Orchid Care

Many people make the mistake of assuming that since orchids are native to tropical rainforests, they must be watered several times a week. Unfortunately, watering this frequently will kill the roots of any orchid in short order. The general rule of thumb for orchids grown in the home is to water every 5 to 12 days, depending on the type of orchid, the temperature the plant is grown in, and the time of year. During the warm summer months when days are long, more frequent watering is required than in the cooler, shorter days of winter.

CYMBIDIUM ORCHIDS

CYMBIDIUM ORCHIDS are probably the easiest of all orchids to grow outdoors. They prefer a bright location with warm sun but do not tolerate our west sunny exposures in the summer time very well. I like to put them under trees with some dappled shade in the summer months and bring them into full sunshine in the cooler spring. Some gardeners will shade them with 64% shade cloth on the side of a house. They like to have some humidity but not so much that you create black spots on the leaves and bloom. Good air movement is necessary for full growth and regular bloom. I like to elevate the potted orchids using bricks to allow better drainage and aeration.

SOIL MIX for Cymbidiums is found in our special Orchid Mix for terrestrial orchids. Terrestrial means those growing in soil rather than hanging out of trees or clutching to rocks. It is a mixture of fine fir bark mixed with redwood compost and allows for good drainage and retains moisture.

WATER PLANTS WHEN THEY BECOME SLIGHTLY DRY, usually about one or two times a week, less in cold wet weather and a little more often in summer. You can lift the pot to see if it is retaining water, it will be heavy if it has too much. Avoid saucers that fill up and retain moisture or you can rot the roots.

TRIM poor foliage as it appears and cut out any dead bulbous growth to make room for more blooming stems.

FERTILIZE with (30-10-10) twice a month from March to August then switch to a blooming food (6-30-30) twice a month September through February. If you don’t switch foods you will have few or no blooms in spring.

REPOT Cymbidiums every three years or if they are crowding out the pots. They do need to be full in the pot, so don’t overdo the pot size, use a pot just one size up. The soil mix breaks down and your plants are subject to root rot or there just isn’t any space left for new blooming growth. Divide Orchids when they get too large RIGHT AFTER THEY BLOOM. If you wait too long…no blooms next year.

PESTS include snails and slugs that will make you very sad when they destroy the blossoms in the spring. Bait the area and move the plants to a display table or safe location. I had squirrels biting off flowers and had to put them in another location during blooming season, which is usually April-May. Aphids are easy to wash off with water or Pest Fighter Pyrethrum, a natural spray. Scale insects may be controlled with Malathion or Orthene, however they are usually not a big problem.