I’m giving this plant its own thread because it’s very special to me and I’d like to share its story in one place. Many of you have heard it before, in the wonderful “Your Oldest Orchid” thread but now it’s miraculously BLOOMNG and I’m seeking advice on self-pollination and flasking.
My oldest orchid, I cannot consider truly “mine.” In 1970, my beloved Aunt Judy purchased a small division of Cymbidium tracyanum. I believe it to have been wild-collected; at one point we found an old metal tag in the pot that said “Burma.” She said the plant originally came to her bare-root and bedraggled. She built a full greenhouse around this plant and it always sat in the center.
When she passed, nearly two years ago now, my Uncle told me he would be unable to keep up the greenhouse; he’s 88 now. I took what I could, including the C. tracyanum and a large Rhyncostilis gigantea alba that’s about 30 years old (which is just wrapping up its second double-bloom in 9 months!).
The C. tracyanum now weighs about 150 lbs. it has spent two summers outdoors, watered mostly by rain, and one long winter in my living room. I just brought it in for its second winter, this time in my new apartment. I’m very anxious to bring it through.
Judy wouid only repot it every ten years. The mix would long have turned to slop and the plant’s roots and bulbs would bust the nursery pot and make a solid mass inside the terracotta outer pot, then spread across and penetrate the plywood table underneath until they were significantly responsible for holding that table together, until it softened and threatened collapse. Under these conditions, the plant would burst forth annually with over 600 flowers; Judy’s reluctance to repot was due to the fact that it wouldn’t flower at all for up to 5 years after repotting.
I had repotted it for her 5 years before she died and in her last living spring it sent up one lone spike. Of course by then the mix was already mushy so I unpotted it to bring it home. The plant alone weighed over 70 lbs. it appears to be doing well so far but I worry that my indoor light is never going to be enough. I live in a small apartment and the plant takes up significant space but I cannot bear to think of cutting it up. If the right home popped up, I would consider parting with it but the sentimental attachment is stronger than my frustration at having to share space with the beautiful monster. I do have a small division that fell away naturally during the repotting.
Aaaaaand here is, suddenly in BLOOM! I’m thrilled to share these flowers and am asking for advice on how and when to self-pollinate. How many flowers, aftercare, etc. I’d really love to produce flasks of this plant for purely sentimental reasons. I’m also curious if it’d be worth a primary hybrid with C. quiebiense, which also happen I have in bloom at the moment. I know, I know, I don’t do hybrids but…. I guess I’m drunk on Cymbidial delight right now!
Fully, painfully aware of my clutter; it’s been a rough time following a rough move. Onward! Thank you.
My oldest orchid, I cannot consider truly “mine.” In 1970, my beloved Aunt Judy purchased a small division of Cymbidium tracyanum. I believe it to have been wild-collected; at one point we found an old metal tag in the pot that said “Burma.” She said the plant originally came to her bare-root and bedraggled. She built a full greenhouse around this plant and it always sat in the center.
When she passed, nearly two years ago now, my Uncle told me he would be unable to keep up the greenhouse; he’s 88 now. I took what I could, including the C. tracyanum and a large Rhyncostilis gigantea alba that’s about 30 years old (which is just wrapping up its second double-bloom in 9 months!).
The C. tracyanum now weighs about 150 lbs. it has spent two summers outdoors, watered mostly by rain, and one long winter in my living room. I just brought it in for its second winter, this time in my new apartment. I’m very anxious to bring it through.
Judy wouid only repot it every ten years. The mix would long have turned to slop and the plant’s roots and bulbs would bust the nursery pot and make a solid mass inside the terracotta outer pot, then spread across and penetrate the plywood table underneath until they were significantly responsible for holding that table together, until it softened and threatened collapse. Under these conditions, the plant would burst forth annually with over 600 flowers; Judy’s reluctance to repot was due to the fact that it wouldn’t flower at all for up to 5 years after repotting.
I had repotted it for her 5 years before she died and in her last living spring it sent up one lone spike. Of course by then the mix was already mushy so I unpotted it to bring it home. The plant alone weighed over 70 lbs. it appears to be doing well so far but I worry that my indoor light is never going to be enough. I live in a small apartment and the plant takes up significant space but I cannot bear to think of cutting it up. If the right home popped up, I would consider parting with it but the sentimental attachment is stronger than my frustration at having to share space with the beautiful monster. I do have a small division that fell away naturally during the repotting.
Aaaaaand here is, suddenly in BLOOM! I’m thrilled to share these flowers and am asking for advice on how and when to self-pollinate. How many flowers, aftercare, etc. I’d really love to produce flasks of this plant for purely sentimental reasons. I’m also curious if it’d be worth a primary hybrid with C. quiebiense, which also happen I have in bloom at the moment. I know, I know, I don’t do hybrids but…. I guess I’m drunk on Cymbidial delight right now!
Fully, painfully aware of my clutter; it’s been a rough time following a rough move. Onward! Thank you.
