It is this time of the year around March and April in the southern part of the world, when cymbidium orchids will start to grow spikes. When they are still small, it will be hard to tell if the spikes are going to be flowers or new bulbs/leaves. When the spikes are big enough, the ones that are new growths/bulbs will split into green leaf-points. The ones that will be flowers will grow fatter and fuller as the inside contains new flower buds.

Cymbidium Flower Spikes (Hopefully!)

Most of our cymbidiums are having spikes, even the ones that I just divided and repotted few months ago. The spikes are still too small to tell what they are going to be, but all the same, it is very exiting.

Two of the back-bulbs (pseudo-bulbs) that I put in small pots surprisingly have grown new spikes and I am sure they will be new growth/leaves. Those ugly and crinkled looking back bulbs that look very old and half -dead, in fact are still full of nutrition and energy to grow into new plants. Growing new orchids this way need a lot of patience as it will take at least 3 years before the new plant will bear flowers.

Back Bulb and a New Growth

The other orchids, the native Australian dendrobium is also growing tiny flower buds and the miltonias that I just bought some time ago are still flowering.

Spotty Purple and White Miltonia

Miltonia sp.