My Cymbidium Photo Gallery 2015

This is the time of year when my cymbidiums are in bloom and thus the obligatory orchid photo-shoot.  The variety names of these ones are not known to me but I will let the flowers speak of their kind.  

New this year - I got it as a gift. 

The only green-colored one in my collection - always blooms earlier than the others.

New this year - Bought from the Farmer's Market in Marina, California

New this year - Bought from an ethnic grocery store in Marina, California.

One of my old time favorites - turns pinkish when the temperatures are low.

New this year - bought from Marina, California.

I've had this for a long time.

Cymbidiums are not only beautiful - they also lasting.   

Try growing one this year 

Re-potting and Dividing Cymbidium - Again

Fig. 1  Cymbidium:  Winter of 2014

Three years ago I repotted my cymbidiums into three gallon containers.  This year (late spring) I divided them again after they all finished blooming; turning each plant into three individual plants. In some cases I hesitated to divide them because I like seeing multitudes of spikes (instead of two or three per plant) shooting from among the sword-like sheaths of green leaves, so I repotted them into larger containers.  One of them now resides in a fifteen gallon container.  It will be interesting to see how it will perform next blooming season.

Fig. 2   Cymbidium in  a 10-gallon container.

2010 Potting Medium

Motivated by the high cost of bagged orchid mix, I thought of making my own mix for my cymbidiums as follows:

Decomposed redwood bark (.25 - 0.5 inch)

Perlite

Handful of  potting soil

I used three years ago worked.  The plants did well - with lots of blooms and good root system.  The bark decomposed into very fine compost which I scattered along the rows of boxwood near my vegetable garden.

2014 Potting Medium

This year I used yet a different mix:  

Bark (0.5 - 1.0 inches)

Peat moss

Garden soil

With the current drought that we are experiencing, the peat moss would help retain more water allowing for less frequent watering.  Larger-size bark was used to allow good air movement around the root area.

Fig. 3  Cymbidiums lined up along south-facing wall.

Fig. 4  Newly repotted orchids.

Fig. 5    Pink cymbidiums:  Winter 2014

Fig. 6    Yellow cymbidiums

Right now, my orchids are doing well in their new growing media but it took them a while to get used to their new root environment.  I will be posing a new update come fall.

 

Cymbidium Season

There is a season for everything.  In my garden, now is cymbidium season.   While the rest of the plants are just beginning to awake from their winter rest, these outdoor orchids are putting on a spectacular show. 

Cymbidium flowers have an incredibly long life span. When left outdoor under a protected area the blooms can last from four to six weeks depending on prevailing temperatures and available moisture. Based on my experience, they can outlive their desirability. With clean water, cut flowers have a vase-life of two to three weeks.

Cymbidiums prefer being outdoors where they can get bright lights but away from direct hot sun, gusty winds and frost.  Here in our Zone 9 area, night time temperatures still come close to freezing at times and the ornamental pear tree (Bradford) that provides a protective shelter in the summer is still bare at this time.  And although these orchids can withstand some frost, we usually move them into the patio for protection during the cold months of January-March and also for a little cover from direct sunlight.  When they are done blooming they go back where they can get as much sunlight as they can while temperatures are still below "scorching-levels". This arrangement works well for me since the patio is right next to the dining room window; we get to enjoy the flowers more. It is alright to bring the orchids indoors when they are bursting with flowers but they need to go back outside as soon as possible in order to keep the plants healthy and strong. Generally, I prefer to cut the flowers and leave the mother-plants outside. This way, next year's bloom is not compromised.

It is obvious from the pictures here that I need to learn the discipline of staking.  Staking is a process. It is not a one-time activity.  Success in staking can be achieved when the process is started when the spikes are short and then tied progressively higher as they lengthen.  Staked flower spikes look stately and elegant but the natural bent-look of their unsupported counterparts gives the appearance of freedom and playfulness in the cymbidium.  So it is a matter of preference.

  The name cymbidium comes from the ancient Greek word "kymbe" meaning hollow vessel - referring to the cupped base of the lip.  For that reason, cymbidium is also referred to as the boat orchid

Understanding the Epiphytic Orchid

Orchids I saw at the gardens of the  Intercontinental Hotel (Makati).

The Mediterranean climate here in California allows us to grow a wide variety of exotic plants.  However, with my recent trip to the Philippines, envy crept all over me and my humanity gave in when I saw the way orchids are growing there.  I can grow them here but it would not be as easy as when they are grown in their native habitat.   Here we enjoy the dryness of the Mediterranean air and despise the humidity of the tropical breeze.  However, we know that the epiphytic-orchids feel the other way around.
 

The Greenbelt Shopping Center boasts beautiful orchids that are planted between buildings.

Epiphytes.  Epiphytic plants (roots are above ground) like most orchids derive nutrients and water from the atmospheric air.   Orchids growing on tree trunks are a common sight in wooded areas of the Philippines as well as in home gardens and as well as in public gardens.  Gardeners bring these beautiful plants near their homes and they tie them to a tree and voila!  Unlike their terrestrial counter parts that have a prolonged access to soil moisture, epiphytes live in a more or less arid (zerophytic) conditions.  The roots, being in the air, are dry most of the time.  Water from the rain settles down way below the reach of the roots.  Sunshine not only provides the needed light and warmth to the leaves but it also lifts up the water up in the form of vapor.   Here in California, the air is so dry that it sucks even the moisture from my skin.   Before the orchid has a chance to drink a little, the moisture vanishes in mid air.

 

                       

Orchids growing on trees near my sister's house in Cagayan.

Adaptation mechanism.  Orchids generally require 60-80 percent relative humidity for optimum flowering.  This high humidity requirement is not always achievable but orchids have adapted to the fluctuating available moisture.  Leaves come in different shapes (flat, folded, or even pencil-like leaves) and all these help the orchids adapt to their environment.  Most orchids have thick fleshy leaves, similar to that of the succulents that allow them to store water and resist drying out.

                       

More orchids at Greenbelt, Makati. 

The gardens provide a pleasant place to take a break from stressful Christmas shopping.

Orchids have specialized roots called velamen.  These are the white shimmery roots (as seen in the above picture).  These are the roots that are used to both anchor the plants and absorb water and nutrients from the air.  What is special about the velamen is that they are made of multi-layered thick cell walls.   The property of the velamen prevents cellular collapse during periods of dryness and acts as a barrier to water loss.  When the tips of the velamen are green it means that the orchid is happy. 

Orchids at my old High School (ANRVHS) in Abulug.

In the Philippines, just like any other marine tropical place, orchids grow voluntarily on trees.  The home-grown orchids likewise, perform naturally well.  On the contrary, growing epiphytic orchids here is like having a plant in ICU all the time.  

Many times I have tried growing epiphytic orchids here in my garden; so far I have not had much success.  Is it just me or is it the climate?