Organic Production of Cymbidium Orchids

LC De* and Rakesh Singh

ICAR-NRC for Orchids, Pakyong, Sikkim, India

*Corresponding Author: LC De, Principal Scientist, ICAR-NRC for Orchids, Pakyong, Sikkim, India.

Received: January 29, 2018; Published: March 21, 2018

Citation: LC De and Rakesh Singh. “Organic Production of Cymbidium Orchids". Acta Scientific Agriculture 2.4 (2018).

Abstract

  Cymbidiums are highly valued for genetic resources, cut flowers, hanging baskets, potted plants and herbal medicines. In India, its cultivation is limited to Sikkim and the surrounding region of West Bengal covering Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Mirik. Higher elevations of 1500 - 2000m with cool summer night and monsoonal summer rain are ideal for Cymbidium cultivation. Cymbidiums are propagated sexually through seeds and asexually through division or backbulbs and through micropropagation for production of disease free and true to type plants. Greenhouse with all sides open is suitable for Cymbidium cultivation. A healthy growth growing media should contain leaf mould, coconut husk, tree barks or dry leaf ferns and brick pieces (1:1:1:1). During potting of Cymbidium seedlings in 10 - 12 cm pot, application of dried poultry manure @10g/pot as basal dose and weekly drenching of vermiculture wash (1:20) will help in growth and flowering Cymbidium. Organic manure comprised of mustard oil cake, dried fish and bone meal (8 kg: 0.5 kg: 4 kg) is also beneficial for Cymbidium. A healthy well grown orchid will produce flowers spikes every year and a plant 10 years old can produce from 10 to 20 flower spikes. In Cymbidium, flowers having 75% bloom stage or two buds opened stage with the spike length of 60-90 cm are harvested. In Cymbidium ‘Ensikhan’ and ‘PCMV’, 4% sucrose + 100 ppm salicylic acid and 4% sucrose + 100 ppm Al₂ (SO₄)₃ are used as bud opening chemicals and 2% sucrose + 200 ppm 8-HQS is also used as holding solution.

Keywords: Cymbidium; Orchids

Copyright: © 2018 LC De and Rakesh Singh. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.