vanda replacements.

[bil]

OK, had a chill in the greenhouse after watering and my vandas have been badly hit, lot of root and leaf loss, and I am worried that they will die.
If I replace them they will take a couple of years to flower, or else cost a small fortune.
So, here is the 64,000 dollar question.

Conditions in the greenhouse where they live 24/7 range from the high 40s in summer to 11 or on a harsh night 10C. What would you suggest to replace them with that is a bit better suited to those temp extremes, but will give a good show of flowers??

[Roberta]

Bil -
First, welcome back! We're missed you!
Which Vandas? Most should be able to tolerate those lows, but I can see where if they were wet they may suffer. But probably will come back, may cost a year of blooming.
Staying in the Vanda alliance, pretty much anything with Neof. falcata will be cold tolerant to that level or below. Also many of the Ascocendas (depending on which Ascocentrum species are in there, but most are at least somewhat cold tolerant) And for Vandas, those with significant amounts of V. coerulea, V. tricolor (suavis), V. cristata, V. roeblingiana are cold-tolerant almost down to freezing (I have all of these species growing on my patio) It's the gorgeous ones with lots of V. sanderiana in them that tend to object to the cold. So just may need a bit of research to pick out the tougher ones.

[Fuerte Rav]

Hi Bil
Sorry to hear your vandas have taken a bit of a hit. I did wonder how you were getting on when I saw the temps over on the peninsular! I guess you aren't in the area where it went to -25C?
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that most of your plants will survive and surprise you with wonderful blooms this year.

[Fairorchids]

I agree with Roberta's comments. For your conditions (with low temps to 10C), the species mentioned are fine (I would add V. lamellata also). In the large hybrids, stay with blue colored (high % coerulea/low % sanderiana).

Also, consider intergeneric hybrids. Those with Rhynchostylis coelestis in the background are OK with your temperature range.

[Orchidtinkerer]

I think it comes with a bit of variance what Vanda's can tolerate, if I see any are struggling I generally move those warmer.
V. Denisoniana and V coerulea can handle the cold well but I moved a denisoniana hybrid since it stopped growing at 10 C.
V Pumila can handle the cold, Lou Sneary is a cross between Falcata and R. coerulescens so should be good, I let mine go down to 13 C

If they don't warm up by a good 10 degrees C during the day then the colder temps will be more harsh, ie a vanda with constant cold temps will not do well, probably worse than another that experienced even colder night temps but warmer day temps. Sun warms the best so in cold spot make sure the sun warms them as much as possible during the day.

[bil]

Thank you all for the kind words and for the suggestions. It's always a pain in the whatsits when specimen plants that you have had for years take a hit.

As for temps, no we aren't in the central areas of Spain where the temps seesaw far worse than here. Also, if the sun comes out the temp can soon climb to 24C.