Cymbidium orchid: options for growing and care at home

The evergreen cymbidium orchid is classified as epiphytic. In nature, there are about 60 species. Natural habitat India, Asia, Japan, as well as the mountains of Indochina and Australia. It can be grown both in open areas and indoors.

Main types

Cymbidium orchid has about 100 varieties. They all differ in color. Depending on the variety, they can be both pale white and dark brown and even black.

Orchid in the wild

Popular varieties include:

• gigantic. The plant, originally from India, grows up to 50 cm. The plant fascinates with a beautiful inflorescence, which consists of 10-15 flowers. The petals are yellow, decorated with purple stripes in the middle. The flower is unpretentious to care for;
• miniature. A small flower with hanging clusters of a pale pink hue. Blooms for five months (August to December);
• cymbidium Low. A lush bush with green leaves up to 70 cm long. On the peduncle there are about 20 flowers with a diameter of 10 cm. Petals are olive-yellow with a wide red stroke and a white center;
• cymbidium is white. Refers to tall plants native to the Himalayas. Quite tall and large bush. The main difference between white cymbidium is the presence of fragrant, large flowers with a diameter of 7.5 cm. In the middle there is a narrow strip of yellow color;

Orchid as an element of the interior

• Day. Originally from Southeast Asia. It has a multi-flowered inflorescence with up to 15 flowers. The petals are painted in a pale cream shade, in the middle there is a purple vein;
• cymbidium pink. The flower is found in China or Thailand. The petals have a pale pink tint, in the middle they have a red blotch. Blooms from February to May;
• orchid Mix. A hybrid that has been artificially bred;
• Vogels Magic. Fascinates with spotted coloring with an interesting shade. The inflorescence has an interesting shape that resembles a curled lip;
• Ice Cascade. Grows in the wild forests of Australia and Southeast Asia. The leaves of the Cascade are pointed with a rich green hue. Beautiful white clusters hang from the stem.

The variety of orchid species allows you to create delightful compositions that fit into any decor. If it is impossible to buy a living specimen, you can decorate the room with artificial foamiran orchids.

Home care

The Cymbidium orchid prefers to grow in tropical trees. It is extremely rare in nature to find it on the ground; more often, a terrestrial orchid is found on a stone or rocky surface. Over time, the flower began to grow indoors, providing the required orchid cymbidium care at home. It has three main components:

• suitable temperature and humidity;
• soil and feeding;
• lighting.

Temperature and humidity

The plant prefers cool conditions for growth and flowering. It is desirable that there are slight temperature differences. Allowable for normal plant growth 18-25 ° C. An increase to 30 ° C is painless for a flower. In winter, a temperature drop of up to 15 ° C is permissible.

Cymbidium prefers to grow in a humid environment.From spring to autumn, it is advisable to take the plant out into fresh air and bring it in if the temperature drops to 5 ° C. If this is not possible, then at home it is necessary to artificially increase the humidity of the air. Home humidifiers or small indoor fountains are suitable for this. You can still increase the humidity by placing the plant in a pot on a pallet, into which you pour wet expanded clay or pebbles.

Soil and fertilizing

Which of the ready-made soils is suitable for planting cymbidium is one of the frequently asked questions. In the store you can find a special substrate for orchids. You can also use pine bark, moss, charcoal and dried leaves for planting. The soil for the cymbidium should be of medium acidity, pH 5.5-6.5.

For full development and growth, the flower needs regular feeding. Special complex fertilizers are used. The most essential elements for flower growth are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

You can purchase ready-made mineral complexes:

• fertika crystalon. They are introduced after unsuccessful watering during the growing season. The product is diluted in a ratio of 0.5 g per 10 l of water;
• radiopharm. Vitamins, polysaccharides and amino acids are added to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium;
• superphosphate. Apply immediately before flowering;
• sugar. Often used to feed orchids. You need to take 1 teaspoon of sugar and add to 1 liter of water. Fertilize with a sugar solution once a week. It is worth pouring in top dressing exclusively at the root.

Top dressing

Homemade solutions can be used for groundbait. As a fertilizer, you can use:

• garlic water. Garlic is rich in vitamins, organic acids, sulfur and zinc. One clove of garlic is squeezed out through a press and added to 1 liter of water. Leave for 45 minutes. Then it is used as a root top dressing;
• horse dung. Dissolve a small amount of manure in water and water the roots. You can also use dry manure, spreading a small amount over the surface;
• banana peels. First, the peels should be dried, then finely chopped and soaked in water for a couple of days. Strain the solution, and pour the resulting liquid under the root.

Lighting

Lighting plays an important role in the care of the Cymbidium orchid. The bush loves sunlight, if possible, the plant should be placed on a large window from the southeast side. At noon, the flower needs to be shaded a little; with a strong scorching sun, the bush can burn. The plant should also be taken care of in winter by arranging additional lighting.

In general, home care for the cymbidium orchid will not cause difficulties for both beginners and experienced gardeners.

Orchid bloom

You can watch orchid bloom in the middle of summer. New arrows on the peduncle usually appear in June. The peduncle can accommodate about 30 pieces. arrows. They are usually formed from the tissues of new growths after the leaves reach their final length.

A beautiful bloom can be observed in most cases on hybrids. Spectacular flowers, such as Cymbidium Mix, can bloom for up to several months. There are two types of hybrids:

• standard;
• miniature.

The color of the flower will delight others with its diversity, with the exception of blue.

Why the orchid does not bloom

The key reason for the absence of a peduncle on a flower is non-observance of the temperature regime. For an orchid to bloom, it is necessary to create conditions similar to its natural environment, thus making it bloom. After the flower has faded, it begins a dormant period.At this time, the temperature must be reduced to 10 ° C. The plant needs to build up strength for re-flowering. In a dormant state, the bush stays until April, then wakes up. It is advisable to move the flower to a warm place.

Subject to proper care and resuscitation, the orchid will delight others with its flowering for more than one year.

Orchid bloom

Breeding options

To propagate cymbidium flowers requires the application of special knowledge. There are several ways to reproduce them:

• dividing the bush;
• reproduction by roots;
• seeds;
• pseudobulbs;
• layering;
• children.

Breeding is best done in the spring after wintering. After resting, the plant has enough strength to grow and bloom.

By dividing the roots

This growing method is suitable for most indoor plants. The main condition is that the plant must have more than four bulbs. You need to propagate the plant carefully. To do this, the bush is carefully removed from the pot, the roots are cleaned of the ground, then cut so that there are three pseudobulbs on each half. New bushes are placed in separate flowerpots.

Seeds

This method takes a long time. In nature, seeds germinate thanks to the root sponge. Grains in artificially bred varieties are small without nutritive tissue. Therefore, it can be difficult to grow a bush from seeds at home.

To be successful, you need to remember:

• it takes up to nine months for seeds to germinate;
• after three years, the plant will mature;
• will begin to bloom three years later.

It is still possible to grow an orchid from seeds. It is necessary to prepare the ground by first adding crushed moss and leafy soil to it. Also, the soil should be moist. Next, you should create a comfortable environment. The room temperature should be 22-25 ° C with high humidity. After the appearance of four leaves, small bushes are transplanted into separate pots.

Orchid transplant

With proper care, the flower will begin to grow vigorously. Therefore, after 2-3 years, a cymbidium transplant is necessary in order to accelerate the growth of new pseudobulbs.

Often, beginners are worried about how to properly transplant the cymbidium so as not to harm the plant. The orchid should be planted in a new flowerpot after it has faded and the height of young shoots exceeds 50 mm.

Transplanting an orchid into a new pot

Soil selection

Replacing the soil for a flower is comparable to stress. The soil for planting must have the following qualities:

• breathability;
• looseness;
• ease;
• lack of toxic properties;
• have good drainage properties;
• optimal acidity.

You can prepare the substrate yourself. This will require pine bark, fern roots, and moss. All ingredients are mixed together. A little horse manure can be used as a constituent substrate.

There are several reasons for replacing soil:

• old soil. The substrate loses nutrients and minerals over time. Once every three years, the bush must be transplanted into new soil;
• replacement of purchased soil. After the purchase, it is not worth replanting the plant, it contains all the useful substances, but after a year they are depleted;
• pests or diseases. If the bush grows in the same soil for a long time, pest infestation is possible.

Pot selection

Usually, when choosing a flowerpot for a flower, it is often based on the size and personal preferences. But it doesn't work with an orchid. When choosing a pot for growing a flower, you should pay attention to the following materials:

• plastic. Transparent plastic flowerpots have many advantages: the root system does not grow to the smooth surface of the walls, the pot always stays warm, protecting the roots from hypothermia, the material retains moisture well.But plastic pots are unstable and have poor air permeability;
• clay. Environmentally friendly material allows air to pass through well, moisture does not stagnate in it. But it has its drawbacks: it heats up quickly, which in turn affects the rapid evaporation of moisture;
• ceramics. A worthy substitute for clay. Good moisture retention. The smooth surface prevents the germination of roots to the flowerpot;
• glass. Whether it is possible to grow flowers in glass pots is a controversial issue. The container has no drain holes. Excess moisture will remain in the pot, which in turn will lead to root rot.

The cymbidium orchid is a beautiful flower that, with proper care, will actively grow and delight with its flowering. The main thing is to choose the right soil, pot and place for growing.