Help need with this poor Vanda

[Rosiefuture]

Hi all, I've had this poor orchid for as long as I can remember, probably 8-10 years, and it's always looked awful and it's never flowered. I'm pretty sure it's part of the Vanda alliance but it's never had a label and I can't remember where I got it from. I've had it in bark, then in a hanging basket with very little media and then bark again. It was probably happiest in the hanging basket and it actually produced a new shoot which I removed and potted up. I did this just incase the parent plant died. I've read on here several times about members growing Vanda's with no medium. I think that's my last shot at turning this poor thing around.

Please, to anyone out there who knows how I can save this poor thing, any help would be appreciated.


Poor thing looks like it's on the mortuary slab!


See how leathery and dehydrated it is?


Also very yellow, but the roots are good.


I've had it outside in this basket with coarse wood chips


Now wondering if I should wire it into the basket with no media and keep it indoors.


The plant in the foreground is the baby from this adult plant, you can see how much better condition it is in.


It's leaves are much greener, shiny and not ribbed and it's roots are very good.



What I need to know is how to look after the parent if I do grow it without media. How often do I water it and fertilize it? Will it flower indoors with good light? Should I also remove the media from the baby? The baby is growing in my kitchen window and is watered weakly/weekly but sometimes it has a plain water drink midweek.

So many questions, lots of help needed!


Marion

[Rosiefuture]

bumping

[britbloke]

I grow my Vanda's in hanging baskets, with a couple of pieces of lava rock/charcoal. They seem to like their roots outside the basket. I spray them twice a day, each time I soak the roots, then go back 15 minutes later and spray again so they're really soaked.
We get frequent heavy rains every day or ever other day, so I fertilize a lot whenever I spray rather than letting the rain soak them. Temperatures are 90+ days, 70+ nights in summer with humidity 70%-90%. I also paint the base of plants with few or no roots with a rooting solution once in a while, until roots start. They get high light, full sun but inside a patio screen. They all seem to do well, even the couple of hardware store plants that had no new roots.
Tony

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

The larger plant is salvageable. It needs water. Growing without media is probably not your answer.

I'd grow it like how you're growing the smaller one.

[britbloke]

I agree with Phillip, the plant is dehydrated, the question is how best to get the roots to re-hydrate it...

[Swamper]

I would go the other way and take it out of that media asap. Next I would hang it upside down. It does look beat but I bet you can fix her up. Then like Tony said water it every day. Even if you are growing it indoors. Get it by a window so it can get some sun.
I guess you will get a lot of different suggestions. Good luck

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Or...

Try getting a clear vase or bowl and submerging the roots only for a few hrs.

[drone]

the larger plant looks a bit sunburn?