Orchids that you've picked up for free
 

I'm talking about that one forgotten phal in the corner of a store that no one wants. Not even the store manager. I'm talking about bare-rooted orchid scraps that were left over from divisions of plants, lying on the ground or greenhouse benches, waiting to be replanted. I'm talking about scavenging through an orchid show, looking for pieces of plants that are discarded but have the potential to grow into great specimens. That's how I got my Phalaenopsis Sogo Genki and my Cirrhopetalum (from the look of pseudobulb structure and size, mine is most likely lepidum). Did any of you happen to find some of your orchids this way? Feel free to share! :)

Well, I have

- a Phal from my grandma's funeral. After the service, my aunt took all the unclaimed plants over to her house, and the idea was that we (by which I mean my immediate family and whatever other relatives could make it) would meet over there and pick out which plants we wanted, but no one aside from me and my mom actually wanted any of them.

- a Phal that the same aunt gave me to rebloom, because she was worried about killing it

- a vanilla vine that someone at the OS had picked up from the raffle table and then decided she didn't want

I have a nice division of Gongora fulva that I got by making a half joking comment about getting a spare backbulb after seeing a post of it in bloom. Thank you again Dave S!

I visited an incredibly skilled and reputable hobby grower, who had massive specimen plants. I was admiring a specimen of dendrobium longicornu when she walked up behind me, ripped off one of the keikis and just handed it to me. I'll never forget her generosity, and one day when my greenhouse is big, I'll remember to rip off a few keikis for new grower friends.

I have been gifted many plants through this and other forums. I have one now that has finally bloomed that a woman sent me. She got it at her society meeting for free and could never bloom it. She got tired of trying. I have had it 3 years and it has grown like crazy but never bloomed until 3 days ago. And I noticed another spike starting on it!!!

An Ep. hokulea 'Sunset' that I got from the Horticulture department when I was in college. The greenhouse manager received 100 seedlings and killed all but one. He gave me the last one in hopes that it would survive. That one seedling has since turned into 4 mature, blooming size plants :)

I have been gifted loads of divisions, seedlings, cast-off NOID Phals & other NOIDs over the years. I try to return the favor & gift back, or at least "pay it forward" when I can.

Some that come to mind:

Psychilis krugii, Bletia patula, Arachnis flos-aeris, Den. crumenatum, Papilionanthe teres, Oeceoclades maculatii, (all from Kevin_PR on this forum; thanks again!)

Dinema polybulbon

Coelogyne cristata

About 150 or so seedlings of Dendrobium catenatum I am raising now, some recovering from my cat sleeping on them.

NOID Sophronitis (probably a hybrid; I think this is now considered a Cattleya)

Reed stem epidendrum (NOID)

Cymbidium Tommy 'Sweet Lime'

I have a $2 Phal I got from Pet Co. I would see them every time I was there they had been sitting on a dark display near fish stuff for 5 months. One day I said enough is enough I will see if I can get one on discount they were out of bloom and most the others were in bad shape. So I took the best looking one and can't wait to see what the blooms look like.

I also got my miltonia orchid for $3. After a few weeks no other people bought them most were dead and the rest got thrown out. This plant has has 4 new bulbs developing. Cant wait to see the flowers I have no idea what they look like.

It is fun to rescue unwanted orchids.

If trades count then I actually have quite a few. (Trades being a highly favored way of getting plants. :) ) A list of those would be very lengthy.

If not, then I did get a Bc Maikai 'Mayumi' from a friend who couldn't get it to bloom. After 5yrs of not being able to bloom it either, I sent it on to someone else. A NoID phal and nobile type den from a friend who didn't quite manage to kill them as she normally does with plants in her care. The phal did quite well and bloomed nicely for me. Then I donated it to my old os. The den originally had some 8inch or so canes when first purchased & was down to one sickly cane when I got it. Currently up to 4 very small canes and appears to be planning on giving me either a keiki or a couple blooms. Don't think it has quite made up its mind yet. Phal Salu Peoker from a friend who was getting rid of his duplicates. And Onc. chrysomorphum from a vendor at a show as a thank you for helping him pack up his wares.

I have gotten 2 phals from my daughters boss who was not interested in the "after Bloom" plant. Also my Orchid Society did a "divide the plants" day and I got 12 seedlings, pieces, etc.....so that is how I got my Bulbos.