How to grow Cymbidium faberi? Practical care tips shared

The "large pot, deep planting, controlled watering method" for growing Cymbidium faberi seems to have reached consensus. The large pot, deep planting, controlled watering method: first, switch to large pots for growing Cymbidium faberi, because its root system is more developed than that of Cymbidium goeringii, and a pot that is too small is not good for root growth; second, when potting, the pseudobulb should be buried 2 or 3 cm into the soil and must not be exposed above the growing medium; third, Cymbidium faberi is relatively drought-tolerant, so it should not be watered too frequently - under the same dry and wet conditions, wait one or two days longer than for Cymbidium goeringii before watering, and the overall growth of Cymbidium faberi will improve greatly. At the same time, pay attention to moisture retention; when air humidity is higher and the pot is slightly drier, the plants tend to grow taller. Based on several years of observation of wild Cymbidium faberi and my own daily care experience, I would like to offer a few views on deep planting.

    1. The growth conditions of Cymbidium faberi in nature set us thinking: the native habitat of Cymbidium faberi is at a higher altitude than that of Cymbidium goeringii. It is relatively cold-tolerant and drought-tolerant, and likes to grow in sunny, well-ventilated places on ridges and hilltops. Because its growing sites are at relatively high altitude, with strong winds, and its pseudobulbs are small, in order to adapt to the living environment Cymbidium faberi: (1) relies on thick orchid roots developing deep and far. If the leaf mold soil layer is deep, the orchid roots must penetrate deep into the soil; because of the wind, the pseudobulb naturally becomes deeply buried in it. Cymbidium faberi in this environment grows especially tall - on the mountain you can see Cymbidium faberi growing more than 1 m tall. (2) It relies on a well-developed cluster of roots working together hand in hand and heart to heart to absorb nutrients from the earth. This kind of Cymbidium faberi mostly grows in shallow soil layers on cliffs; its characteristic is that the plants are not tall, but there are many shoots, and sometimes you can see a native population of more than 70 shoots in one clump, which is very spectacular. You only need to gently pry with a wooden stick and the whole thing will come out of the soil. Seeing such a cluster of roots with only a little leaf mold soil among them will give you great inspiration for growing Cymbidium faberi.

    2. Changes in growing environment and climate set us thinking: in ancient times, those who cultivated orchids and grew Cymbidium faberi were mostly literati and nobles. They all had halls and courtyards and very good environments for growing orchids, unlike us today, who mostly grow orchids on balconies or rooftops. The cultivation environment has undergone a fundamental change. This year's weather is even a once-in-a-century occurrence: spring rain was not continuous, the plum rain season saw no rain, and summer had sustained high temperatures. In such an environment and climate, planting the pseudobulb of Cymbidium faberi deep in the soil is as uncomfortable as wearing a scarf in summer. This year local orchid friends also suffered the consequences of deep planting Cymbidium faberi; many unique wild-collected Cymbidium faberi in this city alone died of stem rot. Of course there were other causes of death, such as growing medium, water and fertilizer and many other factors, but according to my investigation and understanding, the vast majority that died were Cymbidium faberi. This cannot but arouse our vigilance. At the same time, as is well known, the pseudobulb is the reservoir of nutrients and water for the orchid and plays an important role as a link between what comes before and what follows. The decomposition of the soil and the absorption by the roots, through photosynthesis, process and manufacture various organic substances, which are transported to the pseudobulb for storage and then continuously supplied for the growth of new roots and new shoots. And this complex process of processing, manufacturing and supplying all depends on light as its driving force. Therefore, from this principle, Cymbidium faberi also cannot be planted deep; the pseudobulb should be slightly exposed on the surface to ensure sufficient light to activate this original driving force.

    The inspiration brought to us by the growing environment of wild Cymbidium faberi:

    1. The key to growing Cymbidium faberi well is: sufficient light, high humidity, large temperature difference, and good ventilation. (Because in modern orchid growing, growing medium, water and fertilizer and so on are no longer the main problems.) How to combine these three elements organically and rationally is where success lies. Although Cymbidium faberi requires an environment with sufficient light, strong direct light is not suitable in summer. The best light intensity is 15000-25000 lux. With sufficient light, the plant grows robustly, the leaves are upright and spirited, and full of luster; with insufficient light, the plant is weak, the leaves are slender, drooping and lusterless, and the number of flowers decreases. Generally in summer, shading with one layer of 50% light-transmitting shade net is better. Keep humidity at around 70-85%, open windows at night for natural ventilation to meet the temperature difference requirement, and in summer adopt various methods to cool down and keep the temperature below 31 degrees C. In this way, the leaves of Cymbidium faberi will not develop spots or scorched tips, and will be emerald green and elegant, appearing more imposing and more graceful than Cymbidium goeringii.

    2. The issue of shoot production rate: if the mother plant is a strong seedling and you want more shoots, shallow planting is needed, because if planted relatively deep and kept in a moist state for a long time, the reserve buds that the orchid plant possesses are killed by excessive moisture and wetness, and even with many shoots it is hard to grow new buds. Here I pass on to everyone the experience I have summarized over many years: to make Cymbidium faberi produce more shoots, besides strengthening photosynthesis, another key point is to withhold water in March and let the potting soil dry out completely, which can force new buds. This is rarely mentioned in orchid books. You may all know the fact that withholding water in July can produce more flower buds; in fact the principle is the same. Over the past few years, my Cymbidium faberi shoot production rate has been above 100%, and this year it even set a new record: two old plants with four pseudobulbs produced seven shoots. In addition, if the orchid is not very healthy or is still at the stage of preserving the variety, it is not advisable to use the deep planting method, otherwise the core is prone to rot. If there are many shoots but the plant needs rejuvenation, Cymbidium faberi can be planted slightly deeper; large-pot deep planting has a good effect, tends to produce strong shoots, and is conducive to rejuvenating the orchid, but the shoot production rate will be lower than with small pots and shallow planting. Of course, the premise of large-pot deep planting is that the orchid grower must be able to perform the correct care actions for watering and withholding water that correspond to large-pot deep planting; otherwise unfavorable situations will also arise.