Growing Cymbidium Orchids
Among orchids, Cymbidium stands out for its unusual flowering and aroma. In order for the Cymbidium orchid to bloom, it needs proper care. In nature, the flower is found in the tropical forests of Asia, Northern Australia. It was first mentioned by the Chinese philosopher Confucius 2000 years ago and called the flower the king of fragrances.
Growing Cymbidium Orchids
Description of the variety
Cymbidium (another name - cym or mechleaf) refers to the genus of evergreen epiphytic plants, the Orchid family. The flower has about 50 tall and miniature species. Hybrid Cymbidium has been developed by breeders, which includes thousands of species.
The stem of the flower is elongated. It contains several oval-shaped pseudobulbs, collected in a bush. They reach 15 cm in diameter (Gigantskaya variety). Leaves are leathery, flat, saber-shaped or obtuse in different shades of green.
The Cymbidium Orchid, which blooms for 1.5-3 months, does not release new leaves during this period. A cut off branch of Cymbidium is worth up to a month. Arrows-peduncles come out and begin to bloom at 3 years old and reach 1.5 m in tall species. The inflorescences have 10 or more fragrant flowers of different sizes, depending on the variety name. The bud opens slowly. It is white, yellow, yellow-green, red, pink, brown, purple. Crescent petals. The lip is three-lobed, yellow, purple. Also the color is red, brown, black, depending on the cym variety.
Orchid seeds are formed in a capsule after flowering. One bud gives up to 4 million. They look like dust.
Growing
Cymbidium lives at home for 4-5 years. The following varieties of Cymbidium orchids are grown: dwarf, ivory, sword-leaved, aloe-leaved, noticeable, lanceolate, Day, Tracy.
Among the hybrid species of Cymbidium orchids, the popular varieties are yellow (orange), ampelny mini cora, ice cascade, red (red).
Preparing for landing
First, the soil is prepared for planting. Cym needs a special soil - a substrate. In ordinary soil, it grows poorly and does not bloom. She needs heavy, moisture-consuming soil. Sour ready-made mixtures mix with coniferous bark are suitable.
The bark for the substrate is prepared with their own hands mainly by those who already have experience. The procedure is as follows:
- a large piece is examined, eliminating the debris, the inner layer;
- cleaned from places spoiled by pests;
- shears are crushed into medium pieces up to 2 cm.
The bark is disinfected or boiled in a water bath and allowed to dry. The substance is mixed with sphagnum moss, leafy soil, charcoal, perlite. The ratio is 3: 2: 1: 1: 1. The density is checked as follows: through the finished substrate for 10 seconds. water should leak out.
Landing
The flower grows in a spacious pot
The Cymbidium plant needs to be planted in a larger pot as soon as its root system ceases to fit into the old one.
Cym is best planted in spring. The place is chosen bright, but without direct sunlight. It looks like a window sill with the radiator turned off under it or a veranda.The room should be ventilated, but free from drafts.
Seeds
Reproduction of Cymbidium by seeds is marked by poor survival rate, as evidenced by the facts, but lovers of Cymbidium know how to grow a flower from seeds. The personal experience of orchid growers such as S. Lissitzky proves that it is possible to grow Cymbidium from seeds at home.
For this, dishes are prepared with tight-fitting lids, where it is planned to plant seeds. They are sterilized.
Next, make Knudson's broth for seeds. The solution is simmered in a water bath until smooth, the components necessary for the recipe are added. The medium should be 4.8-5.2 pH.
The broth is poured into containers for planting, which are immediately closed with lids. Bottles with the solution are sterilized on a grid from a pressure cooker, cooled. They are stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 months.
Cymbidium orchid seeds are disinfected in a lime solution for 10 minutes, then mixed. After this time, sowing is carried out. A container with a solution is lowered into a boiling pan. It is opened, the seeds are transferred from the test tube and closed.
Flasks with seedlings are stored at a temperature of 20-22 ° C. Sowing is considered successful if mucus and plaque do not appear after a few days. First, the leaves of the seedlings come out, then the roots.
In vessels, seedlings grow for 1 year. After that, they are planted in the substrate for the Cymbidium orchid.
Rostkom
Reproduction of the Cymbidium orchid is carried out by dividing the Sprouts. Each year the orchid produces 2 of them. They are located at the base.
Before and after depositing new shoots, the flower is not watered for 2 days. If the room is dry, the plant is sprayed.
Transplanting Cymbidium at home is carried out simultaneously with planting the shoots. The division is carried out no more than once every 3 years. They are seated like this:
- The plant is removed from the pot by the roots. The tips of the roots are cut off with a sterile knife. Slices are treated with charcoal, cinnamon.
- New bulbs are carefully divided so as not to damage. There should be an old bulb for every 2-3 shoots.
- The sprout is placed in a new pot. Pot size is average. From roots to bottom should be no more than 5-6 cm.A gap of 2-3 cm is left at the edges.
For flowers, use special tall pots with drainage holes, similar to vases. In this case, the long root system of the Cymbidium orchid in the pot will fit. Better to plant Cymbidium in a new purchased pot.
Expanded clay is spread at the bottom. The containers are chosen transparent, because the roots must receive light. Growing in regular pots will produce poor flowering. The earthenware glass has a surface to which the tips of the roots stick. When transplanting, it will have to be broken.
Care
Good lighting is a must
Caring for the Cymbidium orchid at home involves adhering to the rules of watering, observing the temperature regime, and transplanting.
The growth of a flower depends on how you water the Cymbidium, how you care for it. The plant needs lighting all year round. Daylight hours should last 12 hours. In winter, special lamps are used. Lack of light leads to a delay in leaf growth, lack of flowering.
During the period of active growth and until the flower has faded, it is necessary to water Cymbidium abundantly at the root, spray it. After irrigation, the bulb is wiped with cotton wool so that it does not rot.
When the flower needs to grow green mass, during the flowering period the temperature is maintained at 22-25 ° С during the day, 16-18 ° С at night. The swings are required to make the arrow bloom. During rest, the temperature is reduced to 13 ° C.
The plant is fed at the beginning and at the end of the growing season. Fertilizer is not used in winter. Mixtures are bought ready-made or universal compounds are diluted with water. The composition must contain osmokot. Fertilizer is applied to wet soil.
Nitrogen mixtures are used for young flowers during growth. Top dressing is stopped when the plant is sick.
Diseases and pests
Improper care of the Cymbidium orchid at home makes the plant vulnerable. Causes of diseases and lesions:
- lack of light;
- low temperature;
- strong humidity.
Visual inspection of the flower helps identify parasites. The flower withers, leaves, roots are damaged.
The presence of pests in the substrate is checked immediately after buying a flower. The pot is lowered into a bowl of water. If insects begin to crawl out, the orchid is transplanted.
Fight disease
Cymbidium mosaic is a viral disease. It is difficult to identify it at the beginning of development. The disease is determined by how the Cymbidium plant looks. It stops blooming. The sprouts become smaller and dry. Spots form on the leaves. The virus is transmitted through instruments. It gets onto other orchids during joint watering. It is determined at a late stage. In this case, the plant is destroyed. The earth and the pot are thrown away.
Gray rot is characterized by the presence of gray-brown spots on the petals. Gradually, the peduncle and buds fade from the disease.
In the absence of damage to the stem, the orchid can be saved.
How to properly revive the Cymbidium orchid:
- stop watering;
- stop applying fertilizer;
- increase the temperature;
- cut off parts of the plant with rot.
Black rot often develops on the basis of damage already present after a parasite attack. With a disease, the leaves and roots turn black. The diseased parts of the flower are cut off. The sections are treated with Bordeaux liquid. The pot is sterilized, the soil is thrown away. Nearby indoor plants are sprayed with copper.
When damaged by root rot, the leaves turn brown. The roots soften and rot. The plant stops blooming. The pot is completely immersed in a solution of Fundazol or Topsin with a concentration of 0.2% until the green part. Treatment is carried out three times every 2 weeks. It is better to transplant the flower into a new pot.
Fusarium infects the leaves. They become soft, curl. The pale pink fungus spores accumulate on the leaves and stem. The resuscitation of the flower is that the pot is immersed in 0.2% Fundazole 3 times a day for 10 days.
Leaf spot is an infectious disease. Symptoms are moist, dark spots. Remove damage, spray with fungicide, do not water for 5 days.
Pest control
With proper care, pests are not scary
Visual inspection of the flower helps identify parasites. The flower withers, leaves, roots are damaged. The presence of pests in the substrate is checked immediately after buying a flower. The pot is lowered into a basin of water. If insects begin to crawl out, then the orchid is transplanted.
Pests attack Cymbidium when care and transplant are not performed correctly. Scabbards settle on it. They look like dark bumps on the leaves. Dendrobionts feed on sap, slowing down their growth, so the peduncle does not grow, Cymbidium does not bloom.
The plant is washed under running water. All parasites are brushed off with a toothbrush. The flower is treated with Fitoverm, Aktellik. After a week, the process is repeated. Ethyl alcohol, which is used to wipe the leaves, helps. A bag is put on the plant or transferred to a greenhouse. This increases the humidity in the air.
Aphids settle on young shoots from the back. The leaves from it become sticky, change shape. The insect feeds on the juice of the Cymbidium orchid, injecting poison into it. Aphids carry viruses, fungi. To combat it, cym is irrigated with soapy water, then sprayed with Chlorophos. Onion tincture helps. Onion gruel is mixed with boiling water, infused for 6-8 hours. The content of chopped onion should not exceed 10% of the composition weight. The solution is filtered. The flower is processed 3-5 times a day for 3-4 days.
Mealybugs are recognized by bloom on the pot, soil, roots, flowers. Insects with larvae in the capsule are hiding under the bloom. The worms are removed with a toothbrush 2 times a day. Places are moistened with soapy water. Fitoverm is sprayed with soil, roots, pot. Affected flowers are cut off. All parts of the orchid are often examined over the next month. If the parasite reappears, the course of procedures is repeated.Among folk remedies, the following solution is used: 2 tbsp. l. olive oil is mixed with 1 liter. water, sprayed with the composition "Cymbidium".
The spider mite lives on leaves. They turn yellow and dry out. The pest is dangerous because it contributes to fungal infection of the plant. The flower and the stand for it are washed with 1 liter of water from 1 tbsp. l. dishwashing detergents, then watered, covered with a transparent bag, left for 3-4 days. Keeping in a mini-greenhouse increases air humidity. They use insecticides "Neoron", "Tiofos".
Flying thrips are determined by the change in the shade of the leaves, dots, stripes on them. A silvery film also indicates a lesion. The orchid is washed, the damage is cut off. Then sprayed with Fitoverm, Aktellik 2 times with an interval of 10 days.
Also, the orchid can be attacked by:
- ants;
- wood lice;
- whitefly;
- nematodes.
Prophylaxis
Before buying, the flower is examined for lesions. The main preventive measures for the care: sterilization of tools, moderate spraying, airing, placing the orchid at a distance from other indoor plants.
They observe 60-75% air humidity and irrigation regime, which protects against infestation by aphids, scale insects, ticks. Leaves are wiped once a week with damp cotton wool or a cloth. The substrate is washed once a month under running water.
For fungal rot, the orchid is sprayed once a month with a 1% solution of copper sulfate. Use a disinfected substrate.
Conclusion
Cymbidium Orchid is considered the most undemanding in comparison with other orchids. Relative unpretentiousness, hypoallergenicity, aesthetic properties make the choice in favor of this species. Together with orchids such as Cattleya Dovianum, Cumbria, the Cymbidium plant creates interesting decorative compositions.