How to Plant Cymbidium Orchids

Cymbidium orchids thrive when set outside during the summer months when there is no danger of frost. The orchid will flower from February through May, depending on the area, sending out long stems covered in prolific large blooms that will last for weeks. In the fall, when the temperatures drop below freezing in northern areas, bring the Cymbidium orchid indoors after the first frost. The most critical elements in making sure these orchids blossom is high light and cool nights.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

things you’ll need:

• Plant pot
• Fir bark
• Peat moss
• Perlite
• Fertilizers, 30-10-10, 10-30-20

1. Prepare a plant pot for your Cymbidium orchid in the spring after it has blossomed every couple of years. Make a mix of equal parts of fir bark, dampened peat moss and perlite. Remove the orchid from the old growing medium and shake off any excess. Form a cone with the planting mixture in the bottom of the plant pot and spread the orchid’s roots over it. Add the rest of the soil mixture over the roots, firmly it slightly.
2. Moisten the soil of the newly planted orchid until the water drains from the bottom of the plant pot. Water as often as necessary to keep the soil moist during the spring and summer months. Drop the water supply during the winter so that the soil has a chance to dry out between waterings.
3. Set the orchid outside where it can get full sunlight as soon as possible in the spring. Add a few ice cubes to the top of the soil to encourage the orchid to blossom when the summer evenings are warm.
4. Fertilizer is important to the fast-growing Cymbidium orchid. Use a formula high in nitrogen during the spring and summer months, such as 30-10-10 and apply it to the plant once a week to support the rapid growth. Change to a formula higher in phosphorus in the later fall, with a ratio of 10-30-20 to help develop a strong root system and the following season’s blossoms.