Sunday, February 20, 2011

Cymbidium Orchids

February is the time when my cymbidium orchids are starting to bloom and each year I am looking very much forward to this event. They are native to Southeast Asia, but San Diego seems to provide an ideal climate for them to grow and bloom as long as they are watered. Cymbidiums can take temperatures down to 28 degrees  F/-2 degrees C for a brief periode of time and that is exactly as cold as it ever has gotten here, since we bought our property four years ago. So far I only have two varieties (unfortunately I do not know the names of neither one), but I would love to grow more of them in the future.

(you can click on the photos to enlarge)
 


Cymbidiums are available with white, green, pink, yellow, or bronze/brown blooms. Standard cymbidiums can produce 12 or more flowers per flower spike and the individual blooms are 3 to 5 inch tall. They have a light, sweet, exotic fragrance, but nothing to get too excited about.



Flowers of my red variety are emerging on the stems.



Here you can see the developing flower buds on my light green variety. This one seems to want to bloom much later than the red one so no more photos of it for now. It also produces year after year reliably more flower stems per plant in comparison to the red variety.




I grow my cymbidium orchids in terracotta containers outside in a shady location at the North side of the house. Only for the photo shooting my husband carried this pot into the sun. For the soil I use a mixture of orchid bark and simple organic potting soil, since cymbidiums are terrestrial orchids. Usually it is recommended to get special fertilizers formulated for orchids to feed these plants, but the ones that I found in local nurseries were only very high dose chemical fertilizers, which I do not buy because I garden organically. Instead I give my cymbidium orchids organic rose fertilizer in the beginning of the winter to encourage blooms and they seem to do just fine. The rest of the year they get a sip of organic fish and seaweed fertilizer every once in a while. By the way, I counted six flower stems on the one shown in the photo above.



Close-up of a single flower. I am by no means an orchid expert, but what I do think is unusual in terms of this variety is the very dark burgundy inner part of the bloom in comparison to the much lighter pink outer petals. I got this orchid many years ago from a friend, who is totally into orchids. I think, she choose a particular beautiful cultivator for me as a birthday present. It is so nice to get plants from friends, since they always remind me of them. Thanks Petia!



The blooms last a long time on the plant. They are very good as cut flowers, too, and have there a long vase life as well. Since we had four days of rain in the forecast I cut three flower stems for indoors to save the blooms.




The flowers opened nicely up all the way to the end of the flower stems after I cut them and brought them into the warmth of the house. They are now adorning a vintage desk close to our dining room table. It is an interesting visual effect that you get by placing cut flowers in front of a mirror. The reflection of the cymbidium flower stems makes them even look more sumptuous.



At the end another close-up. I just couldn't stop taking pictures of these beauties...


See you in the garden!

Christina



13 comments:

  1. Oh, I envy you, Christina. I tried growing Cattleyas a few years ago, and they died. I just couldn't figure out orchids... Yours look so gorgeous. Enjoy them!

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  2. Masha, if it is any consolation to you I killed every indoor orchid that I came across so far. My favorites are phalaenopsis, which are supposed to be easy to grow. Yeah, well... So I have given up on hoping to keep them alive in the house. Now as soon as the flowers are done I give the orchids to friends, who have a green orchid thumb.
    Obvious cymbidiums are a different story for me. I was growing mine in the Bay Area already, when I was still living there with good success. The only thing that I needed to do in that climate is watching out for frost and either bring them inside or cover them with something. You might want to give cymbidiums a try. I can imagine that they will work well for you, too!
    Christina

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  3. These are just beautiful, inside as well as out. I didn't realize there were orchids that could take temps that low. Great post.

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  4. What beauties! I've never grown orchids before, mainly because I tend to pay more attention to what I'm growing outdoors. In our last home, I had many houseplants- all did well, but I'm too chicken to try orchids :).

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  5. I love cymbidiums, and these are so gorgeous! I used to work at a floral shop and we would sell the cut blooms for $40 a stalk! Yours are so gorgeous.

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  6. Thanks HolleyGarden for your compliments! I didn't know either, that orchids could take temps that low, until I started searching because I wanted to figure out at what temperature degree I have to put my cymbidiums indoors. Turns out I don't have to do it at all here in San Diego, which is a good thing, since the pots are fairly heavy.

    DirtDigger, thank you for visiting my blog for the first time. I believe growing orchids indoors is far more complicated (getting the temperatures and the humidity right is difficult) than outdoors if the climate suits them. So maybe you are not too chicken, but just a wise woman :-)!

    meemsnyc, thank you, too, for stopping by at my blog for the first time. I am glad you like my cymbidiums. Wow, $ 40.00 per orchid stalk? Maybe I should sell my stems, could help me with the garden budget ;-)!

    Christina

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  7. A friend gave me three orchids this summer, and I haven't killed them yet. (fingers crossed). He is coaching me along if I have questions, and I almost feel confident about this new foray into the world of orchids. Right now, I have a Lady Slipper in my kitchen window that has taken totally FOREVER to open up its ONE bud ... I can see inside the flower now, so it shouldn't be but a few more days until it lifts its head and shows me its stuf ... I hope. Your cybidiums are BEAUTIFUL!!

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  8. Hi Connie, thanks for stopping by at my blog! It is really a good thing to have an orchid coach, I could need one, too, for growing orchids indoors. Hope the Lady Slipper will open fully for you, soon. Good luck with your orchid babies and thanks for praising my cymbidiums.
    Christina

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  9. Hello Christina,
    Wow, wow, what a beautiful plants. I am so lucky with your advise. Thanks so much.
    Have a lovely weekend Marijke

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  10. Marijke, I am glad that you like my cymbidium orchids. Good luck with growing yours! Wishing you a nice rest of the weekend, too!

    Christina

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  11. How beautiful! I have loved in SD for a decade and only discovered that we can grow outside orchids while viewing homes for sale this spring in Encinitas. We ended up settling in western Olivenhain and I can't wait to Cal Pacific Orchids and bring some home!

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  12. PS Do you post your blog on Facebook?

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  13. Betsy, thanks, yes it is awesome that we can grow orchids outside here in San Diego. I also couldn't believe for a long time that this is possible. Good luck with the ones that you are getting!
    Usually I don't post my blog on Facebook. Just did some announcements that there is a new post up, but that was quite a while ago.

    Christina

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