Vanda Orchid Help - 2 orchids--1 is great, the other is not

[NCOrchids]

I have 2 vanda orchids. They are the slatted type. Both are hanging in an indoor sunny location and they get a water dunk (10 seconds?) every day. One of them is actively adding roots and is about to bloom, so it is doing well. The other is not growing much at all--no new roots or stems.
When I purchased the vandas, one was in great shape with good roots and the other had thin roots, some of which were dead. The vanda that is doing well now is the one that I bought in poor shape and the one that looked good then has not grown or changed much at all. There is a quarter sized brown spot along the stem of that orchid. It is about 1/2 inch deep into the stem. The spot has not gotten any worse in months, but I wonder if that orchid is trying to heal that area. One leaf died there about a month ago. Should I buy something to coat or seal that brown spot? I also thought I might be overwatering the orchids--I would allow them to soak in the water for an hour or so every couple of weeks with short daily soaks, but now I have cut back to just quick daily soaks. I fertilize the orchids about one time per month. Any help is appreciated!

[aliceinwl]

I don’t know what your humidity is like, but a 10 second dunk seems way too short. I have 3 indoor Vandas and I’m doing overnight soaks daily. They’re growing roots and leaves constantly.

I’ve also found that Kelpmax has a dramatic effect on Vandas: a soak in it causes dormant roots to start growing and branching in short order. Kelpmax and more water may kickstart growth in your struggling plant.

A picture of the brown spot might help people give more informed advice on that issue, but, at a minimum, I’d try to keep the spot dry.

[NCOrchids]

I thought they needed a lot of water as well, so originally I really soaked them and or watered them twice a day. Once I saw the brown spot and a leaf died in that area (pictured), I was afraid I had given them too much water. The brown spot is about the size of a dime after looking at it closely. As you can see, the orchids live in my bathroom, so they get quite a bit of humidity from showers. In the winter, it can be colder in there, but never below 65 and usually about 70. In the summer, it is warmer. They get a lot of sun in the morning. The other vanda is doing great. The only difference between them is that the other vanda is in a basket. When I first got it, the roots were so scrawny, I could fit them through a slatted basket. The vanda pictured has stiffer roots and when I tried to get it in a basket, it appeared that I would damage it quite a bit. I can increase the water again while avoiding the brown spot. I will try to find the Kelpmax--thank you!!

[aliceinwl]

Hopefully someone who has dealt with something similar can chime in with advice about the brown spot. I suspect your Vanda in a basket is doing better because the basket retains some water from the dunk increasing the time the roots within have to absorb water.

I also have my Vandas hanging bare root in my bathroom window. Mine are smaller than yours so it was pretty easy to find suitable sized cups that I keep full of water and plop them in overnight. I started out just soaking them for an hour or two, but upped it to overnight since that was easier for me.

The only time I saw any trouble was when I let the roots stay wet for over 48 hours by letting the tip of one root stay in a small cup of water. The root got a few small black spots.

I think Ray is the only Kelpmax retailer, you can buy it on Amazon or look for one of his posts on here and follow the link in his signature. It’s handy to have on hand. I dose my Vandas every few months and use it on any rescues, struggling plants, or divisions that I want to jump start root growth on.

[Ray]

What I see is a large, heathy plant with a marginal root system.

All those leaves provide a lot of surface area for water loss, so it needs much more watering that it is getting.

The brown area doesn’t look all that concerning. Just keep an eye on it to see if it grows.