Molli,

Not to discourage you but it may take several years before you'll see
flowers from a cym backbulb. If you have the time and space to nurse it
back to health that's great but if you are tight for space you'd be better
devoting your time to another healthy plant that will reward you soon.

My first purchase was a cym backbulb at a garden show. The vendor from
Hawaii had a beautiful display and huge cymbidiums. This was before I knew
anything about orchids. I bought 3 bare backbulbs for $10. The vendor said
they should bloom in a year or two. I was so gullible!

That was 10 years ago. I've seen one of them bloom. The other three grow
leaves. The climate here in the DC area is such that cymbidiums are a
challenge. The plants grow huge.

I love a beautifully grown cymbidium and envy people in areas where they can
grow these outdoors year around. I'm growing some miniatures but giving up
on the standards.

Good luck with your adventure.

Let us know what you do.

Good Growing,
Gene


"molli" wrote in message
...

I work next door to a post office, and one of the employees brought me her
orchid yesterday to 'save'. It once was a lovely Cymbidium, what I
received
was a large SMELLY (it stunk, and I mean stunk!) pot of this nasty stuff.
I
managed to salvage two starts and a 'iffy' bulb which looks like its
trying
to grow a new offshoot. I threw out the rest of the slimy stinky mess.
So
far I have managed to identify rot, scale, and powdery mildew (on the iffy
bulb). I would like to try to see if I can save these three pieces.
Besides
a dousing in physan, and some alcohol for scale what can I do? What
should
I pot them in (they were in regular dirt) there ARE some viable roots.
Right now I have it unpotted to let it dry out some, poor thing was
drowned.
Any help would be appreciated, especially on that bulb covered in powdery
mildew and lord knows what else.
--

Hugs,
Molli