I worked for Rod McLellan Company as their expert grower, hybridizer and more for 3 years. Before they were bought, Rod McLellan had been the world leader in Orchids for a century.
My personal experience with Orchids has led me to understand well what Orchids you can grow more easily with bright light. If you want a larger, heavy, strappy Orchid, go for a Cymbidium. If you want an Orchid that blooms a long time and likes bright light, grow a Dendrobium. This is the easiest Orchid to grow in bright light as it loves to dry out between waterings. Another good bright light Orchid is an Oncidium. Oncidiums and Dendrobiums bloom for 2-3 months with proper humidity.
More difficult orchids to grow in bright light are Cattleyas and Vandas. Cattleyas bloom on average for 2-4 weeks. Vandas need a lot of humidity.
When growing Orchids, these are the top tips we can suggest. Orchids can be easy, or difficult to grow and care for. Selecting the right Orchid, and understanding what it needs will greatly help your Orchid care experience.
Most Orchids love humidity. Putting a humidity tray under the plant, or a rocks with water under them, can help very much. Do not sit the plant in water, but instead it should be above the water.
Don’t fertilize too much or too little. You can just fertilize with a 20-20-20 one in every 3-4 waterings.
Don’t put a shade Orchid in the sun. Phalaenopsis and Paphiopedilum Orchids love shade, but if you put them in the sun they’ll burn.
Don’t put bright light Orchids in the shade. Dendrobiums and Oncidiums like bright light, not shade.
Repot every 2-3 years with the correct size Orchid bark. Oncidiums, Cymbidiums, Paphiopedilums, and Dendrobiums like premium Orchid mix for repotting. For Phalaenopsis Orchids, use sphagnum moss for repotting. Cattleyas and Vandas like a medium bark for repotting.
Cymbidium Orchids are terrific plants to grow in California. In many areas of California, they can be grown outside. In all areas of the United States they can be grown inside with bright light, but not full sun all day. This 5 minute YouTube video is one I created to teach you about Cymbidiums and Cymbidium orchid care. When choosing a Cymbidium Orchid, you can choose a miniature Cymbidium or Standard Cymbidium. A miniature Cymbidium has leaves from 1-3 feet in length, while a standard Cymbidium has leaves 2-4 feet in length. There are many Cymbidium species available, and the one in this video is a hybrid Cymbidium. I prefer hybrid Cymbidiums as they generally bloom longer.
Growing Orchids such as Cymbidiums can ve very rewarding. Buying Cymbidium Orchids and growing or planting them doesn’t take that much difficulty. If you already have indoor types of Orchids, these may just fit in your collection. If you already know how to care for Orchids, adding Cymbidiums will be easy. If you don’t know anything about caring for Orchids, no problem. Orchid growing tips in this video will make you a Cymbidium Orchid expert in no time!
Cymbidium growing basics include not letting your Cymbidium plant get colder than 35 degrees F. A day temperature of 50-65 F is idea, with 85 degrees F meaning the Cymbidium will be needing misting. Ensure you repot every 2-3 years in fine fir bark. Repotting time is after blooming and new growth. Fertilize weakly for best results. Cymbidiums don’t like to dry out between waterings.