The growing and caring for a Cymbidium orchid is on par with the easiest of all orchids.
Deep into winter is generally when its magnificent blooming is appreciated, with its bunches of bright colorful flowers.
This is an easy plant to care for and it will decorate your home for months on end.
Placing your cymbidium orchid in the right spot
The place your cymbidium orchid is set in is essential for it to develop in a harmonious manner.
The ideal temperature range is from 40°F to 50°F (18°C to 21°C).
Considered to be an indoor plant, cymbidium will also be quite happy outdoors during the summer months.
In summer, you can thus bring it out in the shade on your balcony, deck or terrace, in the garden.
In any case, select a luminous location but without any direct sun.
Blooming of cymbidium
After a few weeks of nice blooming, the flower wilts and you might wonder if it will ever bloom again.
This is perfectly normal, since blooming can last for several weeks, but there comes a time when it must end.
The cymbidium orchid can bloom again after its first bearing of flowers.
The floral scape usually appears when the temperature difference between day and night can distinctly be felt (usually in fall).
Wait for May before adding any fertilizer again.
Bring your orchid out then, but shelter it from direct sun during the hottest hours.
Slowly increase the frequency of the watering from May to September.
Watering cymbidium
Cymbidium orchid cherishes moisture, and needs to be watered often but without forgetting that the root area must stay clear of water or the roots will rot.
It is thus best to water abundantly and then let excess water drip off into a sink for example.
In spring and summer, you can water 2 times a week especially if the weather is hot.
In winter, watering twice a month is enough.
Regularly mist water on the leaves.
If the tap water in your area is very hard, best select rainwater or mineral water because orchid is very sensitive to it.
Watering and adding fertilizer to cymbidium
Cymbidium has a need for organic matter to support its rapid growth. Growing plants in pots usually means that fertilizer must be added to replenish the soil which naturally tends to wash out.
Provide leaf plant fertilizer while your cymbidium is developing (leaf growth), most often from May to September.
Reduce the dose written on the fertilizer packaging by half.
Repotting cymbidium
Like all indoor plants, repotting is part of the cymbidium orchid’s life cycle and it supports its root system.
Repotting is important. This step usually is performed every 2 or 3 years and is critical to ensure continued development of your plant.
Observe the bottom of the pot in order to visualize if roots still have space to grow.
Repot just when the plant is producing new roots.
Wait for a full month before adding any fertilizer again.
After a few weeks of nice blooming, the flower wilts and you might wonder if it will ever bloom again.
Cymbidium has a need for organic matter to support its rapid growth. Growing plants in pots usually means that fertilizer must be added to replenish the soil which naturally tends to wash out.
