Cymbidiums
Cymbidium orchids rank as one of the best known and widely popular of all orchids. The Cymbidium orchid genus consists of about 50 species and thousands of hybrids have been bred from these. The wild varieties of Cymbidium orchids are found growing naturally in China, Japan, the Himalayas, South East Asia and Australia. In habitat, Cymbidium orchids may be terrestrial, epiphytic or lithophytes i.e. growing on rocks. Cymbidium orchids usually grow in cooler climates at high elevation. Cymbidium orchids are one of the oldest cultivated orchids, and there is evidence that they were grown in China almost 2500 years ago in records from 500 BC at the time of Confucius. Cymbidium orchids are one of the easiest orchids to cultivate and flower year after year if they are cared for.
Cymbidium orchids are sympodial. They have a specialized lateral growth pattern in which the terminal bud dies. The growth continues by development of new shoots sprouting from or next to the ones of previous years. The base of the stem may be thickened to form what is called a pseudobulb. These contain food reserves for drier periods. At their end appear one or two leaves, or sometimes four or more. In warm and humid climates, many terrestrial orchids do not need pseudobulbs. Cymbidium orchids grow to a height of 60 cm and the racemes as high as 90 cm. The raceme (also known as spike) grows from the base of the most recent pseudobulb. Each flower can have a diameter of 5 to 10 cm, according to the species.
Cymbidium orchids bloom during the winter, and each plant can have up to fifteen or more flowers. The fantastic range of colors for this genus include white, green, yellowish-green, cream, yellow, brown, pink, and red (and there may be markings of other color shades at the same time), with the exception of blue and black. The flowers last about ten weeks. They have a waxy texture. The rounded sepals and petals have about the same dimensions. They show very diverse color patterns, different for every species. Cymbidium orchids tend to grow more leaves than most orchids. Roughly eight long, green, narrow leaves originate from the sheath of each pseudobulb. The plants should not be allowed to dry out and always keep the compost moist. Normally, watering once in a week is sufficient but, during the summer months it is advisable to water twice weekly. It is wise to water in the morning to avoid the possible loss of new growths. If possible, use rainwater. Use a well-balanced fertilizer throughout spring and summer.
The best time for repotting and dividing Cymbidium orchids is between the end of February and until the end of June. Never over pot them. Only do repotting into plant pots where there is enough room for the next year's growth. Do not water for at least three weeks and moisten with a hand-spray just to keep the leaves, bulbs and compost from drying. Start watering when the newly potted divisions start to root. The Cymbidium orchid is one of the most popular and desirable orchids in the world because of the beautiful flowers. These plants make great houseplants, and are also popular in floral arrangements and corsages.
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