# Cymbidium goeringii show



## KyushuCalanthe (Mar 29, 2010)

I went to an orchid show yesterday featuring mostly Cymbidium goeringii, a native of Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan. The range of colors and forms is pretty amazing in this species. Here is just a taste of what I saw.

Standard green form in Japan (in my garden to contrast with what's to follow)







Lighter colored 






Orange 











Red 






Yellow 






Bold colors






Unusual shapes and colors











Variegated leaves






Growing this species isn't so difficult, but flowering them as well as you see here isn't straightforward. Among other cultural tricks, you have to put little opaque caps over the flower buds in fall so that green color doesn't develop in the buds during winter and obscure the oranges, reds, and yellows. You also have to be willing to part with a big chunk of money to buy the nicer ones. All the plants you see above would demand prices of certainly no less than $100 for a small clump and up to $1000 for the more unusual varieties. Moreover, you have to buy a plant in person to ensure it is a good clone since variation within one specified type can be large. To wit, this species is a tough one to handle unless you are a very serious collector.


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## JeanLux (Mar 29, 2010)

I am no cymb. fan, but goeringii is sure making an exception here! I really like your flower Tom, very nice shape and coloring IMO!!! Of course those others are really pretty, esp. the one with 'besseae' colors!!! Jean


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## smartie2000 (Mar 29, 2010)

I love the reds and oranges! That second orange i love because of its peachy tones that fade into green.
But these reds and oranges are near impossible to get


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## Jorch (Mar 29, 2010)

Thanks for sharing! I agree with Fren, the red and oranges are gorgeous!!


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## Dido (Mar 29, 2010)

All kinds are beautifull. Thanks for shariung the pictures with us. 

Was at the show cold hardy ones too?


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## toddybear (Mar 29, 2010)

I wonder what is the key to blooming? I've had one 2 years and still no blooms.


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## KyushuCalanthe (Mar 29, 2010)

Yes, they are very beautiful flowers especially when displayed "Japanese style" in a fancy pot, etc. It is pretty easy to find plants here, it is just the prices that will knock your socks off. The really nice ones start around $200-$300 US for a small clump and go up from there. For example, there was a beautiful rare salmon pink form at the show that really caught my eye - clear colors, nice shape, and large flowered - price? ¥70,000, a little over $750 US at current exchange rates - too rich for my blood! Even the so-so ones fetch between $50-$100 US.



Dido said:


> Was at the show cold hardy ones too?



Not quite sure what you mean Dido. This species is probably the most cold hardy Cymbidium species. I've found that the Chinese plants tend to flower early (February-March) and perhaps are a bit more tender than Japanese/Korean forms. BTW, the red/orange/yellow flowers usually are Japanese or Korean origin.



toddybear said:


> I wonder what is the key to blooming? I've had one 2 years and still no blooms.



Todd, if you have a typical green form or one of the mulitflowered Chinese forms, they bloom pretty reliably if you grow them very warm and moist in the summer (25-30 C with no strong cool down at night, constant high humidity). Around August start to dry them off a bit, but don't cool them yet. Also stop feeding at that point. It is this time that they form the flower buds and if you give them too much water and fert they won't set any buds. Come winter keep them brighter and dryish. Once the flower buds start to grow in late winter, resume watering, but wait for May to get them into full growth cycle.

I've heard many northern European growers complain these are hard to flower. I think the biggest issue is not enough summer warmth. Perhaps that is your problem too - these are not cold growing plants, they just like a cool down in winter. Also, grow them in pure fine pumice or the like - no bark or soil of any kind.


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## Leo Schordje (Mar 29, 2010)

Thanks for the culture tips Tom, I have a couple of Korean clones and a couple Chinese clones of goeringii. I have had trouble flowering them, even though I have had them over 10 years. 

If you have time, a few photos of whole plants, showing how the foliage behaves, it might be nice to add them to the thread. My understanding is (I could be wrong) that the Japanese exhibit these classed on:
Foliage - straight, arching or full half curve, etc & foliage variagation type - margin, central, banding, tip or basal variegations, etc. 
Flower shape - normal triangular, plum blossom shape, clam shell, peloric, narrow petals, and a few other shapes that I forget. 
Flower colors you have covered pretty nicely. 

I was amazed, but the Japanese fascination with goeringii seems almost as detailed and elaborate as their traditions around Neofinetia. 

Thanks
Leo


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## Yoyo_Jo (Mar 29, 2010)

Beautiful colors! I sure like that varigated plant :drool:


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## SlipperFan (Mar 29, 2010)

Interesting. I never knew...


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## nikv (Mar 29, 2010)

I love all of them!


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## ncart (Mar 29, 2010)

Tom, they are absolutely beautiful. 

My Mom in Japan literally flipped out when I told her I am growing Neos and Cym. goeringii. I guess it is a well-known expensive hobby in Japan, too.  She did not believe me that the goeringii was a gift from my friend, Jason Fischer. 

I don't know if I am doing right. My goeringii is not doing anthing at all. I have not killed it yet. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Don't tell Jason.


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## KyushuCalanthe (Mar 30, 2010)

Leo Schordje said:


> Thanks for the culture tips Tom, I have a couple of Korean clones and a couple Chinese clones of goeringii. I have had trouble flowering them, even though I have had them over 10 years.
> 
> If you have time, a few photos of whole plants, showing how the foliage behaves, it might be nice to add them to the thread. My understanding is (I could be wrong) that the Japanese exhibit these classed on:
> Foliage - straight, arching or full half curve, etc & foliage variagation type - margin, central, banding, tip or basal variegations, etc.
> ...



Leo,

Yes, for sure growers make all kinds of distinctions about leaf form and color as well as variations in flower form. Like everything Japanese, it gets complicated quickly. Flower segments can be rather angular or very rounded or somewhere in between. Monstrous forms exist as well - not exactly pretty, but interesting. 

Here are a couple typical leaf forms, pretty standard IMO, but I'm no expert: 









Others have a more dwarf habit like this one:






Some have very narrow, long leaves also. These are truly small plants, not standing more than a 18" tall at most and many are much shorter. Japanese forms flower one per stalk, but many Chinese plants can have multiple flowers per stalk. 

Trying to follow all the in's and out's of a particular group of plants in Japan is a real cultural experience. Among orchids Neofinetia falacata and Dendrobium moniliforme are the most known in the west, but others include Ponerorchis graminifolia, Cymbidium karan, and of course the cool growing hybrids of Calanthe - those have become so complex that even the growers have a hard time IDing a plant just on sight alone.

As for me, C. goeringii will remain a bit of an enigma since it requires a little too much maintenance compared to Neos and D. moniliforme. I have a small collection of around 10 plants, but I'm in no rush to increase that number. My bank account says "Whew!" Locally, the wild green forms abound in the surrounding mountains and grace many a garden.


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## luis (Mar 30, 2010)

*Thank's so so much!*

Oh Tom thank you so so much for all that you teach us. I'm a very big fan of them, but there isn't much information about it's culture. I'm new on growing them and i'm in Portugal... what culture informations you can give me to gow them well here?


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## TyroneGenade (Mar 30, 2010)

Thanks for all the eye-candy, Tom. I wish I had even the plain green form which abounds in the mountains. I have a flask of lianpan on the way (see http://theorchidhunter.blogspot.com/2010/03/cymbidium-goeringii-var-lianpan-linfahn.html ). This species is now regarded as a variant of goeringii var tortisepalum.

The red, orange and yellow forms are stunning. I bet they would cost and arm and leg and probably a kidney as well.


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## Leo Schordje (Mar 30, 2010)

Thanks Tom. Good to know the wild populations are still fairly strong in Japan too.


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## NYEric (Mar 30, 2010)

Jason Fischer had some including the Orange, Red, and Yellow for sale last year, maybe if I ...


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Mar 31, 2010)

So....how likely am I to bloom the one in my yard? It survived the winter.....


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## KyushuCalanthe (Mar 31, 2010)

luis said:


> Oh Tom thank you so so much for all that you teach us. I'm a very big fan of them, but there isn't much information about it's culture. I'm new on growing them and i'm in Portugal... what culture informations you can give me to gow them well here?



Luis, keep them in bright shade in the summer months with lots of warmth (25C+) - water and fertilize regularly and keep them humid. In late summer back off on the water a little, and stop fertilizing. This is when they set their flower buds for the next spring. In winter keep them cool and on the dry side, but not dry. In March begin to warm them and when the flower buds start to grow water them more and more. These are basically woodland plants and so should be handled like that. Oh yes, deep containers are best with some root restriction to help the flowering. I use pure inorganic media - just like Japanese growers.



TyroneGenade said:


> I have a flask of lianpan on the way (see http://theorchidhunter.blogspot.com/2010/03/cymbidium-goeringii-var-lianpan-linfahn.html ). This species is now regarded as a variant of goeringii var tortisepalum.



I saw lots of the "lianpan" plants at the Tokyo show. Here is one:






I agree that this is not C. goeringii. All Japanese and Korean C. goeringii have single flowers only. Also, this flower's habit and color is totally different. Anyway, these are usually relatively cheap here - in fact I passed up a really nice one the other day simply because I don't want to look after more Cymbidiums! Japanese plants always command a bigger price than foreign stuff, even if the plants are nearly identical. Why? I think just because it is Japanese!




NYEric said:


> Jason Fischer had some including the Orange, Red, and Yellow for sale last year, maybe if I ...



He'd be the man to ask Eric...but beware the prices, they will kill you. Also, I'm not sure how this species will respond to apartment growing. You can try,but I don't think it will like it much. 



Eric Muehlbauer said:


> So....how likely am I to bloom the one in my yard? It survived the winter.....



Eric, it may! Keep it warm and moist all summer. Critical with this species is drainage....and lots of it. In the wild they grow almost as lithophytes and usually on strong slopes. In the fall if you see a little bulbous grey-white growth at the base of the plant, then you've got a flower bud for next spring. The trick then is to keep it alive over the winter. Even in your relatively warm area I'd give it some kind of protection in winter...but not heavy mulch. Maybe a little tent structure or the like.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Mar 31, 2010)

I mulched it with yew branches this winter....uncovered the plant about 2 weeks ago. Some black leaves, but the plant itself seems OK....


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## luis (Apr 1, 2010)

*Thank's!!!*

Thank you very very much Tom. I think i had make it right because they are flowering very well... i will post it soon. :wink:


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## NYEric (Apr 1, 2010)

thanx for the info.


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## Linh (Apr 1, 2010)

Love the pictures, Tom! Can you please tell me what kind of pumice the Japanese growers use. Is it a mixture of Akadama + Huga? Kanuma + Akadama? All 3?? Do you know? 

Also, when they are grown in pure Japanese pumice, how often do they water in the summer if, say, RH is about 60 - 70%? 

I have all mine in Kanuma but guess I'm not really sure when to water. 

How often should they be fertilized if grown in the Japanese pumice?

Help! Thanks


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## KyushuCalanthe (Apr 1, 2010)

Eric,

Sounds like they are still a bit too exposed. I'd give them more protection next winter - a minigreenhouse or the like.



Linh said:


> Love the pictures, Tom! Can you please tell me what kind of pumice the Japanese growers use. Is it a mixture of Akadama + Huga? Kanuma + Akadama? All 3?? Do you know?



Tracy,

You know, I'm not sure the blend I use since I get it already mixed. I wouldn't use akadama because it is too water retentive. Any baked clay or small pumice will do. I grow the normal green forms in pure kanuma and they do great, but they are pretty easy. 



> Also, when they are grown in pure Japanese pumice, how often do they water in the summer if, say, RH is about 60 - 70%? I have all mine in Kanuma but guess I'm not really sure when to water.



Hmm, every few days? Mine grow outside and during high heat (30 C+) I water every other day or so. During the growth cycle they should remain evenly moist, but the media should have sharp drainage.



> How often should they be fertilized if grown in the Japanese pumice?



I fertilize once they finish flowering with a low N-P-K with micronutrients every couple weeks or so at full recommended strength. Some folks use organic pelletized fertilizer - also low N-P-K. Fish emulsion would be fine too. Come mid August I stop all fertilizer. If you give them too much loving at the end of the year they won't set buds, they'll just keep growing and growing. The easier green varieties are not so picky though.



> Help! Thanks



Yer welcome.


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## wonderlen3000 (Apr 15, 2010)

I really really love the orange and red color. Must be pretty expansive. Too bad non of the vender in north america sell them.


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## davidbgeiger (Feb 1, 2020)

Does anyone have any divisions of cold hardy forms forms available? for purchase or trade? Thanks. David [email protected]


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