QuestionI have several cymbidium orchids in my yard which buds quite often but the flowers never bloom. The buds fall off/die before it can bloom. I water twice a week and fertilize with miracle grow. My cymbidiums gets full morning sun and the plant seems quite healthy
AnswerSharyn, since you have several plants, you can experiment a bit. Try moving one where it will get more sun. Cymbidiums can take a lot of light-- even direct sun and some need it to flower. If the leaves are a rich green, they probably are not getting enough sun. Another possibility is that you are feeding the cymbidiums with a high nitrogen fertilizer. A plant food with high nitrogen will have a higher first number (eg 30-10-10.). Feeding with a high nitrogen plant food signals the plant to enter a new growth cycle. Try a plant food called a bloom booster which has a higher second number which reflects phosphorous content (eg 10-30-10). The third possibility leading to bud blasting is low humidity. My gut feeling is that this is unlikely where you live but, I know, even areas close to a body of water can suffer from dry periods.