You are looking for, or already have, a gorgeous Cymbidium orchid plant and now you are looking to provide the best Cymbidium orchid care. What should you do, or not do, for your Cymbidium? This hubpage will help you with some of your Cymbidium orchid care questions and orchid growing in general.

The Cymbidium, or Boat orchid, is a very popular houseplant and their attractive, showy flowers are often used in bouquets and corsages. Flower colors can be pink, white, red, brown, yellow and light green. It is not unusual to get up to 30 flower blooms on a stem. Although the genus has approximately 50 species, orchid breeders have created thousands of hybrids. Despite originating from East Asia, their popularity as houseplants is largely due to their tolerance of temperate climates and their ability to flower during winter months. Flowers have a distinct lip and the name, Cymbidium, is derived from the Greek kumbos which means ‘cavity'. When choosing a plant, select sturdy plants with healthy foliage. Check the leaf axils for signs of insect pests.

Caring for a Cymbidium can be difficult in the average home. They can tolerate most light levels, but do need high humidity. This can be achieved by placing the orchid pot on a tray of pebbles covered in water. As long as the bottom of the plant container does not sit in water and the potting mix is kept moist, these orchids will grow quite happily. Ideal daytime temperatures should be about 60 degrees F, with night temperatures about 55 degrees F.

After the plant has flowered, place it where it can get extra light while it continues the growth cycle. To encourage flowering, keep the plant below 55 degrees F with about 12 hours darkness for 3 weeks. It is not necessary to fertilize the plant while they are flowering. Cymbidium can tolerate small containers (plastic or glazed containers will do) and should never be over-potted. If repotting, ensure that you place the plant in a slightly larger pot containing an orchid peat and bark compost. Alternative potting mixes can be Osmunda fiber or fir tree bark. If your plant becomes infested with mealybugs, wash the foliage with soapy water. For scale insects, you'll need to scrape the pests off individually. Constantly be on the look out for orchid diseases.

Cymbidium orchids can be challenging to the hobby gardener. Once you have chosen your Cymbidium orchid plant, you may be looking for an in-depth guide to help you through the many areas of Cymbidium care. I recommend The Orchid Expert for valuable Cymbidium and general orchid care advice.

Learn How To Care For and Grow Amazing Orchids Using Easy To Follow, Step-By-Step Techniques

• Find out how much light your type of orchid needs.
• Does your Cattleya need to be watered at different intervals to your Epidendrum? It certainly does...
• Follow the 7 step procedure for producing hybrids.
• Find out how the use of bamboo skewers can solve your watering problems.
• Are you using fertilizer on your orchids? Learn to use it in the correct frequency.
• Find out how to care for your orchid throughout the year with the Taking Care of Your Orchids For Every Season chapter.
• Hot tips for buying the right orchid.
• Learn about growing orchids in a hydroponic garden.
• Recommendations on which orchids are suitable for experts or which can be grown by beginners.
• Hot tips for growing virus free orchids.

For more information on this unique orchid care guide, visit the Orchid Care Expert.

For the newbie orchid grower, starting off with younger orchid plants is a great way to learn how to care for them as you watch them grow and blossom. When getting a young orchid plant for the first time, try and find out as much about it as possible. Knowing what species it is is very important, as is the sort of environment it is found in the wild. From here you'll have a better idea what watering, temperature, light and humidity requirements it needs.

Make a list of supplies you may need for your young orchid plant. This should include the correct potting mix and a specialized orchid fertilizer. Keep a plant pesticide and fungicide handy in case your plant suddenly gets attacked by something. Orchids generally need repotting once a year so there is no hurry to get another pot just yet. A water sprayer is handy as it is easier to control the quantity of water you give your plant.

It is essential that you get the potting mix right. Most orchids do not grow in the standard garden soil or garden plant potting mixes. There are species of orchid that prefer a bark potting mix and others that prefer a sand mix. Always leave the young orchid plant in the potting mix that you received it in. Don't repot the plant until it has grown to a size where it has overgrown the existing pot. When you do repot, select a pot size slightly bigger as orchids do not like being transferred to containers that are much larger then the one they are in.

Often young orchid plants are kept in potting media that appears quite dry. This is done on purpose to prevent fungal infections. Orchid roots rot very easily if they are over watered. It is much better to gradually water the plant over time, rather than do a sudden soak if the potting medium is very dry. Because young orchid plants are not yet flowering, they require different light intensities to those needed by mature orchids. If the lighting is too low, the leaves will start to turn a dark green color. Gradually increase the light by changing the plant's position and when the leaves appear a healthy light green color then that should be fine.