Tammy,
I usually water the Cymbidium freely in the summer with weekly weakly fertilizing of a typical orchid fertilizer (high P and K), but in late April - mid June (our wettest part of the year) I give some diluted Miracle Grow (higher N) as if it were any other houseplant. By fall, I taper fertilization to every other or every 3 weeks, with very low dose orchid fertilzier until I see spikes. Once the spikes are on their way, I increase again to more frequently since the orchid comes indoors by then. (I keep it in an unheated spa house until it is well below freezing outside - sometime around Christmas.)I always "starve" the plants a little when I expect a spike, once I see it then I resume normal watering.

Also, I change positions of the plant as well, during the dreary days of spring and fall it gets almost full sun. During the heat of our Chicago summers (sometimes +95F) it goes in the shade of a large tree with morning sun only.

November is a crucial moth for Cymbs. They must have full sun (in high latitudes) and NO water during that month otherwise they may not flower. Many clones also need cold night temps during this period.

I dont know about the lack of water....in fact,I think it is impossible for me to do that in the fall, when it can get pretty wet here come November (although, since I had the plant, we haven't had a normal autumn anyway). Based on my rather crude understanding of the Himalayas, mist and morning fog would constitute some moisture. In any case, a litle less water at the roots and dramatic reduction in fertilizer, cooler night temps, and more light seem to be the key to success with these plants.

My cousin lives in So Cal and cannot bloom a phal to save her life, but her cymbidiums are breathtaking, so dont be discouraged. Read more!!!

I used to know and understand Cymbidium and once was able to re-bloom one and take it to the Staten Island OS meeting for showing. I have read a number of times that in parts of California these plants can be grown without human attention as patio plants. I don't know whether South or North CA but wherever Santa Barbara is should be a possible start for research. In the Northeast and Midwest it gets too cold after Thanksgiving to leave them out any longer. It should also be quite dry for them and in much of the Northeast if not the Midwest this is a particularly rainy time. Cyms need very bright sun year round and thus if brought indoors during winter artificial light supplementation is an almost must. So the o.p. living on the West Coast and close to if not actually in a cymbidium Mecca should definitely start asking around for more local information.

H

Howard hit the nail on the head, (I wish people wouldn't disturb me when I am on this site). Ask locally!!! You are living in cymbidium heaven and should have no problem. I second the importance for supplemental lighting in winter, especially in the cold North. (I think we should call Howard, the "illuminated one").

I like than name for H! The "IO" :-) Brad how long do you leave yours outside? Now that I finally got my sales/trade list together I am thinking in the cym direction

Clara

Clara, it depends, for the next few weeks, it is going in and out all the time, much to my mom's dismay, since it is at her house (lol). We have a outdoor room away from the house with a spa, and on cold nights, she just throws it in there. I like to leave it out as long as possible, for me it is when she gets tired of dragging it - so sometime around Thanksgiving/Christmas. I see no spikes until I bring it indoors and put it in a drafty window here at work, facing south. I usually see spikes around Feb/Jan and they last through April. By that time I bring it home so my mom can appreciate all her hard work.

I had success with the cymbidium with this treatment, so now we will test two more recent acquisitions (clivia and dendobium nobile), so we shall see how this plays out. The trick is to keep them dry, so with out the unheated (but shelterd) spa house it is easy. I would never leave them outdoors where water could accumulate and lead to rot. I understand you are a partial outdoor grower as well - how about nights in the garage?

I thought I'd weigh in here, since what I've done this year does seem to have worked, but is somewhat different than what I've heard from the other responders.

I'm no expert, in fact, I've only one cymbidium. It's an intermediate (not a standard or a mini) called Peggy Sue Five. I purchased it last December l, just before it began to bloom. It had 4 spikes, when putchased and began blooming in mid-Dec and bloomed well. I overwintered it in my diningroom, next to a picture window with a Southwest exposure. I think my bloomtime may have been shortened by the sunny window, although the blooms did last about 3-4 weeks.

This Spring, in mid-May I put it outside, under the overhang of my house, on my back porch that faces Northeast. It received mottled morning sun. We had a hot, humid summer.

Over the summer I watered freely (2-3 times weekly) enough to have the water flow freely from the bottom of the pot. I fed it 3 out of 4 waterings with 1 tsp/gal of Schultz orchid food. In Sept, I added 1 tsp per gallon of epsom salts (2-3 times) but by then I believe the spikes may have already been initiated. I don't know for sure since I thought they were new growths, since I had never seen baby spikes before.

It stayed outside until temps started hitting the 32 at night (mid/late Oct). It currently has 8 spikes, 4 that are fully grown (one fully in bloom, one just beginning to open, two that are fully budded but not ready to pop.) The additional 4 spikes are coming along well.

When I brough it inside, I placed it in my living room that is unheated except during the evening, during the week (we are typically not home on weekends so no heat). This time of year that room runs about 60 until the heat goes on in the evening, then to 68". The corner in which the plant sits is the northeast corner with windows from both directions (again morning sun). The corner next to the windows, where the plant sits, can get to about 45 degrees when it gets very cold out in the middle of Winter. I think that might actually be beneficial to the plant since this cym likes cold temps? We'll see how well wintering in that corner goes?

I guess my point is that these plants are pretty adaptable. I don't have my plant in high light conditions or have supplemental light and it has done very well (Good growth this year, and good bloom).

Also, I'm still watering weekly to keep the plant moist. I notice that as the soil gets more toward dry, the tips of the flower spikes begin to droop. After watering they stand up tall again.

Good luck with yours. For me, the most important thing has been to do lots of ready, but also to take my que from the plant. Watch it closely and adjust.

Susan

Thanks for the info! I have the shoppe section of my place that could serve as the unheated protected space....mmmm. I'm liking this idea a lot. I bought a nobile earlier in the year. It has been a hideous fall. If it blooms I think I'm going to take a shot a cyms. Do they need a chill all winter or just for a few months?? What are their day temps in winter? Trying to figure our of its a big diuranal range they need or just simply cool winter temps?

I am parting with a good bit of my collection as I mentioned and really want something that will suit the climate here. I have some difficult orchids and I want a few easy ones.

Brad Susan anyone... do you know anything about Den amathestaglossum?(sp) Nobile. From the baker's this plant doesn't seem to need a big cool down. Not that I can get that yet. It has been really warm. I don't even have my heat on yet.

Clara

I am curious as to the rationale for shuttling the Cyms in Zone 5. Is it to get cooler nights than could be otherwise obtained inside? Then why bring them in? The daytime temp outdoors is going to climb by a good ten degrees guaranteed and 15 is more likely with 20 possible. That is quite enough. If they are being put out in the day to get sun and warmth are they being brought in at night because it is feared temps are too low? That isn't the case. Even in Z5 night temps are not yet deadly to cyms. It's getting close but you're not there yet. Especially in light of Clara's observation that Fall is malingering this year.

In NYC I simply left the Cyms out day and night till Thanksgiving. Spikes were already in view at that point. Thing is, after bloom they need lots and lots of light right at a time when most in the Northeast and Midwest don't have much to give. That will be the challenge.

H

I move the cymbidium at night to protect it from

Absolutely go to www.sborchid.com, the website of Santa Barbara Orchid Estate or www.cymbidium.org, website of the Cymbidium Society of America. SoCal is cymbidium country and any local orchid society would be an ongoing source of help and information as well. I grow mine under oak trees where they receive dappled sunlight all day. During last year's freeze, I did bring them in the garage. Otherwise, they prefer to grow and bloom outside.

Clara,
Sorry, I don't know that dendrobium. I have a yamamoto type, love memory fit, that's the only nobile I have. I bought it in full bloom, last March, awesome and very fragrant! I summered it outside and brought it in when temps were getting to 30 regularly. It has a handful of buds so far, nothing like what the grower got out of it last winter. The newest cane never completed matured and got the "bump" on the end though, so that cane will probably not bud until next year.

Personally, I think cyms are easier to grow than dendrobium nobiles, at least for my conditions.

Howard, I didn't do the shuttling thing. Judging by my cym, I think these plants are very tough. Actually, I did shuttle on one or two nights right before I brought my cym in for the winter, but only because we were expecting a big rain storm with high winds. I didn't want the high winds to rip the plant up or to topple it and break my spikes.

I would have left the plant out even longer than I did but I had 8 spikes by the time we were seeing 29-32 degrees at night; some of the spikes had obvious buds and I didn't want to freeze the buds.

At this early point in my orchid growing career everything is still an experient, but what fun!

Susan

Howard, when I was a young lad of 11, we lived in San Diego. My mom was building a stone wall in the back yard, and my grandma came around to help with the plantings in the bed behind it. She actually planted a cymbidium in the ground, and though I don't remember it at all, my mom said it grew and bloomed quite well without any interference from her.

Hi tammypie
The reason why your Cymbidium you repotted bloom 2 years later is either you repot it at the wrong time or you disturb the roots too much or the new container is too big. Next time repot your Cymbidium right after the flowers faded and repot in a pot that is only an inch around bigger than your root ball and try not to disturb the root too much. You can cut all the rotten roots out carefully and water once and resume normal watering when you see new growth. Goodluck.