My two Cyms that I have been dragging around for over 50 years, and divided numerous times, of course, need to be rejuvenated. The favorite is slowly declining, and I hate to loose it. I have gotten back bulbs to sprout a couple of times, but not survive. I'm obviously doing something wrong....Help! Any instruction is welcome.

They don't always survive for me either but, if you plant them all, you will get a couple new plants. I think, sometimes, there's just not enough oomph left in the backbulb to go to all the effort of actually surviving. I try not to bury the bottom (just whatever roots are still attache, if any) of the bulb, just prop them up with plastic nursery stakes.

I had one backbulb sit for a couple years before it decided to grow. I had gotten it from a friend and couldn't even remember what color it was (turned out it was bright yellow) but, eventually, it grew. If they don't rot, don't give up.

Hi Carol,

My approach has been to plant backbulbs in a compot, buried about 40% of the way. As long as they are still firm, there is a chance that they will sprout (most likely in Spring). I found that the ones in compots seemed more likely to sprout than those in individual pots.



I'll see if I can find some better photos when I'm at home later.

When you do get them to sprout, what happens so that don't survive? Does the growth rot off at the base, or do the leaves die back from the tips?

Interesting, Joshua. I know a single sb is a no no, so maybe that is the problem. Open to more suggestions though. I have always put them in individual pots, and watered lightly when I had 2" growth. Over watering? Bark too course for babies?

Do they get direct sun? All of mine only got a little bit of morning sun; otherwise bright (but not direct) light. I also watered the backbulbs (not as frequently as my plants - probably half as often) just so that the media didn't go bone dry.

If the growths were rotting off at the base, then it would be overwatering. If they simply dried out and died, then it would be lack of water (which could be that the bark is too coarse). The mix I used was a mix of sizes.

Hmm. I can't answer those questions right now. I will try again in spring ( I hope) and try a few different methods. Weather has been more inconsistent than usual this past year , and the mother plant didn't even bloom. It's desperation time now.

Our winter was dry and then we've had a longer-than-usual Spring, with the occasional early hot day in October.

The erratic weather may be a partial reason for your plant to not bloom, though. Temperature and light are the main factors when a plant is otherwise fine.

Can you post some photos of the mother plant? How long since it was last divided/repotted?

I agree waiting until spring to repot is a good idea. Most traditional Cyms really don't like it if you do it in Autumn (Fall) or Winter.

I'll have to see if I can find some photos. Probably not today though, as I have other business.

Here you go, Joshua

Thanks Carol. It's a bit hard to make out, but it looks like the centre bulbs are all leafless and at least one of them that I can see looks shrivelled (so possibly dead). How long since it was last repotted and what are you using for the media?

The leafy bulbs look healthy, though, with minimal leaftip dieback. The flower spike also still has a reasonable bloom count, which is encouraging.

That photo was taken in April 2013, and it has been repotted since then on 5/o6/2016. It is now in potting soil, but I'm not sure if that was the last repot. Most of it's life it was in coarse bark, so this was a desperation attempt. At this point it has 5 growing bulbs and 6 solid back bulbs. As to sun, that is a rare commodity where I now garden and I have not found their happy place yet. I have to move them as the seasons change. I have tried several new Cyms, in the 31 years I've lived here, and none have survived but these two old timers. This one has what looks like a rust infection on many of the leaves, while the mini right next to it (touching) has no sign of that. I have an Epidendrum that is just as old, so I suppose I should be satisfied that I've kept them going this long...but I'm not.

Useful to know, Carole. It's probably up to a repotting anyway, depending on how quickly the mix you were using was breaking down.

I wouldn't keep it in potting soil, though. Cymbidiums are semi-epiphytic (not terrestrial) and won't do well in potting mix (in fact, it makes it incredibly easy to overwater and cause root rot). I would minimise watering through winter and then in spring repot into some Orchid bark (Orchiata has been recommended to me by a number of growers).

When you repot it, don't divide it just at the moment, unless the plant has naturally split with all the backbulbs in the middle. I would remove 4 of the backbulbs (rough rule of thumb is to have up to one-third of Cym as backbulbs).

Give them as much light as you can without allowing them to burn in the summer afternoon sun.

Can you upload a photo of the suspected rust? I've never seen something like that on Cyms before, so I'm not quite sure what you're referring to.