Cymbidium Care Guide
Cymbidium are one of the easiest and most rewarding orchids to grow, well suited to cooler, temperate climates like Sydney's, and popular across NSW and the southern states. It's often what people picture first when they think "orchid," and for many, it was their first orchid too: arriving as a gift covered in colourful flower spikes, only to get thrown away once the blooms faded. That's a shame, since with a little know-how, Cymbidiums are genuinely one of the easiest, most available, and most rewarding orchids for beginners.
Light
Cymbidiums need plenty of bright, filtered light to flower well. Light is the single most important factor for flowering, and plants that don't get enough light will grow happily but rarely bloom. The goal is to give them as much sun as possible without actually scorching the leaves. Too many Cymbidiums are left languishing in dense shade at the bottom of the garden, which is the most common reason they fail to flower.
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Foliage is your go to indicator to determine if your orchid is receiving enough light!
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Leaves should be a medium to light olive green colour.
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A shorter, stocky plant, with light green to yellow leaves suggests too much light and risks burning the plant.
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A tall, spindly plant with dark green leaves indicates too low light.
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Ideal setup:
A shade-house with roughly 30–50% shade cloth is ideal. This can be adjusted based on seasonal changes (e.g. 30% in Winter and 50% in Summer).
If you don't have a shade-house, dappled shade from trees (preferably deciduous, so they lose their leaves and let more light through in winter) works well. An easterly aspect is ideal, whether in a shade-house or the open garden, giving morning sun and afternoon shade in summer, while in winter Cymbidiums will tolerate full sun all day.
Plants should ideally get sun from sunrise to sunset; where that's not possible, find the sunniest spot available.
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If keeping multiple plants, avoid crowding them together, as this reduces both sunlight and airflow, increasing the risk of pest infestations and rot. Wherever they're positioned, shield plants from strong winds, particularly southerly and westerly winds.
Temperature
​Cymbidiums tolerate a wide range of temperatures, so no special climate control is needed in Sydney conditions.
As with any other plants, provide plants extra water during the heat of Summer, and protect plants from frost in Winter to shield buds from frost damage and prevent young flower spikes from rotting.
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Cymbidium require an overnight temperature drop to help trigger flower spike formation.
Around March/April, help your plant shift from growth mode into flowering mode by allowing evening temperatures to fall. In Sydney's milder climate, standard-sized Cymbidiums often need extra encouragement to pick up on this temperature signal. Misting or watering plants in the evening during February and March will help to trigger flowering. Miniature Cymbidiums don't need this step; they flower reliably in warmer conditions without a cold trigger.
Watering & Humidity
​​Watering
Water Cymbidiums as they dry out, aiming to keep the growing medium damp but never wet - these orchids are epiphytes or semi-terrestrials, so waterlogged roots will quickly lead to rot.
Water in the morning when able, avoiding the heat of the day in Summer and cold night time temperatures in Winter. In Winter, also remove any saucer from under the pot, as trapped water will cause root rot.
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As a general seasonal guide:
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Spring through to Autumn: water regularly, around twice a week.
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Summer and during hot weather: water daily, including the foliage.
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Autumn: water every 2-3 days.
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Winter: reduce watering to once a week/fortnight.
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Late-Winter/Early Spring: gradually increase watering frequency to once/twice a week.
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Adjust the schedule to suit your actual conditions, such as rain, wind and how quickly your particular growing medium dries out.
Humidity
Cymbidium will grow happily without any special humidity conditions. Additional humidity during the heat of summer is beneficial to cool plants, keep plants hydrated, and reduce the risk of leaf burn.
Air Movement
Just as we appreciate opening a window for fresh air, orchids enjoy gentle air movement at all times. If you feel comfortable, so too do the orchids!
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Since Cymbidium tolerate a wide variety of conditions and can grow outdoors in Sydney, they appreciate a gentle, constant breeze. If you are growing in an enclosed space, such as a greenhouse, make sure to open windows or provide an air circulation system.
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As Cymbidium appreciate a high light environment to grow and flower well, good air movement can help to cool plants on hot Summer days to avoid head stress and leaf burn.​
Air movement also helps to prevent rot and fungal growth, particularly during the cooler months.
Fertilising
​Cymbidium are moderate to heavy feeders and need to receive good amounts of fertiliser during growth to support development of their large flower spikes. A regular feeding program of a balanced fertiliser (12-12-12) pays off, and should also include occasional trace elements and calcium to help promote strong flower spikes.
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Remember: weakly weekly!
(It's better to fertilise lightly every week than to feed heavily once a month)
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There are many commercially available fertilisers that all work in differing ways:
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Slow release granular fertiliser releases a small amount of nutrients over a long time (3-6 months) to ensure your orchid is always fed.
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Liquid and dissolvable fertilisers provide water-soluble nutrients directly accessible to your orchid, giving them an immediate boost. Many are fortified with seaweed solution as a plant health tonic.
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Organic fertilisers, such as blood and bone, are not recommended for orchids as they require soil microbes to break down their chemical structure before a plant can use the nutrients.
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Always start at 1/4 to 1/2 strength of the commercially recommended dose to avoid fertiliser burn.​​​
Repotting
​How often you repot depends on your growing medium. A mix with sphagnum moss retains more moisture and breaks down faster than a mix of orchid bark, charcoal, and perlite.
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As a general rule, repot Cymbidium every 3 years, both to refresh the medium before it breaks down and rots, and to give the plant room for continued lateral growth.
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Repot Cymbidiums ideally as soon as possible after flowering has finished. Avoid repotting in summer, as this causes unnecessary stress. After flowering, remove the old spikes and check whether the plant has become pot-bound before deciding to repot.
Consider whether your plant is best suited for 'potting-on' into a larger pot (best for small plants and seedlings), or whether it is better to divide (best for established, mature plants) so to give your plant more room to grow.
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Never reuse old compost.
Sterilise all tools and any pre-used pots with bleach or a sugar soap concentrate before use.
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Once a plant and its pot become too large to handle, it's time to divide rather than just pot on. Use a sharp, sterilised tool to divide the plant, leaving groups of at least 3–5 bulbs together per division. Aim for the higher end where possible.
Discard any old, brown or soft bulbs, and remove any dead husks from around the back bulbs, as these harbour pests such as scale. Remove any dead roots, particularly from old back bulbs.
Repot each division in separate pots. Expect a delay before flowering after dividing, as plants will need to regain their strength to produce their spectacular displays.
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Use a medium bark mix, around 8-15mm diameter for mature plants, to let roots breathe but still remain moisture. Most commercially prepared Cymbidium bark mix is satisfactory, but be cautious of generic supermarket brands, which are often inferior quality. The mix should be open, well-aerated and free-draining, while still holding a reasonable amount of dampness. If water pools on the surface after watering, the mix has become too dense or broken down and it's time to repot. If the mix feels too heavy, add some larger bark and/or perlite to open it up and improve drainage.
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After potting or dividing, water well, then move the plant to a cool, shady position for one to two weeks to recover, watering sparingly during this recovery period.
Orchid Care Sheet
Want to keep track of your own orchid's specific needs? Download our printable Orchid Care Sheet, a handy template for recording everything from watering and temperature preferences to potting, fertilising, and flowering habits. Perfect for building your own personal care journal as your collection grows, or for jotting down notes from a Grower's Group chat at our next meeting.
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