Vanda blooming but...

[Irisha99]

Hi,
My beautiful blue vanda is blooming and I am so super happy and excited. I had it for two years. It skipped last year and didn’t bloom for me maybe because it didn’t have sufficient root system at that time. Now it looks much healthier and has quite a few good roots however it only has one flower. I wonder why? Is it not enough fertilizer (using 20-10-20 diluted to about 1/3 strength),light(she is in the east facing window), water(watering daily by submerging in a bucket of water for 30min+) or its relatively small size? My other vanda bloomed in March and had 9 flowers. Posted pictures of her now and when purchased 2 years ago. Thanks!

[Ray]

Give it more light and more time to recover.

[Fairorchids]

Still a very young plant. And, as Ray said, it needs more light (southern exposure)..

Not sure where in NY you are, but here in NJ I used to put my Vandas outside on Memorial Day, under a lattice cover. After 10 days, I removed the cover, and left plants in full sun. BUT, in order to have the Vandas in full sun, I watered twice daily (10 AM & 1 PM), and fertilized every 7-10 days.

I would bring them back inside on or about Oct 1st, depending upon night time temperatures (they do not like less than 55F).

[Irisha99]

Thank you Ray and Fairorchids. Just checked my compass lol and I have south west facing window not east. That’s probably the best I can give them. I am afraid to take them outside for the fear of critters in my back yard. Last time I took them I had a bunch of ants crawling up and down my plants. I didn’t like that at all. I fertilize all my Vandas once a week by spraying their roots with 20-10-20 urea free fertilizer diluted to about 1/3 strength after watering them. Should I make it more concentrated maybe? Thanks so much!

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Irisha99

I fertilize all my Vandas once a week by spraying their roots with 20-10-20 urea free fertilizer diluted to about 1/3 strength after watering them. Should I make it more concentrated maybe? Thanks so much!

"1/3 strength" is meaningless. One-third of what?

When I was in PA, the vandas were hung up high in the greenhouse, and were my shade for the plants below. When actively growing, they received a 25 ppm N solution daily. For your fertilizer formula, that would be about 1/10 tsp/gal. Since you feed once a week, I'd recommend no more than 1/2 tsp/gal, which is about 125 ppm N, while the plants are actively growing.

DO NOT Water first, then feed. Watering saturates the velamen on the roots, greatly reducing their ability to absorb the nutrient solution, pretty much eating the treatment. Yeah, they'll get a little, but very little. As long as the fertilizer solution isn't too concentrated, no damage will. Occur.

[Irisha99]

Thanks Ray. The instruction on my fertilizer says to use 1 tsp. When I said I use 1/3 strength I meant I did only 1/3 tsp. I read it somewhere I am sure that one shouldn’t fertilize without first watering the plant. So do I fertilize and then water? Or fertilize and not water for that day to not wash away the fertilizer? And does it apply to all orchid plants? Because I have been watering then fertilizing for a while. Thanks again

[Swimmingorchids]

interesting about not feeding plain water first as that is what all sources I've come across have suggested.

Seemed like a hassle and counterintuitive so I've never bothered. Just like I never flush my plants so I suppose that advice comes from people overfeeding their plants and thus having to water first and flushing after.

[Irisha99]

There is so much conflicting info out there and it gets quite confusing. Maybe that’s the reason why some of my orchids aren’t blooming?!