Dividing and Repotting
When the potting medium has broken down or the plant is growing over the sides of the pot, it is time to repot your cymbidium. We recommend repotting every 3 to 4 years; large plants may either be divided into muliple plants or kept together and potted up into larger tubs for multispike specimens.
First, take the plant out of the pot and remove the old bark. Cut away any dead or compacted roots from the bottom of the root-ball. Always sterilize cutting tools between plants. If you decide to divide the plant, look for natural divisions which allow three to five-bulb groupings. If the dormant bulbs (back bulbs) can be removed without destroying the strength of the division, remove them. These can be potted up to resprout and bloom in two to four years.
Select a pot size which will allow the plant to grow unrestrained for three to four years. Usually, two inches between the plant and the side of the pot is sufficient. When placing the plant in the pot, position the bulbs so they sit just a little into the surface of medium and so that the newest growth is in the center of the pot, with room to grow. Plants should be potted firmly by pouring the medium around the roots while tapping the sides of the pot and pushing down on the top with thumbs or a potting stick. We use plain fir bark or coconut chips (1/8 to 1/4 inch size) as a potting medium – not soil or potting mixes that hold too much water and don’t allow good air movement around the roots.
Cymbidium 