth.
    Jan 18.2 29.6
    Feb 19.0 32.9
    Mar 16.1 27.3
    Apr 14.4 24.7
    May 12.1 20.1
    Jun 6.4 14.6
    Jul 7.8 15.6
    Aug 8.4 18.5
    Sep 10.8 20.8
    Oct 11.7 23.2
    Nov 14.9 28.0
    Dec 16.4 28.9

  • petite_orange
    16 years ago

    Hi Arthur,
    I could not disagree more! I live in the deep south, USA, where our summer night/day temps (March-November) range from 82-98F (36-27C) and winters (mostly January) average 65-42F (18-5C). My cymbidiums are almost all cool-growing, and they bloom spectacularly every winter/spring. I think the key is cooler/colder winter temperatures. I saw for myself, when I was overly protective, that when I brought plants indoors when inflorescences were just initiating, they 'morphed' into foliage growth almost overnight.
    With plenty of water, they can take our delightfully hellish summers; but they have to stay outdoors during the winter if we want flowers. Some people I've heard of keep their cymbidiums in coolers full of ice, replenishing the ice as needed, during the falls when we still have 90F days. That is dedication!
    Regards - Nancy in balmy 74F south Louisiana.

  • snasxs
    16 years ago

    I think standard cym is actually from deep south - but in the mountains. In addition to the standard, the following warm-growing/miniature Chinese cyms are known for their fragrance.

    cym goeringii: yu hu dieh (Yu's butterfly), song mei (Song's plum), chi shen (west god), da fu gui (great wealth & nobility).
    cym faberi: zheng xiao he (Zheng-xia's lotus).
    cym ensifolium: yu xue tian xiang (jade-snow & heavenly fragrance).
    cym sinense: lu yun (green cloud).

    The scent usually is not stronger when sniffed close-by. The fragrance particles are different. The perfume is light but far reaching. Triggered by direct sunlight, it will reliably fill up a room everyday. You might want to evaluate the wafting scent at some distance throughout the day. The scent of goeringii can be described as smooth and peaceful. The scent of sinense is sweet. Kanran has a clear or pristine perfume. When the temperature is high, ensifolium has the most close-sniffing intensity.

  • arthurm
    16 years ago

    Nancy, are you really talking about the same orchid? There are the beautiful terrestrial highly priced and prized species from China and the ancestors of the Standard Cymbidium such Cymbidium giganteum, lowianum, tracyanum, grandiflorum which come from different parts of the world.

    If you are, then maybe you are achieving the needed cool down at night by watering in the late afternoon or maybe there is something in your conditions that bypass the accepted wisdom.

    By the way the accepted wisdom is not mine, it comes from a guy who was the head grower at a very large Cymbidium nursery. He spoke of the conditions in summer in the Northern Parts of India/Burma where tropical downpours would cool the plants in the late afternoon. In winter in these Northern parts the weather would be cooler and drier.

    Anyway, i believe him because it ties up with the climate* in places where the Standard Cymbidium is somewhat easy to grow. *All you have to do is add some water.

  • littlem_2007
    16 years ago

    would it work if instead of watering them, ice cubes were used?
    sue

  • arthurm
    16 years ago

    In Zone 5 Night Time summer temperatures might not be a problem. The ice cube solution has come up numerous times over the years. Wonder if it works and if it is worth the effort.

    Might be easier to grow some "warmth tolerant" Cymbidiums such as Cymbidium Golden Elf.

  • petite_orange
    16 years ago

    Hi again, Arthur -
    Cymbidiums they are, indeed. The only warm-growing one I have is findlaysonianum, which I do shelter in the winter. The others stay outside 24-7. They move to the front yard when in bloom.
    We do have tropical downpours in the afternoon...also the morning, evening, night, and other times.
    I believe these plants are quite heat-tolerant - mine grow in nearly full sun all year. I'm still convinced that the key to good blooming is cooler temps in winter.
    But perhaps my cymbidiums are mutants - all of them!
    Regards - Nancy in torrid Louisiana

  • littlem_2007
    16 years ago

    i have 13 cym. and 5 of them have spikes and the others just new growth. they all had the same - full sun outside in the summer May to end of oct., 2 months of temps of 40F to 50F. they were fertilized the same. I decided to test the ice cube theory. I have put ice cubes on the ones not spiking. will let you know if any of them decide to spike.
    sue

  • dragon_kite
    16 years ago

    My cyms never get temps below 55*F (they are in the house at 68*F during late fall) and they still bloom. Although cooler temperature helps, it is not the only factor that initiates spikes. It can be one of more of these factors:

    1. Decreasing hours of light.
    2. Decreasing amount of nitrogen in fertilizer.
    3. Cooler temperature.
    4. Decreasing humidity.

    And the "pre-requisites" :

    1. Enough light during the growth period.
    2. Plenty of water during the growing period.
    3. A strong mature growth that has not yet bloomed.

    And I believe in cooler temps, not necessarily cold temps. Perhaps cold temps will induce better color or more spikes but until I experiment, I'll remain on the fence about this.