How to grow Cymbidium faberi? Sharing practical care tips
This plum-petal variety was collected in 2007, dug up by orchid farmer Ge Jianfa from Shanxia Ge Village, Duqiao Town, Linhai City, Zhejiang Province, on Daxie Island, and at the time of collection it was only 2 plants with one flower bud. By the 11th year it bloomed again for the first time, and was entered in the Taizhou (Luqiao) Orchid Exhibition where it won a silver award. It blooms again every year, the flower quality is stable, and each time it blooms, even with heavy watering, the petals remain just the same, the flower holds...
Many people say growing Cymbidium faberi is very difficultThey all say one year of flowers, two years of grass, and by the third year there is nothing left.Here I will tell everyone my experience from several years of growing Cymbidium faberi:
1: Cymbidium faberi needs sufficient light; insufficient light leads to fewer flowers, with only roots and leaves growing.
2: Water control for Cymbidium faberi; its root system is especially well developed, so its water requirements are not as strict compared with other types. Overall, for Cymbidium faberi, it is better to let it be dry than wet.
3: The pseudobulbs of Cymbidium faberi; generally the pseudobulbs of wild-collected Cymbidium faberi are almost invisible, so when planting we usually hold the leaves and lift upward a little to ensure the roots go into the soil and the pseudobulbs are exposed. But if your pot surface is moss or a fairly permeable medium, it is still advisable to bury them in.
4: The growing medium for Cymbidium faberi: it has many roots, so the medium should have both coarse and fine parts, basically mainly fine, mine is a 1:2 ratio. This makes it easy for the roots to develop freely.
5: The flower buds of Cymbidium faberi: everyone knows its flower buds are very large and very strong, which consumes a lot of nutrients, and Cymbidium faberi also has many flower buds. So we need to pay attention to selecting which flower buds to keep, and promptly pinch off those that are misshapen or not strong, to prevent them from absorbing the nutrients of the other flower buds.
6: Pinching flowers: many people who grow them pinch the flowers but not the buds, and there is reason in that, but I think you can pinch them at the bud stage. That way, if you keep one flower, you can leave it and let it wither naturally.
7: Fertilizing: Cymbidium faberi also has high nutrient requirements. Everyone can use farmyard manure or fermented soybean cake. But apply light fertilizer frequently.
8: Flower pots: I forgot to mention this earlier, the pot for Cymbidium faberi must be large; it does not have to be deep, but it must be large enough. This way, for wild-collected Cymbidium faberi, you can ensure the original nature of the orchid roots.
9: Leaves: Cymbidium faberi leaves are long, and a problem commonly reported is that there are two approaches: one is to tie them up and wait for it to adapt to the environment and shorten its leaves on its own; the other is to directly cut them short with scissors, but when cutting it is best to do it in several rounds, not all at once.
10: Ventilation for Cymbidium faberi: ventilation is very important, but there is no need to drill holes in the pot wall; just make a small mound on the pot surface when planting. Usually place it in a ventilated spot with light.