Tips for Growing Cymbidium Orchids from Ernie Kettle at Collectors Corner:
• Grow them in a protected spot away from hot sun, strong wind and heavy frost.
• They like a spot that's warm, airy, bright and if possible, off the ground.
• Keep the water up year round: 2-3 times a week in summer (daily in hot weather), 1-2 times a weeks in autumn and spring and just once a week in winter (twice if they are undercover)
• Mix dolomite lime in with your orchid potting mix to prevent the pH of your potting mix getting too low.
• Feed your orchids! Apply a slow release fertiliser in spring. Give them an extra boost through the warmer months with regular doses of liquid fertiliser.
Cymbidiums:
Cymbidiums are a genus of orchids found throughout Asia. They come in two basic types; the ground growers and the epiphytes. Cyms were one of the earliest of Orchids to be hybridized with the amazing results we see today as the culmination of over 100 years of breeding. The last 20 years has seen an amazing increase in interest in the breeding of these plants so vast resource have been put into new development with results that will create a number of completely new lines of breeding that are far superior to the older forms. Improvements include longer flower life, larger flowers, better shaped flowers, perfumed flowers, hardier plants, faster growing plants, plants that produce many flower spikes from a bulb, plants that flower out of season and many other traits to improve the genera.
Cymbidiums are a highly varied genera and plants range from miniatures with 2cm flowers to huge 13cm blooms. Modern breeding has harvested all the possible traits and now there are Cyms of all shapes and sizes. Incredible specimen plants can be grown in a few short years with minimal care.
The Cymbidium reigns supreme as the orchid for cooler climates as it tolerates a wide range of climates from temperate to cold.
Moth Orchids (Phalaenopsis)
Moth orchids are graceful, beautiful plants from the Philippines and Tropical Asia, with long-lasting moth shaped flowers. They make lovely indoor plants that flower for months on end.
Here are Ernie’s tips for success:
• They enjoy a humid spot with plenty of fresh air and filtered light (Close to a window filtered by curtains is ideal)
• Water plants so that the potting mix is damp but not soggy (use room temperature water)
• Give them a weekly liquid feed during the warmer months (twice a month in cooler weather)
• When it finishes flowering allow the stem to die back to the base and you could get another flowering spike.
Orchid World at Collectors Corner:
www.collectorscorner.com.au
Orchid World became part of Collectors Corner in 1988. The nursery stocks over 300,000 plants in approximately 5,000 sq meters of heated and unheated greenhouses. Most of these plants are sold via Collectors Corner and some by wholesale through the parent company Paradisia Nurseries. The nursery grows a wide range of genera to satisfy the needs of our various customers. Orchid World is most famous for its cymbidium collections which dazzle the orchid world during the flowering season, the most famous of which are our cascading cymbidiums, one of the world’s largest and best collections.
