Vanda flowers and bulbs drying before time - Orchid Board

VeronicaUlloa · #1 10-19-2019, 09:48 AM

Hello my orchid people. I'm having a very hard time keeping my Vanda happy. It was given to me just a few weeks ago and it seems to be drying up. What am I doing wrong? The Vanda had two flower spikes, one with bulbs still waiting to bloom but instead of blooming they started falling off. Now the Spike is turning yellow very quickly and I can't seem to find a way to reverse this. Please help!

Paphluvr · #2 10-19-2019, 03:28 PM

I'd say enjoy the remaining flower stem. Sometimes when moved to new growing conditions (different light, changes in humidity and temperature) buds will blast. The yellow stem will not rebloom. Otherwise, the plant looks very healthy.

VeronicaUlloa · #3 10-19-2019, 04:07 PM

Thank you for the info. I was starting to worry I was watering wrong or didn't have it in the right place. I appreciate the advice.

DeaC · #4 10-21-2019, 12:16 PM

Looks good to me and nice color. I've gone the way of sev. OB members who have had success with vase culture. Never thought I'd be successful but the 4 out of 6 in a vase bloom and I just need to find more vases for the rest. Those roots are challenging to deal with!

VeronicaUlloa · #5 10-21-2019, 12:24 PM

I have thought about vase culture but this vanda is so very large - I can't imagine the vase I'd have to buy just to keep her happy and balanced. How do you balance them in a vase? Also, she seems to be stuck to a plastic basket inside a ceramic pot. I'm hoping to try to get her out of them sometime in the future.

Roberta · #6 10-21-2019, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VeronicaUlloa

I have thought about vase culture but this vanda is so very large - I can't imagine the vase I'd have to buy just to keep her happy and balanced. How do you balance them in a vase? Also, she seems to be stuck to a plastic basket inside a ceramic pot. I'm hoping to try to get her out of them sometime in the future.

Don't try to remove the plastic basket... you'll destroy roots, and there is no need. if you need to remove the clay pot to get it into a vase you could break it... but much better to leave it alone. Just pop the whole thing into the "next container". If you possibly can, best to continue to grow it bare-root. Just water well... even soak in a bucket (but don't use the same water for other plants... sharing water can share diseases) Vandas need to grow with roots exposed. If you use a vase or other container, it's still bare-root, just with a little better humidity maintained around those beautiful roots.

jpope42 · #7 10-21-2019, 01:57 PM

The same thing happened to a couple of my Vandas. I bought them in bloom but they lost buds within a few days and the spikes deteriorated, turned yellow and died within a couple of weeks. The plants are doing great now, several moths later so you should be good.

VeronicaUlloa · #8 10-21-2019, 02:26 PM

You all seem to know so much about Vanda's maybe I can get some help on these three... See attached pictures. The first larger one was abandoned with only two dried up roots which I think I made a huge error in removing. The two keikis were also attached and I thought it would be better at surviving without them draining her. Problem is now none of them grow roots or sustain themselves.

I tried some KLM on the bigger one and I think I see a bump but it's looking like it's drying.

The small one with the green root is in a small vase with a film on top to keep moisture in but that's how I had the one with the brown root and well, it turned brown.

What can I do? Is there and hope?

Roberta · #9 10-21-2019, 02:38 PM

Removing the keikis was the wrong thing to do... far from "draining" the mother plant, they were a survival attempt... when the central part of a monopodial orchid (single growth point) like Vanda or Phalanopsis is dying (or is stressed to the point that it senses the danger of doing so) it will produce those basal keikis, which in time will develop roots... and the main plant keeps them going. Once removed, especially with no roots, they don't have that reserve energy going for them. A root stimulant (example the KelpMax that Ray sells works particularly well on Vandas, based on other members' reports) might inspire those keikis to grow roots. But lesson learned... ask BEFORE cutting, after will only help for the next time.