How can the flower scape of a Chinese cymbidium (Cymbidium goeringii) be made to grow taller?

How to make the flower scape of a Chinese cymbidium taller

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The leaves of the Chinese cymbidium are elegant in form, and when in bloom it gives off a delicate fragrance all around, making it truly delightful. But the flower scape is rather short, mostly staying below the leaf surface, which detracts from its ornamental appeal. So how can the flower scape of the Chinese cymbidium be made relatively taller? I think effort should be put into three aspects. 1. Preparing a growing medium with complete nutrition is the foundation for promoting the elongation of the Chinese cymbidium's flower scape. Bud formation and flowering in the Chinese cymbidium consume a large amount of nutrients, and it is impossible to produce good flowers when innate nutrition is insufficient. Therefore, whether the orchid growing material has complete nutrition is a matter of how much the Chinese cymbidium's flower scape can elongate. This determines that when preparing the orchid growing medium, we should follow the principle of overall coordination and strive to work hard on air permeability, drainage, and complete nutrition. Practice has proven that the best orchid growing medium is one that combines traditional and modern approaches; mixing sieved orchid mud with granular growing material gives the best results in growing orchids, as this allows the advantages of each to complement each other, with complete nutrition, providing a sufficient source of power for the Chinese cymbidium's flower scape to elongate and bloom. 2. Sufficient vernalization and the creation of an appropriate temperature difference are the necessary conditions for promoting the elongation of the Chinese cymbidium's flower scape. From the appearance of buds after autumn to flowering after spring, the Chinese cymbidium generally goes through nearly half a year. In the long process of natural evolution, the Chinese cymbidium has developed the characteristic that only by undergoing the low-temperature vernalization of winter can the flower buds swell and the flower scape elongate; during the reproductive growth period, if the temperature is too high, premature spring blooming is very likely to occur, with the flowers lying flat on the pot surface, greatly reducing flower quality and seriously affecting its ornamental appeal. In this regard, orchid masters of past generations all attached great importance to the issue of sufficient vernalization of the Chinese cymbidium, advocating that in winter, especially during the period from Major Snow to Major Cold, the orchid should be kept in a low temperature of 0~10°C, with the day-night temperature difference maintained at around 10°C, to accumulate sufficient nutrients in preparation for the need of the flower scape to elongate and open after spring. It can be seen that sufficient vernalization and an appropriate temperature difference are the necessary conditions for promoting the Chinese cymbidium's flower scape to elongate and for the flowers to reach their proper quality, and should not be taken lightly. 3. High humidity during the flowering season is the catalyst that ensures the elongation of the Chinese cymbidium's flower scape. Practice has proven that maintaining a relatively high air humidity during the flowering season of the Chinese cymbidium is very beneficial to the elongation of the flower scape. Orchid enthusiasts can adopt various measures such as humidifiers, spraying water on the pot surface, spraying water on the ground, and humidifying with water troughs to strive to create a relative air humidity of no less than 50%, which can effectively increase the height of the Chinese cymbidium's flower scape, especially with more obvious results for the lotus-petal Chinese cymbidium. For example, when the famous Chinese cymbidium cultivar Dafugui is in bloom in a relative air humidity of around 60~80%, its flower scape can reach 12~15 cm.