"Serene orchid its fragrance in the wind blows far.
A fragrant grass whose roots flow deep with virtue."

Chinese proverb

Cymbidium

When I first became interested in cymbidiums, my husband and I made annual trips to Rod McClellan's Acres of Orchids in South San Francisco. Growers used a method called mericloning, a way of reproducing plants vegetatively, to create an offspring identical to its parent. Mericloning was another step in making cymbidiums readily available at an affordable price. Plants from Mosher's original imports have been exported all over the world.

During my amateur gardening career, I have put to rest more orchids of many species than I can remember. Rather than give you all the details of my failures, I am going to tell you where I have been successful.

The last few years I have had good luck with cymbidiums (also known as terrestrial orchids), and I have learned much from my failures. Terrestrial orchids grow in the ground in mulch and rotting wood. Their roots need to be kept moist but not soggy.

I have learned that not every orchid will bloom every year. But while they are in bloom, I enjoy the beauty of the flowers and taking care of them is well worth the effort.

The soil mixture was a big problem for me, and constant watering caused the bulbs to rot. When I was in Hawaii, I noted that they were grown in red lava rock rather than bark. I made a mixture of 50 percent red lava and 50 percent orchid bark. This change has helped the problem.

I also learned to wash my pots in a 10-percent bleach solution before using them to kill any disease or pathogens. I simply dunk them and let them dry.

Once the blooms are gone, the orchids can be repotted. I do this during the summer as most cymbidiums bloom in winter and spring for six to eight weeks. If not repotted, cymbidiums will often break the pot.

To aid in drainage, I also put a layer of packing peanuts in the bottom of each pot. The roots grow right into the peanuts. Add the soil mixture while holding the plant and work the soil around its roots with a chopstick. Roots like to be crowded so this is not a yearly task. When you repot, you have a choice of breaking the clump apart to make two plants or transferring to a larger pot. Just remember that a larger pot will be heavier to move around.

Once the plant has settled in, I usually feed with my own fertilizer mix: 10 parts cottonseed meal, three parts bone meal and one part blood meal combined and sprinkled on the soil. Occasionally I fertilize with a tea made from worm compost mixed with fish emulsion. I have found natural fertilizers more effective than chemical ones.

After you repot, keep the orchid in morning sun to give the roots a chance to move into their new home. Once the plant is growing well, it should be kept in the sun so that the leaves become a yellow-green rather than deep green. They like breezes that move the leaves around. Overhead watering achieves the same effect.

I keep my cymbidiums on a bench outside my hothouse both winter and summer. In September, I feed each plant, depending on its size, with a tablespoon or two of granular 0-10-10 fertilizer to promote bloom. Cymbidiums do best when the temperature variation between day and night is 15 to 20 degrees or more

If we are due for temperatures in the low 20s or teens, I move them into the hothouse or garage. I have also sprayed them with a product that provides some frost protection by coating the leaves with a waxy material that helps retain moisture.

Watch for pests on your cymbidiums. Snails love the flowers. Aphids, scale and red spider mites chew the leaves and stems. The easiest way to control the chewing insects is with a systemic pesticide for houseplants, which makes the plant poisonous. Combat snails with commercial snail bait, copper strips, or handpicking and stomping.

The next time you are tempted by a beautiful cymbidium, give it a try. You'll find that it merits its reputation as "the easy orchid."