Hello!
As I have stated, I have no experience of cymbidiums. I grow the Tolumnia in
a miniscule clay pot with just a few scraps of sphagnum. It has grown there
for at least 6 years. The threadstarter was looking for experiences with the
use of sal****er on orchids, Cymbidiums in particular. So I wrote about my
experiences with Tolumnia.

I water with RO-water with added MSU mixed with aquarium water pH app.
6.5-7.5 (80/20) (last two years w/ MSU, before that standard 20-20-20). As I
am not american/english I don't know about the difference between Epsom salt
and table salt. I use sea salt without additives, combined with my evil tap
water (kH 16, pH 8). I have no means of measuring TDS-values, unfortunately.
A couple of years with the same treatment, and I will be able to determine
if the salt really is a benefit in growing Tolumnias, or if the variable in
cultivation that made my plant thrive was something else. Not preaching any
gospel here, just experimenting.

Using water treated with water softener would be madness! Take away the good
salts and replace them with sodium! Soon they are going to soften the water
centrally in this city, so I'm really glad I have my RO-unit. Gonna miss all
that Ca and Mg, though.

Thanks for your input! I realise I wasn't very clear in my first posts.

//H

"orchids3" skrev i meddelandet
m...
"Hi
In the 25 years of growing cymbidiums, I have never heard of putting salt
on the plants on purpose. Have grown in Carona Calif, Stratford Cn
and now in NE Florida. Just the salt from house hold water softeners will
kill plants. Some plants will tolerate some salt but areas I have been
where TDS (Total Disolved solids) are high in the water - religious
flushing
rituals are carried out to keep the levels as low as possible. Santa
Barbers
has TDS levels as high as 1800 PPM. MY TDS Levels here in Florida are
250 to 300 PPM depending on rainfall amounts - NA (Sodium) and Cl levels
increase in the local water supply when rainfall drops up to 18 PPM so a
small amount of salt is un avoidable but not really desireable. Epsom
salts in some quantity depending on you water tests may be good, but
certinly not table salt. Have you checked you water or acidity of what you
put
on the plants - how about the acidity of you potting medium?

Playel" wrote in message
...
Addendum:
Maybe the salt is just what is needed to stress an otherwise healthy
plant
into blooming? Or maybe (in cultivation) the salt helps dry out the
medium
for species that crave a hastily drying compost? I'm thinking Tolumnias
here, of course, bat also the Schomburgkias mentioned earlier.

Maybe (but this is a stretch) the layer of salt prevents the plants from
being burnt by excessive light?

Theories... Never get enough light here up in the north anyway. Am
certainly
not in the place to theorize about it

I am going to post a link to a pic of the Tolumnia as I need it
identified,
if anyone is interested in seeing it.

//H