question about cymbidium

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Aaron888

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I purchased my first cymbidium street of Gold "Mana" I have no experience with cymbidiums but my question is about the plant I received. When I ordered it the description was "blooming size" So I was kind of expecting a rather large plant but what I received was a single growth that is 15" tall with a pseudobulb the size of a quarter. If that is blooming size than fine, but every cymbidium I have ever seen are rather large plants and it's hard to imagine this plant blooming anytime this year or even in the next couple of years unless it REALLY jumps in size. Any info would be appreciated.
 
That’s not true. You can have the rather large standard Cymbidiums and the smaller compact Cymbidiums. You can get plants in between the two.
If you purchased a standard Cymbidium, it is rather bold of the vendor, to claim it is blooming size. However if a mature tennis ball sized bulb produces a new growth, with good culture, it could bloom. These plants grow to be quite large quite rapidly!!
Compact types just grow to a smaller size.
 
First: I can't absolutely tell you with authority whether or not your plant is blooming size.

What I can tell you is that this hybrid is 25% Cymbidium ensifolium in terms of ancestral species, and C. ensifolium is a smaller growing Cymbidium species. Further, this general type of hybridization is often referred to as miniature Cymbidiums, as the smaller growing species used to produce them will generally reduce the size of these hybrids. These types tend to have smaller sized pseudobulbs and while the foliage size is quite variable (due to genetics and cultural conditions), overall the sizes you described sound reasonable. I don't have this specific cross in my collection of Cymbs, but I have many very similar crosses that I'm basing my judgement on.

Blooming size is an incredibly ambiguous and poorly defined term overall, and it's hard to take it seriously when I see it in listings (without qualifiers as to what the vendor means). Many orchids will bloom precociously (when still otherwise young and immature sized) and certain vendors consider their plants to be "blooming size" if the plants are large enough that a precocious blooming individual has bloomed or could bloom. On the other hand, some vendors really stretch the time frame, and will say that the plant is blooming size if at least some of the plants of that particular size could bloom in the next 12 - 18+ months. There are different thoughts on these definitions and their meaning, as well as the use of terms like "mature size" versus "blooming size", but that's an entirely different debate/conversation.

Having said that, I think that hybrid of the general size you mentioned could probably bloom within the next year, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Typically Cymbidiums bloom most reliably when they have multiple growths, so it's going to be hit or miss and heavily dependent on care and growing conditions as to whether a single growth Cymbidium will actually bloom even if that growth is mature & blooming size. Additionally, the plant is now having to adapt to new growing conditions and care, which could further delay how soon it may bloom.

One thing to consider is that these types of hybrids can sometimes bloom multiple times a year and in different seasons. I don't know about Street of Gold specifically, but these types of Cymbidiums often bloom in the spring, can bloom sporadically in the summer, and then may have another blooming session in the fall.

Keep in mind I'm basing this on a lot of assumptions and sans photographic evidence, so there's definitely margin for error.
 
Thank y'all so much for the info. it makes it much clearer what to expect. I don't mind the wait I have purchased plants in the past knowing it would be years till blooming but when you think something is blooming size and it doesn't bloom than you don't know if its because it's too small or if it's your culture. This gives me an idea what to expect. Thanks again for taking the time to answer.
 

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