DIY Network

The Beginner's Orchid: The Simple Cymbidium Taking the fear out of growing orchids From "Dirt On Gardening" episode DDOG-106

Orchids are known for their great diversity, delicate appearance and beauty. Because of their exotic and fragile look, most people assume that they're difficult to grow. In actuality there are varieties that are quite easy to care for.

Exotic plant specialist Kifumi Keppler

Cymbidium sp.

advertisement

	Media Watch the Video

Don't Fear the Cymbidium

Some gardeners, even avid ones, shy away from growing orchids fearing they're too fragile, "finicky" or demanding. While some species can be challenging, that shouldn't frighten you away from trying your hand with this fascinating floral family. If you think you'd like to give orchids a try, Cymbidiums are an excellent choice for first time growers. They're among the most popular blooming orchids and are, in fact, among the easiest, hardiest and rewarding plants to grow. Creating breath-taking sprays of flowers, they are ideal plants for showing off around your home or patio. Their distinctive blooms are beautiful and have long life spans--lasting from four to twelve weeks for a single flower.

Cymbidiums come in a variety of shapes and sizes and have a number of traits that make them especially appealing. Among those traits:

• longer flower life than some other orchids;
  
• aromatic blooms;
  
• multiple flower spikes from a single bulb;
  
• hardier, faster growing plants overall and
  
• they can be kept outside in summer months, requiring little care.

Shredded coconut hull is one medium used for growing orchids.

Cymbidium Care Basics

In their natural state, Cymbidiums don't grow in soil, but rather as epiphytes, with their roots exposed, commonly in decaying timber and leaf litter. For growing domestically, the plant's roots require a good open media that allows both water and air to enter freely.

Cymbidiums won't grow well in normal soils or potting mixes, but must have specially prepared potting mix. Without a good open mix, it's easy to damage the roots with excess water. A number of specialized orchid growing media are commercially available including fir bark, Tasmanian moss and shredded coconut husks. These media allows better drainage and air movement. Depending on your growing zone, a finer mix with gravel, bark or other stable media may be used.

Cymbidiums should be repotted once every two years. Ideally they should be repotted immediately after flowering.

Page  1 | 2