How to care Vanda Southern California environment

[aparnamane]

Hello there,

I bought my first Vandas today, other than Vanda (neofinetia) falcata, from home Depo three of them and they have IDs. Wondering what kind of care those need in the Southern California environment? Can I pot them into airy media like bark, lava rock, etc. so I do not need to water them every day or should I keep them as it is in the basket, by googling their names looks like those are kind of compact size will grow 11 to 12 inches in height.

Appreciate the reply.


Thanks.

[estación seca]

If you keep them in baskets they need to be watered every day, even when you're on vacation. Yes, they can be potted. Most people use fairly large particles of media, whether bark, LECA, pumice or scoria/cinders.

[aparnamane]

Thanks for the reply.

I will go for potting them in lava rock and charcoal and see how it works.


Thanks.

[estación seca]

They will probably need more frequent watering than other potted orchids. Pay attention to the plants. If they develop fine linear wrinkles they need more water.

Vandas need much more fertilizer than do most other orchids. Motes Orchids in Florida uses a full tablespoon / 15ml of fertilizer powder per gallon / 3.78 liters of water at every fifth watering.

[aparnamane]

sounds good...thanks for the suggestion.

[PuiPuiMolcar]

I'm from Southern California and I probably got the same depot orchid that you've got.
I put mine in styrofoamt peanutes and chopped sphagmoss and it is thiving, even when I skipped a day or two once in a while. I have another warm growing Vanda in all barks and that one too is doing fine. You can also tuck the roots and bottom half of the vanda in a large plastic bag if you dont mind how awkward it looks but that is a temporary solution to be honest.

[aparnamane]

Originally Posted by PuiPuiMolcar

I'm from Southern California and I probably got the same depot orchid that you've got.
I put mine in styrofoamt peanutes and chopped sphagmoss and it is thiving, even when I skipped a day or two once in a while. I have another warm growing Vanda in all barks and that one too is doing fine. You can also tuck the roots and bottom half of the vanda in a large plastic bag if you dont mind how awkward it looks but that is a temporary solution to be honest.

Thanks for the reply. Could you please give me more details, are you potting in the pot or hanging basket with styrofoam and sphagnum moss? Would you be able to post a photo would be helpful to understand the setup and also are you keeping your Vandas outdoor?

Thanks.