Cymbidium query

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I have a cymbidium which I bought from a garden centre last year, so variety unknown. When bought, it had a flower spike and after it had finished flowering, I fed and watered it, a new pseudobulb developed and then produced two new flower spikes. As this was the first time I had ever been able to get a cymbidium to flower again, I watched them grow with keen anticipation, but, to my disappointment, one of them turned yellow and the buds dropped off, although they were well-developed by then. Now, it had been rather cold so I reduced the watering/feeding to every 3 weeks, rather than weekly, so I wondered if the plant couldn`t support two spikes and "switched off" one? Or could there be another, more sinister, cause, please? Incidentally, as soon as I cut the dying spike off, the healthy one fairly galloped ahead and is now looking lovely.

Thanks Kate

[Kenni Judd]

I was hoping someone who knew more about Cyms than I do would answer you. The vast majority of them are cool-growing, and my climate won't support that, so I handle very few of them, and the warm-growing types don't behave exactly like their cooler cousins anyway ...

But to avoid leaving you hanging altogether, I can say that the "turning yellow and buds dropping" is something we call "bud blast" and it has so many causes, it's very hard to narrow down. The possible causes include over-watering, under-watering, rapid fluctuations in either temp or humidity, insects (thrips), etc., etc. Since your second spike prospered, my _guess_ would be that you had over-watered a bit, but corrected in time to save that one. Your theory about the plant not being able to support 2 spikes may also have some validity, esp. if you have been skimpy on fertilizing. FWIW, Kenni

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Thank you for the replies, Weng and Kenni.

As both spikes developed at the same time and grew at the same speed, but only one died, it is hard for me to work out what went wrong - so many possible reasons, it seems. However, I had been rotating the plant regularly to maximise light all round, so perhaps the one that died was towards the window glass during a period when the temperature dropped or rose too rapidly. If the plant produces spikes next season, I think I shall move it towards the centre of the conservatory where the temperature is probably less likely to fluctuate so much.

Thanks again Kate

[Robert Lorenzini]

I think they get confused when you change their orentation too often.

Bob

[Diana Kulaga]

They get downright nasty!

Diana ;o)

[SuE]

I have not seen blast blamed on rotation - but if you see an inflorescence with flowers facing every which way rather than a gentle cascade with one orientation, you can bet they moved after the flower became photo sensitive (sensitive to light direction.) A lovely spike of flowers which normally displays in a graceful manner can become so twisted as each bloom tries to reorient than they become quite uncomfortable to look at.

Best luck SuE