Experienced grower's notes on Cymbidium

I've been growing plants seriously for over fifteen years and Cymbidium remains a reliable favourite. For anyone starting out: the most critical thing is repotting into fresh bark medium every two or three years. Everything else follows from that.

scale insects on pseudobulbs and undersides of leaves is the challenge that trips up most beginners and some experienced growers too. I've been growing mine in a bright bathroom with natural humidity for three seasons now and the results are consistently good. wide hybridisation resulting in an almost unlimited colour range is what makes it worth coming back to year after year. triggering a new flower spike with cooler autumn nights is when I show it off — it earns its place fully then.