Flowering houseplant update

The flowers on my cymbidium are now starting to open – greenish yellow with dark spots (getting yellower as the petals flare outwards). And I see that my clivia has a new flower stem developing – interesting, as the old stem has only died back fully over the last week.

Cymbidium flowers are waxy and are carried on sturdy, arching stems

Feeding plants when they are in flower is not a good idea, as it can cause them to abort their flowers. I’ll start feeding both once flowering is finished, by which time we should be well into spring and new growth will be strong.

Cymbidium update

A second flower spike has appeared at the base of my cymbidium. Although the plant should be resting, I’ve been putting it outside on mild – and not so mild – wet days, and this seems to be doing it no harm at all. Those flower spikes should start lengthening rapidly come the new year.

I’m careful to look out for slugs, though. I often see small ones on the leaves or the pot when I come to bring it in. I just flick these off before they can do any serious harm.

Cymbidium flowers are firm and waxy in texture

I mentioned last time that I’ll need to start feeding, but haven’t decided what with yet. Watering in orchid feed is all well and good, but because of the swift drainage that the plants need, a great deal is always wasted. Besides, orchids have a low nutrient requirement anyway. I might try a foliar feed (in the wild, orchids are ‘fed’ by the detritus that washes down over them from above, not by what they absorb through their roots) – or possibly one of those fertiliser sticks that you insert at the edge of the pot.