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sugi_c

2 Plant IDs

Hi all,

I sort of "inherited" these plants tonight and I have no idea what they are.

#1 -- technically a lethal weapon (OUCH!):
{{gwi:349638}}

#2 -- big and really floppy:
{{gwi:349639}}

Would love to research more and find out if they're worth keeping.

Thanks for any guidance you can provide!

Grace

Comments (13)

  • alisonoz_gw
    9 years ago

    Well the first one looks like an agave of some type to me and the second possibly an orchid. Is it possible to photograph the second one from the side on so we can see what the basal growth looks like?

  • Sugi_C (Las Vegas, NV)
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I'll get some tomorrow during daylight.
    Thanks, Alison!

  • Sugi_C (Las Vegas, NV)
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Plant 1 at the main stem:
    {{gwi:349640}}

    The thornlike things on the leaves:
    {{gwi:349641}}

    Plant 2 at the soil level:
    {{gwi:349642}}
    {{gwi:200305}}

    Hope that helps ID the plants. Not sure where to start with these...I'm going to repot them and I'm guessing plant 2 needs to be split up?

  • Sugi_C (Las Vegas, NV)
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Oh lordy....these are not roots I know outside of Clivia....
    Now I'm even more lost.

    Help. Lol

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    9 years ago

    The first was correctly ID'd as an agave, perhaps Agave angustifolia. The second is definitely an orchid of some sort but many have similar basal growth and it won't be obvious until it flowers. If it flowers :-)

    Neither plant appears to be in very good shape and I would guess that improperly chosen media and lack of attention after potting is the problem. You may want to visit both the Cacti/Succulents and the Orchid forums to get more specific ID's and repotting and care tips.

    The orchid appears to have a lot of dead roots that could be removed.

  • rosemariero
    9 years ago

    Yes, Agave angustifolia (maybe 'Tequila Sunrise'). I was going to say a type of Phormium on the 2nd, but the close-up pix of the leaves make me doubt myself. If others think orchid because of the roots, I'll defer to them. :)

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    9 years ago

    Looking at the root system, the 2nd one looks like a Cymbidium orchid. They can really flop. Needs to be cleaned up and repotted.

    Agave augustifolia can be very weedy.

  • Sugi_C (Las Vegas, NV)
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you, guys.
    After reading your replies, I looked up how to care of these. Man, that was a huge ordeal -- washing off the roots, figuring out which roots go with which part of which plant, tearing them apart as softly as I could, then giving them all a severe root pruning to get off the dead or rotting or black roots.

    {{gwi:200306}}
    I potted them into two separate, larger pots. I considered for a second potting them all up separately, but that takes up too much real estate...not worthwhile until I see that they will come back from death's door, and eventually bloom.

    Furthermore, one pot took all of the gritty mix I had made, and I'd rather die than make my fifth batch today, so I just potted up the lesser plants into a pot full of Pro-Mix. They'll just have to manage like that.

    I had these two things -- bulbs?:
    {{gwi:349643}}
    What do I do with these? They had roots but they were all bad...and one of them had a green leaf coming out of it but the ends were all dead so I pulled it.
    I've stuck them in a gritty mix for now and watered them in. I've brought them in since I can trust they're cleaner than the leaves, but not sure what I'm supposed to do now.

    Thank you for your help in ID-ing my new accidental plants!
    I plan to repot the agave tomorrow.

  • tolumniamatt
    9 years ago

    Regarding your cymbidium orchid - I hope you did not separate the bulbs with leaves from each other. They'll take longer to flower if you did and you should not have trimmed the leaves. I know they can be a nuisance but the plant really needs all of them. The plant actually looked in pretty good shape but definitely needed repotting.

    Pro-mix will be OK for a year but a more porous mix should be used such as orchid fir bark or better yet - coconut husk chips. Coconut husk chips may be located at a pet store in the reptile aisle, by purchasing online or possibly at a hydroponics store. You do not want coconut coir or coconut peat. These along with promix will hold too much moisture and rot the roots. Fir bark will last 2 years but coconut chips should last at least three

    My best guess is that your cymbidium will have green or white flowers.

    Check out the link below that should help you.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Cymbidium Society of America

  • tolumniamatt
    9 years ago

    More Cymbidium information from a very reliable source.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Cymbidium repotting

  • Sugi_C (Las Vegas, NV)
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Aww, man, tolumnia...wish I had read that yesterday. I did keep some to two separate bulbs/plants stuck together, but some I did tear apart into one bulb below the plant. I also removed the backbulbs (just learned the name of this inactive bulbs) and planted them separately.

    Bummer.

    I guess it doesn't kill the plant, which is good -- and so long as it's healthy and decent to look at, I'm okay with it not flowering. Well, I have to be okay with now, lol.

    The ProMix was just to not make gritty mix again yesterday but I'm going out there after the sun sets a little bit to make more. I'll try something closer to 511, which sounds better for these plants according to that last fabulous article.

    Someone else on the orchid board mentioned that about the leaves. Good to know for next time before I set this plant back by centuries!

    Grace

  • alisonoz_gw
    9 years ago

    I think you've done an exceptional job - congratulations. Esp whipping up some mix at short notice. For future ref if you didn't at the time, cymbidiums planted in terracotta pots often are easier to deal with if you soak them first in a bucket of tepid water for a little while first - it hydrates the roots, makes it easier to get them off the pot - and helps identify dead from living.
    Though I don't grow cymbids (which I'm also pretty sure is what you have) my mum did - and what you have left over is what are called "back bulbs". They are a sort of parent plant - no longer able to flower, but giving their root system to allow an offset/pub/plantlet to develop.
    Similar to what you get with true bulbs and also bromeliads and a lot of rhisome plants like gingers.
    Usually if you repot an orchid like that you put the old backbulb (with no evidence of new nodes) at the edge of the pot with the rest of the pot free for the newer growth at the front to grow into the pot.
    But if your newer bits had independent root systems, I don;t think there will be much harm done even if you wait a little longer for flowers, you may still see flowers sooner than in that old condition. The back bulbs may well produce some new shoots so keep them, too.
    Now fertilizing, a very little often is the rule, so read up on that. Well done.

  • Stush2049 Pitts. PA, zone 6
    9 years ago

    Picture of my Agave Angustifolia Variegata. I no longer have. I gave away due to being too large to take in the house every winter. It was getting to 4 ft. I have seen them alot down Clearwater, Florida. There they cut the leaves to look like roung balls. Also the points are off and elimenate stabing yourself. These Agaves have taken their last pint of blood from me.
    Stush