| What Other Orchids Can I Grow With My Cymbidiums? |
| Email me ....Macara@xtra.co.nz |
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| Most, if not all of us will have started our orchid collections with that all time favourite, the Cymbidium. These plants are readily available & with a just a little care & attention are relatively easy to grow & flower. The fact that the flowers can last for several weeks also makes the Cymbidium an attractive proposition to not only the novice, but those with larger collections as well. When you are just starting out as an orchid hobbyist (in most cases you don’t even realise it is happening until it’s too late) there is nothing more satisfying than discovering that first flower spike, then nurturing it along until bursts into full bloom. Much pleasure is derived from the plants at this time, but once the flowers have finished, there is a long wait until the next season’s crop. One way around this little problem is to diversify a little. There are a number of other genera that will flourish along side your Cymbidiums & thus extent your flowering season without having to outlay large amounts of money to construct specialist growing conditions. One of the first of these that is worth consideration is the Australian Dendrobium such as Kingianum & it’s hybrids. These are a plant with a lot of appeal, they are very easy to grow & flower, making quite a stunning display. This is a smaller plant & is reasonably compact, & comes in quite a range of colours & shades. One thing to bear in mind with these plants is that they only require watering sparingly over the summer, as in their natural habitat they receive very little water during the hotter months. Masdevallias, again a compact growing plant, these are relatively easy to grow & flower. There is a wide range of colours & flower sizes available, some with short stems, others with quite long stems, but always a spectacular & eye catching display. These plants like the humidity levels kept reasonably high particularly during the hotter months. The Blettilla straita is another plant that makes an excellent display once it is out in flower, with tall spikes clad in mauve flowers. As with the above plants this is also easy to grow & flower. It will grow outside in the garden in our conditions, as long as the situation is sheltered & has good drainage, but it will also make an excellent potted specimen. These plants are really a must for any collection. Zygopetalums are another of the list that will thrive in similar conditions to Cymbidiums, but in our conditions here in the Wairarapa they do prefer to be kept well away from the frosty temperatures. As they are not large cumbersome plants it is usually easy enough to find somewhere for these over the winter months. There are a wide range of distinctive & striking flower colours about & some of these have a pleasant fragrance as well. Some of the Green Leaved Paphiopedilums are suited to cooler conditions, but as with the Zygo’s don’t appreciate some of our lower temperatures. The Paphs will do okay on a window sill inside provided that they are given the right lighting conditions, & I have flowered these in this situation. They are always a talking point with any visitors as they have an unusual flower & some very interesting colours. With these plants you must be sure that they don’t dry out as this does them no good at all, they also only require very low strength feeding. Another favourite is Coelogyne Christata , once again these will not stand the frosts & should be sheltered during the winter. During the Autumn as the conditions start to cool, these plant like to have good light & also plenty of air movement around them to assist in the initiation of spikes. The list could go on, but the plants mentioned here are only an indication of some of the genera that may diversify your collection & not only spread your flowering over a longer period but also give you a contrast of flower sizes, shapes & colours. It is still advisable to read up or speak to someone in the know if you are looking at trying a plant that you have not grown before, as this may well be the difference between the success or failure of your next seasons flowers!! Go on, give it a go!! & Happy Growing. |