Question
Help!  I planted my Cymbidium in dirt - I didn't know. It was a gift and the pot seemed too small, so never having owned one, I repotted it in fertilzed dirt.  The yellow flowers are wilting and falling as we speak. Is repotting in something else the best thing to do? And if so, what?

Answer
Ruby, as long as you don't go heavy on the watering, the plant should be okay for now.  As summer approaches, new growth should start at the base of the plant and that is the time to repot.  Find a bag of orchid potting mix when you repot and use a pot size that the root mass will just nicely fit into. With the orchid potting mix, the plant will have more air space for new roots to form and grow.  New cymbidium growth likes lots of sun and warmth (just be careful to let the plant get adjusted to increasing light levels).  They love to be summered outside and can stay out until temperatures approach freezing. Buds will be set under low temperature conditions in the fall and the plant will like temperatures in the 50's until the buds appear in mid to late winter. While in growth the plants will thrive with lots of water and fertilizer-- that's why its good to have an orchid potting mix which permits rapid drainage.