Cymbidium

Cymbidium is an evergreen plant and belongs to the Orchid family. In the wild, the culture is found in Northern Australia. You can also see it in the subtropics of Asia, very many species live even in the highlands.

The Cymbidium Orchid is an epiphyte and became the subject of cultivation many thousands of years ago. The founders of this were the peoples of China. For example, Confucius believed that this plant was the king of fragrances. Currently, in China and Japan, the species of this plant are very popular, and in the wild, their shape, leaf size, and also flowers have very large differences, both in color and in other parameters.

Most often, Cymbidium flowers are grown, which are not large in size, since their distinctive feature is a very pronounced pleasant aroma. Plants with large flowers are loved by the people of Australia and are also grown in Europe for sale. Currently, more than 100 species of this plant are grown. The founder was the Swedish scientist Peter Olof Swartz, who brought forth the wild species of Cymbidium.

Cymbidium Orchid: flower photo

Cymbidium growing rules

The flowering period of Cymbidium begins in winter and lasts a month or one and a half. For good growth and development of plants, a lot of light is needed during almost the entire day. In this case, it is important that the light is not direct, but diffused. During the winter months, when the length of daylight hours decreases, it is necessary to create artificial lighting.

The temperature here will come up to room temperature, and during the flowering period of the plant and for some time before it begins, this mark should be kept no more than 16. Twice a month you need to water the plant before it blooms, and then during active growth and development, the watering regime increases ...

The air humidity, which will be comfortable for the plant, must be at least 50%. To increase humidity in summer, you can spray the bushes with a sprayer several times a day. You can also add moistened expanded clay or pebbles to the pallet.

It is necessary to fertilize Cymbidium orchids through three straits with a special composition developed for plants of the orchid family.

The dormant period in flowering Cymbidium is not very pronounced. It also needs to be replanted every three years. Most often, the plant is propagated by division. Of the popular pests, spider mites, aphids, and scale insects are distinguished. Also, the plant can infect a sooty fungus, gray rot or viral mosaic.

Cymbidium Orchid: flower photo

Characteristics of Cymbidiums

Cymbidium is characterized by the presence of a pseudobulb in the form of a thickening of the stem base, since it is there that the entire moisture supply is located. The leaves are keel-shaped and leathery. There are species that have a sword-shaped or ruler-shaped leaf plate. In this case, the tip can be either blunt or pointed. The height of the peduncles reaches one and a half meters. Further, the inflorescences hang in the form of a brush, and can form a different number of flowers. Their size mainly depends on the type of plant and sometimes differs from each other very significantly. The shade can also be different: yellow, pink, light green and red.

Usually the shade matches the color of the sepals and has the same shape. The petal, which is called the three-lobed sessile lip, usually contrasts with the background of other petals, having multi-colored shades. Flowers usually form within a month or 2 months.If the plant is grown in an apartment, then its life is a maximum of seven years. This plant is whimsical, since the cymbidium is an epiphyte, which means that it needs a special approach.

Cymbidium Orchid: flower photo

Cymbidium: home care

There should be a lot of lighting, so it is best to grow the culture on the lightest side of the apartment, near a very large window. However, at the time of strong sunlight, it is necessary to create an artificial shade so that bright rays do not damage the plant. This is especially true for the period of flower formation. A curtain is perfect for this. The flowering period occurs in the cold season, so it is imperative to create additional lighting with the help of special lamps. Orchids do not like heat, so it is best to create cool growing conditions, as too hot air affects the culture negatively. It is necessary to control the air temperature not only in winter, but also in summer, since radiators and other heating devices have a bad effect on the formation of flowers.

The air humidity should be at least 50%, therefore, as described above, the shrub is periodically sprayed several times a day, and also placed on a pallet filled with wet stones.

Cymbidium Orchid: flower photo

Watering Cymbidium

Cymbidium Orchid loves very frequent and abundant watering. This applies to the entire vegetative period of the plant. However, it should be controlled so that the root system is not too waterlogged, as this can contribute to the appearance of rotting processes in the roots. This will be indicated by black spots on the leaves.

If the leaves begin to fall off, just as flowers fall, and at the same time wrinkle, it means that there is not enough moisture for the plant. Watering should be stopped already in late autumn before the flowering period. The optimal irrigation regime at normal air temperature will be twice a month. If the air temperature is higher, then it is necessary to water the cymbidium more often.

Fertilizer

After every three waterings, it is necessary to carry out the fertilization procedure. As this, specially selected fertilizers are used, which are sold for various types of orchids. Ideal, Kemira, Raduga and others have proven themselves excellently. Experienced growers recommend halving the dosage indicated on the package.

In the hot summer months, fertilizers containing a large amount of calcium should be applied, while nitrogen-containing preparations reduce, and the plants do not need to be fed during the formation of flowers.

Cymbidium Orchid: flower photo

Cymbidium transplant at home

If this is necessary, then the plant must be transplanted, since the root system needs space. The transplant is carried out about once every 3 years, sometimes more often. The transplantation procedure must be carried out after all the flowers have withered, and the young stems have grown by at least 5 cm.

First you need to prepare a suitable transplanting soil. Usually, for this, they immediately buy a ready-made mixture in stores, which is compiled taking into account the characteristics of the orchid. Some make their own soil. Then it is necessary to add to it the bark of pine, crushed moss, also crushed charcoal and rotted horse manure. In addition, you also need to add the crushed fern roots and mix everything properly. Do not forget about the thick drainage layer, which is perfect for clay shards, you can use expanded clay. It is necessary to build a drainage layer of at least 3 cm.

Next, an adult plant is placed in a prepared pot with soil, preserving the maximum earthy lump. All voids must be filled with suitable nutrient soil. It should be controlled that the pseudobulb is on the surface of the earth.When replanting a bush, it is imperative to carefully examine its root system and remove areas of roots that have rotted. After that, watering must be stopped and resumed only a few days after the plant is transplanted.

If no rotten root areas were found, then you can immediately start watering. Only the transplanted plant must be placed in a place protected from the sun until it adapts to the new conditions.

Cymbidium Orchid: flower photo

Lack of flowering Cymbidium

In general, the flowering period is very different for different species and varieties, both the time of its beginning and its duration. But if your flower does not bloom at all or a very small number of buds are formed on it, then the room is too hot.

The reason for this is that the hybrids were created on the basis of mountain plant species, therefore they require suitable conditions, similar to natural conditions of existence. This must always be remembered. The plant should create exactly those conditions in which it grows in the wild, that is, the maximum sunlight, as well as the difference between the temperature at night and during the day should not exceed 5 degrees.

If you grow cymbidium in the warm season in an open area or on a terrace, then outdoor conditions of temperature, humidity, lighting are suitable for the plant, so they will bloom much better and more abundantly than those crops that are grown exclusively at home. Also, do not worry if the air temperature outside at night drops to 5 degrees. The flower will feel comfortable.

During the winter flowering of a culture, it is imperative to artificially create natural conditions for existence, since heating devices do not allow creating a temperature difference during the day and at night. For example, you can take a flower pot out to the balcony at night if it is insulated.

It should also be remembered that the plant will demonstrate all its beauty only 3 years after planting, when it is already strong enough to form large inflorescences.

Cymbidium Orchid: flower photo

Cymbidium Orchid: reproduction at home

For reproduction of Cymbidium, the division method is used. It is usually combined with a plant transplant procedure. Thus, after you have removed the mature shrub from the previous pot, you need to consider the tangled root system that forms a ball. Typically, the underside of the root system is gray and usually withered. Next, you need to take a clean and very sharp knife and cut off this dried gray part of the root system. After that, the bush is divided into several parts. It is important that each has a uniform number of roots and at least one thickened pseudobulb. All cut sites must be treated with coal, and then the split plant must be planted into separate containers, which are filled with suitable soil and compiled according to all the rules.

Then the bushes are placed in a very humid room for better adaptation and rooting. Continuous spraying and frequent watering will help increase humidity. When the plant begins to form new stems, this indicates that it has taken root.

Cymbidium Orchid: flower photo

Cymbidium: Growing Problems

If the Cymbidium flower has very lush, beautiful, saturated leaves, but at the same time does not form peduncles at all, then the conditions for its cultivation should be changed, that is, watering should be reduced as much as possible and a mandatory temperature difference should be arranged day and night so that it is at least 4 degrees. Thus, the orchid will bloom only if the initial air temperature is about 10 degrees. If, on the contrary, you saw that the leaf plates dry up at the tips, then the humidity in the room is very low.To fix this, spray the bush with a sprayer even more often, and also install the pot with the plant in some kind of deep container, which will be filled with wet expanded clay.

In addition, drying of the tips of the leaves also indicates excessive watering, so the next watering should be done only after the topsoil has dried out.

If the leaves of Cymbidium, as well as the stems, began to turn yellow, this indicates the process of rotting in the root system. You should dig a bush and carefully examine the roots for rotten areas. You can do this by removing only the top layer of the earth.

If decay processes are detected, you should immediately begin the procedure for transplanting the plant into new soil. In this case, all affected and diseased areas of the roots should be removed, and if you have started the process of decay, then all that remains is to throw out the bush. It is important to control the watering process yourself and find out the cause of rotting of the root system.

Diseases and insects - pests

The Cymbidium Orchid can often be attacked by pests such as aphids, scale insects or spider mites. Of the common diseases, viral mosaic, gray rot, and sooty fungus are noted.

The viral mosaic is not treatable, so they just get rid of the bush. If gray rot occurs, it is necessary to cut off all affected areas of the plant and stop the watering procedure. Plants can be placed in a hotter room for a while.

Cymbidium Orchid: flower photo

Cymbidium: types and varieties

Among the popular types of Cymbidium, the following crops are distinguished:

• Cymbidium eburneum. The second name of this plant is "ivory". The culture has a beautiful and noble cream shade of flowers and is distinguished by their large size. In addition, the flowers have a pleasant scent reminiscent of the scent of lilacs. The flowering period is in the spring months. The plant feels most comfortable in a temperate climate.
• Cymbidium aloe leaf. It is a very compact plant that does not exceed 30 cm in height. The color of the petals is creamy here, combined with burgundy stripes.
• Cymbidium lanceolate. The flowers of this plant do not exceed 5 cm in diameter. Their sepals have a green tint, as well as bright red streaks. Also, the plant is distinguished by a spotted lip shade and red stripes on the remaining blades. This plant blooms for six months from spring to autumn.

• Cymbidium Day. The plant consists of a large number of flowers, which have a diameter of about 5 cm. The petals are ivory and are also distinguished by a bright red vein. The plant is characterized by a curled lip lobe. This variety comes from the Philippines. The flowering period can be seen in late summer, which lasts until the beginning of winter.
• Cymbidium Tracy. The plant is also characterized by a large number of flowers, which are also large in size, about 15 cm in diameter. The petals are light green and have characteristic red stripes. And also the variety is characterized by a wavy edge of the petals and small specks of red color along the entire lobe of the lip. The inflorescence is more than a meter long and contains about 20 flowers. The beauty of flowering can be seen in the fall until about mid-winter.
• Cymbidium Lowe. This epiphyte has large flowers about 20 cm in diameter, and the plant is also characterized by a large number of flower formation, which have a light-green shade of petals and a contrasting crimson lip. The height of this plant does not exceed 1 m. In this case, the leaves can be 70 centimeters. The birthplace of this plant is Burma. The flowering period can be observed from late winter to early summer. Florists are especially fond of growing the Lilliput variety.

Cymbidium Orchid: flower photo

• Cymbidium sword-leaved. The plant usually grows on rocks, has yellow petals and contrasting burgundy veins, as well as specks all over its surface.The lip shade here will be light green, sometimes yellow with a brown pattern on it. The height of the peduncle is about 50 - 60 cm, and each inflorescence contains from 3 to 9 flowers, which have a very bright pronounced aroma and reach a diameter of 5 cm. This plant blooms from mid-winter to mid-spring.
• Cymbidium great. This plant has a pale pink shade of flowers with bright spots on the surface. It is these spots that distinguish this variety from other plants. In addition, the lip has a pronounced wavy edge. The peduncle reaches 80 cm and contains 10 - 15 flowers, which have a fairly large diameter of about 8 cm. The homeland of this plant is the eastern countries. The flowering period is usually from late winter to late spring.
• Cymbidium dwarf. This plant has very bright petals with a brown tint, as well as a contrasting white border. The lip here stands out with blurred crimson spots, has a blunt end. The length of the inflorescence reaches a little more than 10 cm, and the flowers are quite large, about 10 cm in diameter. The homeland of this variety is also the eastern countries. The flowering period can be admired from the beginning of winter to the beginning of spring.
• Cymbidium giant. This plant has a large number of flowers, about 15, which are quite large in size. The shade of the petals here is light green, a bright red pattern is very clearly visible on it. The lip of the flower is very prominent with bright spots on it, as well as with sticks. The inflorescence is about 60 cm long. The homeland of this plant is the Himalayas. Blossoming can be admired from mid-autumn to mid-spring. At the same time, a distinctive feature is the long lifespan of each inflorescence, which lasts about a month. Here the Red Chile variety is in great demand, which is distinguished by its compact size and very bright red flowers.

Cymbidium Orchid: flower photo

Conclusion

Cymbidium Orchid is a very effective epiphyte that requires special growing conditions and will bloom only under certain room conditions. The optimal conditions for growing cymbidium are outdoor conditions: a balcony or an open area, subject to the warm season. The abundance of species and varieties of plants allows you to grow flowers that are completely different from each other. At the same time, it is possible to achieve a flowering period throughout the year by growing several types of Cymbidium at once.