On Thu, 4 Oct 2012 Bob Hobden wrote:

"David Rance" wrote

Bob Hobden wrote:

"Pam Moore" wrote

My Mum had an orchid (cymbibium) which was at death's door. I said
"Would you like me to take is home and see if I can revive it?"
Mum's house did not have central heating and was draughty. She
couldn't see well enough to water it etc. After 10 years the plant
still has not flowered, but last year I split it into 5 pieces as it
had grown so big!

Pam, leave the Cymbid out in the garden all summer feeding well and
keep them moist, even wet, until the first frosts are forecast and
only then bring it into a just frost free place. Do not let them get
though. Certainly no central heating needed, that is too warm. They
need the night temperature drop to spur them on to grow flower spikes.

We do everything wrong with our five cymbidiums and yet they flourish.
They are kept on a sunny window sill which, in winter, is warmed by a
radiator. They produce flowers which last around six months. As soon
as one flower spike has finished blooming the plants grow another,
sometimes two, and thus we have a constant display of flowers.


Good grief David, you must have big windowsills. Not one of our cymbids
could fit on ours.

I must have small ones, then! ;-)

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk