Cambria Orchid
The Cambria orchid is a hybrid with spectacular colors that is becoming very popular. It is not terribly difficult to grow and it excels at the average temperatures in most homes. The Cambria is also known as the Beallera orchid, and its parents include the Odontoglossum, Cochlioda Lindl, Brassia orchids, Miltonia, and Oncidium orchids.
The Cambria is happy when room temperatures are in the 64 to 68 degree range. They do well in a location which is nicely lit but with indirect sunlight. A window with a southern exposure is perfect for them. The Cambria Orchid does not like to have light at root level so a regular planting pot should be used and not a transparent one such as is used with some other species of orchids.
A humidity level that is quite high is needed for this orchid–one in the range of 60 to 70 percent. There should be lots of holes in the planting medium for air circulation and good drying. The planting mixture should look dry before watering. You should give this plant some fertilizer with every third or fourth watering.
When people are having trouble with the Cambria orchid, the reason is most often over-watering. The plant will do much better in a traditional nursery pot with plenty of holes in the bottom than it will do in a more elaborate ornamental pot. If the plant came from the flower shop in an ornamental pot, it is going to be a good idea to repot the plant. An ornamental pot holds in too much water and doesn’t allow for enough air circulation around the roots. The orchid will need repotting approximately every two years. Just make sure your planting mixture is very porous and don’t pack it in the pot too tightly.
The thing that makes the Cambria orchid so popular is that it does not need anything special done in order for it to bloom. If you take good care of it, it will go ahead and bloom all on its own. The plant develops a bulbous at its base from which the flowers will grow. Any number up to four spikes may develop, and because they rise straight up from the base, there is lots of room for the showy flowers to be seen.
The Cambria orchid has remarkable flowers which can come in many mixed colors. Some of these include purple with white, as well as with light and dark reds and oranges with any number of white variations. Once a shoot has stopped blooming, you can remove it from the plant. The orchid will grow new shoots again, and then a hard, green pseudobulb will develop.
In spite of what many websites may say about the Cambria orchid, it does not need to be put away in a cool room or not be watered as often in order for new blooms to grow. This is one of the reasons this plant is so good as a house plant. Just take good care of it in terms of light, water, and a little fertilizer, and it will flower on its own when it is ready again.
