I just got some cyms and used a fine seedling bark mix for potting. Being a
orchid mix, it has everything in it. If you can't get it I'll send you a
link to where I ordered it from I think it will break down enough to not
worry about peat moss


"V_coerulea" wrote in message
.. .
You should be able to grow cymbidiums better than I can here in SC. I can
usually bring a BB to bloom in 3 or maybe 4 years. Yes my growing season
is
longer than yours, but your cool season is longer than mine. Try the
fertilizer/bloom trick. I fertilize heavily and give good sun (noon shade
only so foliage is light green - not dark) until July. For minis, I stop
fertilizing July 1, for full sized cyms it's July 30. Water as usual and
leave out until first sign of frost. Clean them up, spray them down well,
and take them into the unheated GH which will stay above freezing.
I've found that fertilizing beyond this point leads to more growth
instead
of setting flower buds. If you love the plants and haven't tried this,
you're cutting your own throat. Give it a shot. I haven't had a full sized
cym not bloom for us yet (there's always a first, I guess, but it hasn't
happened yet).
Gary
"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
hlink.net...
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