Dividing Chunlan (Cymbidium goeringii) during the bud stage like this won't affect flowering, and next year will bring even more surprises

Autumn is the bud-forming period for Chunlan (Cymbidium goeringii); buds can usually be seen by the end of August, while late ones may not appear until after the end of October. What troubles novice orchid growers most is that Chunlan is not suited to division during the scorching summer heat. If there are indeed too many pseudobulbs and division is truly needed, what should be done?

Can Chunlan be divided during the autumn bud stage? Textbooks and online knowledge each hold their own views, often leaving novice orchid growers completely confused. Haoshe Nongfu follows the principle of practice first, theory second. Let me share with fellow orchid growers some insights on dividing Chunlan during the bud stage. Although it can't be called any profound technique, these are real examples I have personally carried out, and I believe they will be of some use to novice orchid growers.

Last November, orchid growers from out of town wanted Haoshe Nongfu's Chunlan. At that time, all of Haoshe Nongfu's Chunlan were mature plants that had been grown for two years, and basically every pot had flower buds. Since they had been grown for two years, the number of pseudobulbs was quite large, mostly over 15 pseudobulbs per pot, but the orchid growers only needed 5-6 pseudobulbs, and they also hoped to smell the orchid fragrance that same year. In fact, before that, Haoshe Nongfu had never divided plants during the bud stage.

Haoshe Nongfu always tries his best to meet the requests of fellow orchid growers, so he divided the budded Chunlan, cutting off the ones with flower buds together with vigorous pseudobulbs, wrapping them in moss and sending them to the orchid growers, while keeping the orchids without flower buds and repotting them himself. By the Spring Festival, the orchid growers reported back one after another that the Chunlan had all bloomed, with not a single case of bud abortion. This spring, the Chunlan plants Haoshe Nongfu kept for himself clearly sprouted faster, earlier, and more abundantly than the others. This sparked Haoshe Nongfu's interest in dividing budded Chunlan.

What needs attention when dividing during the bud stage is that the portion with buds must include at least three vigorous pseudobulbs. The divided plants thus have enough accumulated energy to bloom on their own, and they root quickly the following year without affecting next year's sprouting. As for the orchids without flower buds, since there is no nutrient consumption from flowering, and the pot soil doesn't need to be disturbed again after spring, they root and sprout even more vigorously the following year.

Of course, this is based on the climate of Jiangnan where Haoshe Nongfu lives. Orchid growers in other regions can refer to it, but it is not recommended to copy it rigidly. There is no fixed method for growing orchids; what suits you best is the best.

You are welcome to leave your valuable experience in the comments section and discuss together the cultivation insights of wild orchids.