Another question about Cymbidiums

[Ted Byers]

Well, I guess it had to come at some point, but it has started. The flowers on my new Cymbidiums are starting to fade. I lost a couple of them (flowers that is) within days of bringing them home, but that was due to damage from cold (outside temperatures were about -15 degrees Celcius - I guess my efforts to protect them from the cold weren't as effective as I'd hoped). But now, about a quarter of them have started to droop and close up on themselves. There remain quite a few that still look great, but there is no longer any scent.

My question is this: should I cut off the inflorescence once the flowers are all faded, or can it rebloom from them the next time it comes into bloom? I know some phalaenopsis will rebloom from an inflorescence and that one should therefore not cut them off unless the plant tells you to by having the old inflorescence die back.

Thanks

Ted

[K Barrett]

AFAIK Cyms don't branch and rebloom like phals or oncids.

K Barrett

[Ted Byers]

Thanks. I suspected as much because the inflorescence itself seems rather fleshy or succulent, where the inflorescences on the phalaenopsis and oncidium orchids I've had had inflorescences that seemed harder, almost woody, but as always it is best to ask to be sure.

Speaking of the oncidiums reminds me, though, of one of my saddest orchid losses. I had a sharry baby that filled a 25 cm pot with pseudobulbs; so much so that in addition to completely obscuring the medium, they piled on top of each other to a height of about 10 cm. At it's finest, last, bloom, it had 6 highly branched inflorescences, each over a meter long. It's scent filled all the rooms on the second floor of the house. After that last bloom faded, I was going to repot it (not divide it, to see just how big it could get - it had the makings of a nice specimen plant - not that I am skilled enough to grow something worth taking to get judged, even if I was well enough to get to the nearest orchid society meeting). And then I was ill and spent over a third of a year in the hospital. As I had no one to take care of my orchids, most, including this one, died. Only a couple catts survived, and they died the next time I was in hospital. I know sharry baby is quite common, so nothing particularly special about it, but that was one fine plant. Alas, I don't have the means to replace it and I don't know where I'd find its equal. I don't really want to start over with a first bloom seedling.

Thanks again

Ted