How to care for the big flowered Cymbidium
Share with you how to care for the big flowered Cymbidium and the knowledge about its growing environment and characteristics. Next, the editor will introduce it.
The big flowered Cymbidium is a hybrid, evergreen perennial epiphytic herb with robust pseudobulbs, belonging to the sympodial orchid. The pseudobulbs are large, and the roots are fleshy. The leaves are in two rows, long lanceolate, with varying lengths and widths among different varieties. The raceme is either erect or pendant, bearing 10 to 20 or more flowers, with considerable variation among varieties in flower size and color.
The big flowered Cymbidium is a famous hybrid, with parents mainly including Xizang Tiger Head Orchid, Yellow Cymbidium, Tiger Head Orchid, Green Jade Orchid, Spring Occupying Orchid, and Snow Orchid, etc. Most of them grow in humid forests, some are terrestrial and some are epiphytic. The big flowered Cymbidium is produced on a large scale in Yunnan, Sichuan and other places in China.
It prefers abundant diffused light and requires slightly more light compared to national orchids. It can be exposed to full light in winter and early spring, while from late spring to autumn, when the light is strong, 30% to 60% of the light should be blocked. Insufficient light will lead to weak plant growth and poor disease resistance. The suitable growth temperature is between 15℃ to 25℃, and the flower bud differentiation should be controlled at 10℃ to 15℃. If the temperature is higher than 15℃, the flower bud differentiation is inhibited.
Young plants of big flowered Cymbidium can be cultivated in sphagnum moss, mature plants can be planted in treated tree bark, or in a mixture of ceramsite and coconut bran at a ratio of 1:1. One can also choose to cultivate using fern roots, volcanic rocks, charcoal blocks, etc.
How to care for the big flowered Cymbidium
The big flowered Cymbidium has high demands for water and fertilizer. It dislikes waterlogging; water can be浇 (watered) once when the surface of the substrate is dry. During the dormant period, watering should be controlled to prevent root rot. Controlling water in autumn during the flower bud differentiation is beneficial for promoting flower bud differentiation.
During the growing period, a balanced fertilizer with N:P:K = 20:20:20 is mainly used, with a concentration of 1000 to 1200 times, once every 7 to 10 days. Fertilization should be stopped during the dormant period; two months before the flower bud differentiation, a high-phosphorus fertilizer with N:P:K = 9:45:15 should be applied to promote flower bud differentiation.
Newly repotted plants should control watering because the roots of the plants that have just been divided or repotted are injured and have poor absorption capacity. Excessively wet or dry conditions are not conducive to the recovery of the orchid plants. Generally, one month after repotting, as the injured roots gradually recover, fertilization and watering can be gradually increased.
The above information about how to care for the big flowered Cymbidium and its growing environment and characteristics introduced by Green Plant Enthusiast Network [www.lvzhimi.com] is hoped to be helpful to you. Don't forget to visit Green Plant Enthusiast Network more often for more flowering experience and knowledge!