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The Cymbidium orchid is one of the most suitable orchids for cultivation by beginners or by people who do not want a very demanding or delicate plant in their care. It is a kind of orchid with long-lasting flowers and the appearance of being made of wax. It is a highly appreciated plant in gardening and floristry for the great beauty of its flowers, in colors that range from white to pink, yellow or orange.
If you want to learn the Cymbidium orchid care to keep it at home, keep reading us in this practical article by Green Ecologist.
Cymbidium orchid: characteristics
To begin, it is convenient to know a little about the Cymbidium orchid main characteristicsThis way we will better understand your care needs.
- It is native to Africa, Australia, and tropical Asia.
- It blooms in the autumn and winter months, with the flowers lasting two months.
- Its large and appreciated flowers have very short petioles, several of them emerging from each rod.
- The leaves arise from a kind of rounded bulbs, which develop buds annually.
- There are Cymbidium orchids in two sizes. The largest reach up to one meter.
- There are also epiphytes or terrestrial ones. Those that are sold for interior are usually of the first.
If you like this plant, you will probably love discovering these 12 types of orchids.
Cymbidium orchid: care - practical guide
In short, these are the Cymbidium orchid basic care:
- Light: they need a lot of lighting, but not direct sunlight.
- Climate: Most are from cold climates, but some tolerate mild warm temperatures.
- Irrigation: irrigations of moderate frequency and low volume. You always have to water them with warm water.
Light and location
Light is very important for Cymbidium orchids. Most orchids need to be in brightly lit locations, but few of them tolerate direct exposure, especially in hot climates or intense sun. If you grow it indoors, keep it in a particularly bright room, near a window. Outdoors, they can also thrive at the foot of a tree.
If you notice that the leaves of your Cymbidium start to turn a few shades of dark green, it is likely that your plant needs more light. It is also important if this plant is in an area with good ventilationas well as somewhere where do not suffer sudden changes in temperature.
Weather
Cymbidium have their optimum temperature range around 15 ºC -18 ºC. However, they can tolerate night temperatures of up to 10ºC in cold months, and up to 30ºC for not very long periods in warm months.
Cymbidium orchid watering
These plants require that their soil or substrate never get completely dry, maintaining a certain degree of humidity at all times but avoid puddles on the ground, which are very harmful to the plant. The specific frequency will depend on the soil or substrate itself and the climate of the area, but the rule of maintaining certain humidity at all times without ever flooding must be respected.
We recommend that you consult this other gardening guide on When and how to water orchids.
Soil and compost
The best thing with Cymbidium orchids is to use a substrate or soil with very good drainage to avoid flooding. It is recommended to use a specialized substrate, or one made with sphagnum, polystyrene and perlite. In this other article you can learn more about How to make substrate for orchids.
These plants too need to be paid regularly with some fertilizer with a contribution of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. You can also use organic fertilizers, such as worm castings. If you use chemical fertilizers, be sure to adhere to the specific amounts for orchids, diluting the amounts sufficiently. Here you can learn how to make compost for orchids.
Cymbidium orchid transplant
Here are some practical tips for transplanting Cymbidium orchids:
- They do not require a transplant every year. Instead, the normal is transplant them every 3 or 4 years after the plant produces flowers. Ideally, transplant them to early spring, when the plant has not yet resumed its activity and can better adapt to the new soil.
- In the transplant, it is advisable to wet the roots and substrate a lot, so that they are more flexible and it is more difficult for them to break or damage in the process of cleaning them of all material. It is also important to cut dry or damaged roots, pruning them with properly disinfected tools. In this other gardening guide you can learn when and how to prune an orchid.
- Always use a container slightly larger than the previous one, and add some specific fertilizer after transplanting.
To learn more about this topic, you can consult this other post by Green Ecologist on When and how to transplant an orchid and, to complete your knowledge about these plants, we also recommend you learn How to reproduce orchids.
Cymbidium orchid pests and diseases
As with so many other plants, the most common pests it suffers from are the spider mite, thrips and mealybug. They can be treated with ecological homemade insecticide without too many problems. If you prefer to make your own insecticide to be as natural as possible, do not hesitate to consult this other post on How to make natural insecticides for plants.
Regarding the fungus on orchids and other related diseases, it is rare that it will suffer its attack if its proper humidity conditions are respected, but it will appear in the event of excessive humidity. Here you can know some of the best homemade fungicides for orchids.
Below you can see two videos from our YouTube channel about the care of this plant and about the most common mistakes when caring for orchids.
If you want to read more articles similar to Cymbidium orchid: care, we recommend that you enter our category of Cultivation and care of plants.
