Greetings, and ID help please?

[Maeryk]

Hi!

So, I have two great aunts. One moved, and gave these "orchids" to my other great aunt, who promptly decided they were not orchids, but clearly were day lilies, and repotted them as such. GA#1 was pretty emphatic that they were, in fact orchids. They are now in my Mom's hands, who has tried to repot them into something more orchid-friendly than perlite and miracle-gro potting soil, but they don't seem to be doing too well. Can anyone point me in the right direction to ID them, so I can get them properly potted and in the right environment?

Thank you SO much in advance!

but even pointing at the families that look a lot like lilies, leafwise, would be helpful. I know from phals, but these?

[gnathaniel]

Welcome, Maeryk!

Your plant looks to me like a Cymbidium, but kind of hard to tell. AFAIK most cyms are at least semi-terrestrial so should do okay in an open terrestrial mix. However, I have no experience growing the genus so maybe someone else will chime in...

[Maeryk]

Thank you! I'm relatively new to growing orchids (though I've found once you say you have two that are doing well, you suddenly have 12 half dead ones left on your doorstop in the middle of the night).

the sheer diversity has made it difficult for me to even come close to figuring out what this thing is.. but I think you are correct, now that I can find some good photos to compare to.

[stonedragonfarms]

They are indeed cymbidiums, if you head over to the cymbidium forum and peruse there you'll find extensive culture notes. They will grow well in a variety of mixes, provided that the mix remains moist, but does not compact at the roots or stay wet (think muddy). Where are you at in the US? These do extremely well outdoors for the summer in most of the US, the southwest perhaps being an exception, and can be maintained outdoors year round in much of the coastal west.
Let us know if you need further help, and welcome to the board.
Adam

[Maeryk]

Eastern PA. Thanks for the info!

[WhiteRabbit]

Glad you found us!

Yes - Cymbidiums. The 'bulb' part of orchids (psuedobulb, or pbulb) should not be buried in the potting media. Cymbidum pbulbs can be slightly buried - just the very lower part of the pbulb can be below the surface, but they should be mostly above the surface.
The rhizome should be just below the media surface.
(It's hard for me to tell from your photos if the pbulbs are buried or not)

[Maeryk]

It will be repotted shortly. I don't even have it yet, but we are going to break up the three main "plants" and repot them in medium specifically designed for that plant, probably next week when I got to Mom's.

So, what you are saying is plant it more like a Amaryllis, where the "bulb" (pseudo, obviously) wants to sit above the dirt line, and just the roots and actual corm are below?

[Wynn Dee13]

Orchid pseudobulbs are not like tulip bulbs or amaryllis bulbs. Orchids grow their roots from the bottom of the new growth and the pbulbs are hooked together by a rhizome. Here is a diagram of sympodial orchid growth and monopodial orchid growth. Cymbidiums are sympodial.sympodial orchid growth anatomy - Google Search So yes, you plant them above the medium. Just the roots bellow and you want to try and not bury the rhizome too deep. Cymbidiums don't have corms either. Some terrestrial orchids might but I'm not sure.

[WhiteRabbit]

Not like any bulb plant at all - tho I get what you are saying in the amaryllis comparison. But orchids are not 'bulb plants'. I actually don't usually bury Cym pbulbs at all, but have them just at the surface of the media like my other orchids with psuedobulbs - but, most info I have read about potting Cyms does say to bury the VERY lower part - like the bottom 1/4 or less.

[silken]

If you divide the plant into too many pieces, it could take several years for it to bloom. You should leave 3 or 4 back bulbs (old bulbs) with a new growth since only new growths will bloom and need some supporting pseudobulbs. It's nicer to leave a few new and old growths together and with luck you could have several bloom spikes on one plant.