This treasure in the yard has flowers as striking as a big banknote, and it needs tending every time I come home each year.

Every year when I come home I have to fuss over this treasure in the yard, I just can't keep my hands off it!

Cymbidium sinense 'Red Sun', also known as Red Bud Qihei, evolved as a mutation from Cymbidium sinense Qihei, one of Guangdong's traditional four great cymbidium varieties. The new buds show variegation first, and the flowers are red with an indistinct green tip.

The soil requirements for Cymbidium sinense call for a slightly acidic soil rich in humus. You can choose a loose, breathable mix that drains well and retains fertilizer, such as: leaf mold from the forest, coarse sand from the river, sawdust, charcoal powder, tree bark, crushed brick pieces, etc.

Because Cymbidium sinense has broad leaves, long leaves, soft drooping leaves, and a thin leaf cuticle, the thing it hates most in daily care is harsh sun exposure. From late spring, summer, autumn, and early winter it must all be shaded, especially at noon and in the afternoon, or it can be placed on the lower tier of the orchid rack to avoid scorching the leaves..

The flower color is on par with a big banknote, I love it so much!

To care for Cymbidium sinense you need to know its growth habits. In care, be sure to keep it warm and avoid freezing, and also keep a certain humidity, avoiding dryness.

To plant orchids you should use a zisha (purple clay) pot, or a plastic pot. Special zisha orchid pots have many holes at the bottom, drain water and breathe well, and have a distinctive shape. Plastic pots are deep and cylindrical, with many holes, light in weight, neat, easy to move, and reduce the load on the floor.

Cymbidium sinense plants are tall, with broad and thick leaves, a well-developed root system, and many flowers per spike, so they have a high demand for fertilizer. In daily care, apply light fertilizer frequently, which is an important condition for promoting lush roots and leaves in Cymbidium sinense.

Because its flowering period falls around the Spring Festival, Cymbidium sinense is also called Baosui Lan, Baisui Lan, Fengsui Lan, and Rensui Lan, and it is the main Chinese cymbidium species among Lunar New Year orchids. Its place of origin is mainly distributed across Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, China, Fujian, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi and other provinces and regions, and it has a long history of cultivation in our country.

Cymbidium sinense does not need much fertilizer, and plants can still grow well without base fertilizer. In spring and autumn each year, water the plants once with a dilute liquid fertilizer, and stop topdressing during the dormant period.

For caring for Cymbidium sinense, it is best to water with soft water. Common rainwater or tap water left to stand for 3 days will both do. When watering, be careful not to let water remain in the leaf center, and even more so do not spray it on the flower buds.