seedlings basic questions

[early]

I have two vandas 2 to 3 inches and one zygo 8 to 12 inches
My question is basic seedling care. They look healthy, vandas have air roots, zygo seems to be growing, so I have not looked at the roots. From the size of the Vandas air roots, I have an idea of what is below the bark chips.
How long can I leave the vandas without repotting into S/H. My instinct is to leave them as they are, care same as with Phals, light, humidity and temps. I am keeping the little pots in an under container. The pots have a drainage hole, They sit in some water after I moisten the bark. Do they have the same restriction as the phals to keep water out of crown?

Same care with zygo. I did take some very packed moss out of the pot, returned the seedling to same pot.

I am keeping all three pots more moist than phals. and have left the paper towel on the top of medium on all.

[early]

any vanda or zygopedalum growers with seedling experience. I am a total novice.

[Fairorchids]

I have no experience with S/H. I have always stayed away from this method, since all the plants I have seen grown this way were in pots/containers much larger than those I would use with 'traditional' potting methods.

Both Vandas and Zygos suffer, if they do not have good humidity/moisture around the roots. I grow all small seedlings in mostly spaghnum.

Vandas in my personal collection are all in net pots (3" & 3.1/2" sizes) or baskets (6" & 8" sizes). These are filled with a spaghnum/bark mix (about 80:20), and plants do very well (in greenhouse, watered once a week from Dec to early Mar, then twice a week rest of the year).

I have tried to transfer Zygos to bark mix, when they reached 4" pot size. That was a total failure with my watering schedule, so they are now back in spaghnum/bark mix in plastic pots.

NOTE: If you buy orchids in small clear 'rubber' type pots, with heavily packed spagnum, these are recent imports.

If you want to keep them in that pot, take the spaghnum out, and then put 2/3 of it back in. That will give the pot a firm hold on the plant, while still allowing adequate air flow around the roots.

[DirtyCoconuts]

some good knowledge there /\

you are in a really dry place so remember that with these species. i would try to keep them in a micro climate with plastic pots and such to retain moisture.

your available space and conditions will dictate. if you can place them in SH now, do it..they will adapt to the culture that you want to use earlier and be better for it in the long run.

be aware that both of these genus are root MACHINES and i do not know about them in SH but i imagine they (especially the vanda) would need a pretty big container pretty quickly.

I am finding that SH is a really terrific way to grow many types of orchids but it really is amazing for the vulnerable ones as it maintains the same conditions at almost all times as opposed to the dry and wet cycles in most all other types of culture. i feel like it is ideal for seedlings as long as there is forethought about the long-term plan

[early]

[QUOTE=DirtyCoconuts;915906
you are in a really dry place so remember that with these species.
. if you can place them in SH now, do it..they will adapt to the culture that you want to use earlier and be better for it in the long run.

be aware that both of these genus are root MACHINES and i do not know about them in SH but i imagine they (especially the vanda) would need a pretty big container pretty quickly.

I am finding that SH is a really terrific way to grow many types of orchids but it really is amazing for the vulnerable ones as it maintains the same conditions at almost all times as opposed to the dry and wet cycles in most all other types of culture. i feel like it is ideal for seedlings as long as there is forethought about the long-term plan.I will repot the today into S/H.]

Thanks DC
for the info re root MACHINES. I have some new dollar tree Betty Crocker quart measuring cups. I will put the holes in them and hope they do well.
Do seedlings require the same fertilizer schedule of weakly weekly? I have 20-20-20 and 30-10-10.both orchid specific. Is one of those better for new seedling than the other?

[Ray]

Orchids are not particularly picky about fertilizer, but as nitrogen is, by far, the element they need the most, I’d go with the 30-10-10.

They are also quite undemanding in the amount of fertilizer they need, but should get a small amount regularly. If you feed once a week, I’d recommend 1/4 tsp/gal of the 30-10-10 or 1/3 tsp of the 20-20-20.

[early]

thanks Ray

[early]

another question re the Zygo and my two very small vandas....do they take one or two years to bloom, or less or more?? I am patient, fun watching the Zygo grow so fast. and the two vandas are doing well in semi hydro

I have taken photos and having difficulty uploading from my computer to OB...I need to upload one a day, after I figure it out again, so I will remember how. Previous TBI from my horse to head, that is my excuse and I am sticking to it.