How to grow Cymbidium faberi? First, understand its growth habits

      First, you need to understand the ecological habits of Cymbidium faberi, as this is important guidance for growing it well. Cymbidium faberi native habitats are mostly on mountain tops or upper slopes at higher altitudes than other orchids, in sparse forest and grass where rainfall is lower, sunlight is abundant, frost and snow are frequent, and the loam is poor. This specific ecological environment has shaped characteristics different from other orchid species: thick and well-developed roots, narrow and long leaves, thick and hard and rough texture, and slow growth. When introduced from the mountain to orchid gardens or homes for domestication, it is relatively more difficult than other orchids, prone to scorched tips, scorched leaves, collapsed seedlings, and even the whole pot dying. To grow orchids well, environment comes first. If we create a living environment corresponding to its native habitat according to the ecological habits of Cymbidium faberi, and strengthen management, it can definitely be kept alive, kept well, grown strong, and brought to bloom like other orchids. Now, based on the main habits of Cymbidium faberi, let us discuss the key cultivation points for growing it:

     1. Cymbidium faberi has the important habit of "liking sunlight and fearing shade." Its native habitat is mostly on mountain tops or upper slopes at higher altitudes, with abundant light. The ancients said: "Orchids grow in shade, Cymbidium faberi grows in sun." Therefore, when cultivating Cymbidium faberi at home, attention must be paid to solving the light problem and setting up a similar ecological environment for it. Place the pot in a sunny position facing southeast, so it can enjoy ample sunlight year-round. Except in summer and early autumn, when shade netting is needed to block the scorching sun around noon, sunlight can be allowed in all other seasons to enhance photosynthesis, accelerate nutrient production, and promote plant growth. Practice has shown that more sunlight can strengthen the plant, promote root development, widen leaves, thicken veins, and make leaves shorter while increasing flowering. With weak light, Cymbidium faberi will develop poorly. It easily collapses and rarely blooms. Only with suitable light can the orchid grow green and vigorous.

     2. Cymbidium faberi has the habit of needing relatively more nutrients than other orchids. Its pseudobulbs are small and store relatively few nutrients, while its leaves are numerous and long, consuming correspondingly more nutrients. In addition, while Cymbidium faberi sends up new shoots, the old seedlings are still producing new leaves, consuming even more nutrients. Coarse potting medium has poor water and fertilizer retention, so meeting normal growth needs is difficult. In the natural environment, Cymbidium faberi relies on its well-developed root system to absorb nutrients from the earth to meet its own growth needs. In nurseries and homes, orchids are limited by flower pots and cannot give full play to the advantages of a well-developed root system. The favorable conditions of nature are gone, so more fertilizer must be applied to supplement nutrients. Potted Cymbidium faberi requires more fertilizer than other orchid species. The fertilizer applied should be twice as concentrated as that for Cymbidium goeringii. At the same time, various elements must be scientifically matched, and fertilizer should be applied lightly and frequently. Relying on its own thick and well-developed root system, it absorbs nutrients from the potting medium, and appropriate foliar feeding (leaf spraying) can be added. For example, normally a 2/1000 potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution can be used to spray the leaves. A 2/1000 glucose solution can also be used, sprayed on the leaves like clean water, and it is quite effective. In 10 days, the leaves will show a glossy color and become thicker and wider. If fertilized at the same level as Cymbidium goeringii, Cymbidium faberi cannot accelerate reproduction and grow vigorously. Exceptions are old, weak, diseased seedlings, and newly collected Cymbidium faberi that has not yet settled into the pot; these should mainly be grown with plain care.

     3. Cymbidium faberi has the characteristics of thick and long roots, tall plants, and high basal nodes. Therefore, potted Cymbidium faberi is suitable for large, deep pots and deep planting to meet the growth requirements of its roots. Practice has shown that deep planting is better than shallow planting: the new shoots are stronger and flowering is easier.

     4. Cymbidium faberi has a longer growth cycle than other orchid species. Newly collected Cymbidium faberi grows slowly. First, this is related to the relatively poor soil in its native habitat. Second, when orchid plants are dug from the mountain, the roots are severely damaged, and the time from collection through storage and transport to replanting is long, consuming many nutrients and greatly weakening the plant. It must go through a fairly long care cycle to recover. This is why newly collected Cymbidium faberi settles into the pot relatively slowly and over a long period. Generally speaking, from a new shoot sent up in a pot to a mature seedling takes two to three years. Only after more than one year can Cymbidium faberi enter its best growth period, and some even take two to three years to settle into the pot. Therefore, after planting Cymbidium faberi, it is best to repot less often. During repotting, the root system easily dehydrates for a short period, and relatively many roots are damaged. The process of roots merging with the soil during settling into the pot also takes a relatively long time, resulting in a relatively long recovery period. Therefore, one must not rush. Repot only after the new shoots have matured and new roots have grown and settled into the pot. Because settling in and repotting take a long time, when repotting and replanting, fresh potting medium must be used to ensure the fertilizer supply of the medium.

     5. Cymbidium faberi has stronger cold tolerance than other orchid species. It grows on high mountains at higher altitudes and lower temperatures than other orchids, generally around 1000 m. It often endures temperatures below 0 degrees C, giving it an instinctive cold resistance. After being collected from the mountain, it retains to a certain extent the genetic factors for cold resistance, and its cold tolerance is much stronger than that of other orchid species. Therefore, it can be brought indoors later in winter, generally when the temperature is below zero, to prevent freezing. In early spring, it can be moved out earlier than other orchids; above zero, it can be moved out. Give it the tempering of cold tolerance. According to its cold-tolerant characteristics, during the slow growth period of leaf buds, which is the formation period of flower primordia, try to keep the temperature no higher than 23°C. During the growth dormancy period in winter and early spring, which is the growth and development period of flower buds, try to keep the temperature no higher than 15°C. When the orchid room temperature reaches above 15°C, all doors and windows of the orchid room need to be opened to facilitate ventilation and cooling and to meet the temperature necessary for reproductive growth. In addition, I once conducted a cold-tolerance experiment: I placed one pot of ordinary Cymbidium faberi outside a south balcony for the entire winter (avoiding the severe northwest wind of winter). The outdoor minimum temperature was about minus 5°C. In early spring, it sprouted and grew as usual and did not freeze to death (some old leaves had scorched tips), which shows how strong its cold tolerance is (climate of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions). This was an experiment; in severe winter, it is still best to bring it indoors.

     6. Cymbidium faberi has the habit of liking clustered growth. Because the pseudobulbs are small and store few nutrients, it is best to grow several plants in a clump. When repotting, dividing, and replanting, a pot must have no fewer than 3 connected seedlings, and more is better. Single-plant cultivation is not suitable; single-plant cultivation easily leads to collapsed seedlings, and even if it survives, the new shoots it sends up are weak. Practice has shown that I tried growing one pot as a single plant. Although it survived, in the first year after survival it sent up one small shoot, and in the second year it sent up two branches that were still small shoots. The new leaves were only a bit more than 10 cm tall. Who knows how many years it would take to regain strength and bloom?

     7. Cymbidium faberi has the habit of requiring relatively high ventilation. Its native habitat is mostly on higher-altitude mountain slopes, where mountain winds blow fiercely, training it to require more ventilation than other orchids. Therefore, when growing Cymbidium faberi, even more attention should be paid to ventilation than with other orchids. If placed indoors for cultivation, electric fans and exhaust fans can be installed to help exhaust air and ventilate. If conditions permit, it is best to place it on an outdoor rack or grow it in a garden. The ancients said: ventilation is the first essential of orchid growing. For Cymbidium faberi, this is even more important.

     8. Cymbidium faberi has the habit of requiring relatively low air humidity and being drought-tolerant and relatively flood-tolerant. It grows at higher altitudes where rainfall is lower and sunlight is stronger, and air humidity is very low. To adapt to the drier native environment, its leaves have many vascular bundles, are dense, and are leathery, firm, and with little flesh. It requires relatively low air humidity and is drought-tolerant and strongly flood-tolerant. Therefore, for potted Cymbidium faberi, the usual moisture level is best kept moist but on the dry side (slightly drier than Cymbidium goeringii). Environmental humidity can be lower than for other orchid species without harm, but air humidity should not be below 40%.

     9. Others. ① Because the leaves of Cymbidium faberi are firm, thick, and hard, with many dense vascular bundles, fertilizer application should emphasize phosphorus and potassium. ② The day-night temperature difference should be large; strive to keep the day-night temperature difference at about 10 degrees, which helps store nutrients and produce flower buds on time. ③ The placement of the orchid pot should be stable; do not move it east and west. ④ The potting medium should be coarser than for other orchid species (generally speaking: thick roots, coarse particles; fine roots, fine particles). This is greatly beneficial for strong Cymbidium faberi seedlings. In summary: newly collected Cymbidium faberi has these characteristics: likes light, fears shade; likes ventilation, fears being closed in; likes looseness, fears compaction; likes fertilizer, fears strong concentration; likes clustered growth, fears single division; likes slightly dry conditions, fears dampness; likes temperature differences, fears muggy heat; likes deep planting; and dislikes frequent repotting. By following these habits and creating a corresponding ecological environment for it, growing Cymbidium faberi is not difficult. There is a saying: "Planting an orchid takes a few minutes, growing an orchid takes years of skill; as long as you understand its habits, the more you grow, the more successful you become." I hope orchid enthusiasts, in the process of cultivating orchids and Cymbidium faberi, will figure out their habits, increase their cultivation experience, and surely succeed in growing Cymbidium faberi.

     One reminder: for introduced mature plants with flowers, with long-term domestication after collection and changes in environment, the habits of Cymbidium faberi will also change somewhat and adapt to the microclimate of orchid gardens and homes. The above mainly refers to newly collected Cymbidium faberi. Growers must base their practices on their own actual conditions, and must not apply it rigidly; use it only as a reference.