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Orchid Rescue: Variegated Cymbidium from Trader Joe's

In this case the Orchid needs to be rescued FROM my care.

About a year ago I bought a couple Orchids at Trader Joe's. One I've left alone, and is doing fine. The other I decided to divide up, unfortunately I didn't really have enough spots with sufficient sunlight to place the divisions, so they have suffered. My climate is probably close to perfect, but without enough sun, they do not do well. They were likely overwatered as well, as they ended up on the same watering schedule as my largely cloud forest plants. And a couple of them got knocked out of their pots at least once (by the squirrels, or perhaps a stray foot). So now I'm looking for someone to give one or more of these guys a better home, before I kill them due to neglect.

The leaves are not strongly variegated, but slightly. There is some speculation online that the Trader Joe's plant (which originated from the Korean-American company Chisan Orchids) might be a variegated sport of the Cymbidium 'Dag', or something similar.

Here's a photo showing both flowers and variegated leaves (a year ago, shortly after i got the plants):



I figured it would be most straightforward if I just showed where the divisions are, roots and all (or what's left of roots):



So if anyone (in the U.S.) wants one or more of these, for shipping, contact me, and we will figure things out. I'm putting them back in pots with bark, for the short term.
 
Bummer. You don't have a sunny spot outdoors? They should do well in your climate outdoors yearround.
 
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Bummer. You don't have a sunny spot outdoors? They should do well in your climate outdoors yearround.

I have the undivided plant which I'm keeping in one of the sunniest spots. No flowers this year.

My growing area is both tiny and heavily shaded, surrounded by walls, fences, buildings, and shaded by trees. It's now heavily shaded by my own plants. Here's a picture before I moved in. The numbers indicate where the few plants are that I squeezed into spots in the ground. There are many, many more in pots...



The in ground plants are as follows:

1) Begonia luxurians (smaller plant, 7 feet tall).
2) Passiflora luzmarina (with first bud!)
3) Passiflora 'Mission Dolores' (P. parritae x P. antioquiensis)
4) Brugmansia "Suncrest vulsa" (sanguinea plus vulcanicola hybrid)
5) Mountain Papaya: Vasconcellea pubescens x monoica (blooming, small fruit?)
6) Bomarea caldasii 'Flare' (blooming)
7) Fuchsia procumbens
8) Rojasianthe superba. Dead--trunk remains.
9) Salvia libanensis
10) Passiflora bogotensis
11) Iochroma fuchsioides
12) Passiflora 'Donna Brigham'
13) Aristolochia gigantea (tiny buds?)
14) P. loefgrenii (blooming heavily)
15) Lapageria rosea, white
16) Passiflora antioquiensis
17) Impatiens flanaganae
18) Begonia foliosa var. miniata
19) Passiflora membranacea

#10 and #19 have not bloomed, although they are big plants, I suspect because of lack of sun. #3 has bloomed several times, but hides its flowers (sometimes literally) in the darkest areas possible, see the arrow. This is probably because it's a hard core cool grower and objects to our summers (averages about 75/55).

I don't get frost (so far). The local neighborhood is at the base of a hill, and because of that geography may in fact be zone 10b. A couple years ago we had what was supposed to be the coldest period since 1990, and Brugmansias nearby were untouched. My growing area is almost certainly zone 10b given all the protection.

#4 is starting to wilt today because of the heat. It's 67 F.
 
Cyms can, by and large, handle light frosts without any problem. Lack of sufficient light could be an issue for blooming. Ideally, over the summer, it should get as much sun as possible -- shoot for leaves with a yellow-green color -- as well as heavily fertilized and watered. Quit feeding in the fall and cut back on the water. Chilly temps will induce spiking so leave it outside away from the warmth of the house walls.
 
Cymbidiums are extremely common plants in Bay Area gardens. Perhaps my sample is biased, but it seems like "everyone" has a couple. They are almost foolproof, with lack of sun being the major problem. My intact plant of this variety, which is in one of my sunniest spots, has dark green leaves. So I really should find a home for that one as well at some point, and free up the limited sun for something else. Most people who grow these plants here never move them--they are easy, carefree plants. They get (enough) sun, but they also get the winter rains, when it is invariably cool (usually 40s and 50s). They do fine, and in a typical winter, the climate is wet (3-5 inches/month) for those several months. In the Bay Area at least (but even in Southern California), I can't imagine proximity to a warm wall would ever be an issue in terms of temperature. For 8 months of the year our average lows are in the 40s. It would take a lot to push the outside temps too high. One would have an extraordinary heating bill if it raised outside temperatures more than a couple degrees.

Minor frost is not an issue for these plants, but it would be silly to describe the conditions of my growing area in detail and not mention the fact that I never get frost.
 
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