Cultivation Methods and Precautions for Cymbidium faberi
Cymbidium faberi is a terrestrial herbaceous plant in the orchid family, growing in moist but well-drained, light-permeable locations. Let's take a look together.
Cymbidium faberi is distributed in China, Nepal, northern India and other places. The roots are relatively thick and short, slightly thicker at the base than at the front end, without branching. The pseudobulbs are inconspicuous, clustered together in clumps, and oval-shaped. The flowers are usually pale yellow-green, with dark purple-red veins and spots; the flowers usually have a rich fragrance. One stem bears multiple flowers, usually 6 to 12, and is aromatic.
Cymbidium faberi is native to China and is one of the orchids cultivated for the longest time and most widely popularized in our country. In ancient times it was often called "hui," which refers to the "hui heart," the center of Chinese orchids, and was often combined with umbelliferae Angelica dahurica under the name "huizhi." Cymbidium faberi is a rare species in China and a national second-class key protected wild species. Cymbidium faberi was originally distributed across the vast areas south of the Qinling Mountains, north of the Nanling Mountains, and in the southwest. It is one of the more cold-tolerant orchid varieties.
Growth Habits of Cymbidium faberi
(1) Leaf count: Cymbidium faberi is also known as jiuzilan, jiujielan, and xialan. Each plant has 5-9 leaves, usually 6-7, with leaves about 25-80 cm long and about 1 cm wide, with strong upright growth.
(2) New leaf buds of Cymbidium faberi emerge from early May to early June each year, and autumn buds emerge from late July to mid-August. After the new leaf buds emerge, there is a slow-growth period of about 20 days. The leaf-unfolding period is about mid-June to late July, July to October is the leaf elongation period, and November to February of the following year is the dormant period. When growing Cymbidium faberi, it must be cultivated with 3 or more shoots connected together; fewer than 3 shoots are unlikely to survive. This point is very important. Each shoot of Cymbidium faberi takes about 3 years from emergence to completion of growth.
(3) The flower buds of Cymbidium faberi emerge between September and early October each year, and after growing about 2-3 cm, growth stops. They need about 5 months (at a temperature of 5°C) of vernalization and dormancy before they can produce fine, fragrant flowers. The flowering period is from late March to late April each year. The late flowering period is early May.
(4) The suitable growth temperature for Cymbidium faberi is 15-25°C, not exceeding 38°C in summer and not lower than minus 5°C in winter. The reproductive growth temperature is 10-20°C. Among Chinese orchids, Cymbidium faberi is the most cold-tolerant and high-temperature-tolerant orchid.
(5) Cymbidium faberi's requirement for air humidity is 60%-75%. In the winter dormant period, air humidity should not be lower than 50%, and during the growth period humidity should be maintained between 70%-80%.
(6) Cymbidium faberi's water requirements: its pseudobulbs are small, so the potting soil needs to be kept moist, but it is the most drought-tolerant orchid among Chinese orchids. It has thick, long roots with a certain water-retention capacity and can cope with short-term drought (4 days), so protecting the roots is the top priority in growing Cymbidium faberi well. One must understand the meaning of "not dry in autumn, not wet in winter." In early autumn there are many clear days, the heat has not yet faded, and the air is dry; increasing air humidity is the most effective way to prevent orchid leaf tips from scorching.
(7) Cymbidium faberi's light requirements: light is very important for the growth of Cymbidium faberi. Among Chinese orchids, Cymbidium faberi is the most light-loving orchid. When the summer sun is strongest, about 60% shading is needed; in other seasons no shading is required.
(8) Cymbidium faberi needs to be cultivated in deep, large pots. Its roots generally do not branch. When selecting Cymbidium faberi, choose those with slender roots, tightly closed sheaths, long bracts with colorful sandy halos, and leaf sheaths like needles. Its flowers are usually 5-12, and a few can reach 18. Jiangsu and Zhejiang Cymbidium faberi are the best. Henan, Hubei, and Shaanxi have more new varieties.
(9) Cymbidium faberi likes light and fears darkness, likes ventilation and fears being closed in, likes loose soil and fears compaction, likes growing in clumps and fears being separated into single plants, and likes light fertilizer and fears concentrated hot fertilizer.
Cultivation Methods for Cymbidium hybridum
Cymbidium hybridum is usually propagated by division. The division time is mostly after the plant flowers and before the new buds have grown large, during this brief dormant period. Before division, the plant should be appropriately dried, and the operation should be carried out when the roots are slightly whitish and soft. Vigorous plants are usually divided once every 2-3 years, and each divided clump of orchid seedlings should carry 2-3 pseudobulbs, one of which must be newly formed in the previous year. To avoid wound infection, sulfur powder or charcoal powder can be applied. Leave in a dry place for 1-2 days, then pot separately to form new plants. After division and planting, place in half shade and do not water immediately. If it is found to be too dry, a small amount of water can be sprayed on the leaf surface and pot surface to prevent leaves from drying out, falling off, and pseudobulbs from severely shrinking. Water only after new roots grow from the base of the new buds.
Cymbidium hybridum likes strong light. Cymbidium hybridum is native to the tropical and subtropical plateaus of Asia and prefers a cool, high-humidity environment. The suitable growth temperature is 10-25°C. In winter it should be kept in a low-temperature greenhouse. When the nighttime temperature is around 10°C, it grows well and the flower stems extend normally, mostly blooming in February-March. When the winter temperature is below 5°C, the leaves turn slightly yellow and the flowering period is delayed, with short flower stems. However, when the overwintering temperature is around 15°C, the plant's leaves are green and glossy, and flowering is advanced to January-February to supply the Spring Festival market. It very much likes humidity, but attention must be paid to ventilation, otherwise it is prone to anthracnose. Humidity for small seedlings should be 80% to 90%, and humidity for medium and large seedlings should be 60% to 85%. The flower stems are soft and must be supported with stakes to maintain an upright state.
Fertilization: during the growth period, the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is 1:1:1, and during the flowering-forcing period the ratio is 1:2:2 to 3. The pH value of the fertilizer solution is 5.8 to 6.2. Generally speaking, the fertilization concentration for small seedlings is 3500 to 4000 times dilution, and for medium and large seedlings 2000 to 3500 times dilution. In summer, apply 1 to 2 times per day (alternating water and fertilizer), and in other seasons usually apply fertilizer once every 3 days. Organic fertilizer: from the time tissue-culture seedlings are removed from the bottle until before flowering, apply organic fertilizer once a month. During the growth period, the ratio of soybean cake to bone meal is 2:1, and during the flowering-forcing period apply pure bone meal. Organic fertilizer must not be applied on the roots. If bone meal contains too much salt, it can be rinsed with water before application. In winter it is best to stop applying organic fertilizer.
Watering: in production, sprinkler irrigation is usually used. Water once a day in May and September, water twice a day in July and August, and water once every 2 to 3 days from October to April of the following year. The number of waterings should be adjusted at any time according to seedling size and weather conditions.
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