Origin
The Cymbidium grows in the tropical regions of Nepal, Vietnam, Taiwan, Australia and the Himalaya mountains. The plant grows between rocks, leaves and tree trunks. The plants are reproduced in a laboratory. They are available in a range of colours, such as white, yellow, green and red or combinations of those colours.
Light
An orchid needs a place with much light, but no exposure to direct sunlight during its growing season (March – September). During this period, the sunlight is too intense and can burn the leaves.
Temperature
The plant prefers room temperature, between 15 and 25 degrees centigrade.
Fertilizing
You can give the plant some special orchid fertilizer once a month. Add this fertilizer to the bowl of water in which you dip the plant.
Re-potting
When the plant outgrows the nursery pot (usually after 1.5 – 2 years) it is time to transfer the plant to a larger pot. The new pot must have holes in the bottom to drain excess water. This prevents root rot. The orchid prefers an airy soil mixture, therefore do not press the soil too tightly. Use the special orchid soil. After re-potting, soak the plant thoroughly using room-temperature water to achieve the ideal connection between the soil and the roots and to achieve quick growth. After 2 weeks start giving half of the normal water quantity. After 4 – 6 months, fertilize the plant once a month.
Watering
Most problems usually occur during watering. People often overwater. The orchid should NEVER stand with its roots in water. There are holes in the bottom of the nursery pot which drain off excess water. If the orchid is in an ornamental pot, the water will remain in that pot. Too much water will rot your orchid's roots.
Watering advice
Take the orchid together with the nursery pot out of the ornamental pot (leave the orchid in the nursery pot) and dip it into a bowl of room-temperature water. Leave the plant in the water for 5 – 10 minutes. Drain the plant well and then put it back into the ornamental pot. This way you cannot overwater.
Take care that there isn't too much water in the bowl. The nursery pot can have no more than 75% water. Depending on the situation in your home (temperature and humidity) and the weather outside (lots or a little sun), you have to dip the plant once a week. After a while you will be able to tell by the weight of the pot whether it is necessary to dip the plant. You will learn by doing. Dip a little more often when the weather is warm, a little less than once a week when the weather is dark and cool.
Re-flowering
After the plant has bloomed, cut away the entire twig. The shoot that produced the twig will not flower again. The plant only develops new shoots which, in their turn, will produce one or several twigs. In May, you can place the plant in a bright, sheltered position in your garden (but not exposed to full sunlight!). The night-time temperature must not fall below 6 degrees centigrade. At the start of September, take the plant indoors and put it in a cool place. To promote bud formation, do not give it any water or fertilizer during the last weeks of July. This will induce the plant, through shock reaction, to produce the bud.