New Vanda & Cattleya need help!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Once a day. Sometimes twice a day depending on how warm it is.

There are times when I let them go without water for a couple days.

I have a little handmade shelf on the porch railing. Nothing fancy.

My Vandas are currently all potted.

[tucker85]

TinTinGirl, The first thing I would do is find out if there's an orchid society in your area. The members would be the best source of information you could get for growing under your conditions. During the winter the days are short and the plants don't grow much, if at all. A humidity tray near a window might be fine. Direct light through a window during winter time won't be strong enough to burn the plants. In the spring and summer I would take the orchids out on the porch. A few hours of direct sun in the morning or afternoon would be great. You just need to protect them from direct sun in the middle of the day when it's brightest. Put the Cattleyas in the sink and water thouroghly until you think the medium is good and wet. Then wait until it's completely dry before you water again. I water my Catts once a week during the winter. They aren't growing and they don't need much water. I don't grow Vandas but they need water almost daily. You could mist them every day but don't mist the Cattleyas. They also don't need much fertilizer until they start putting on new growth. Here in Florida that's in April. Good luck!

[TinTinGirl]

Tucker, thanks! I will try to locate a local orchid society. I wonder if OB has this kind of information listed here somewhere? Do you keep your Cattleyas indoor at night?

Philip, you mentioned that all your Vandas are potted. I thought they like to hang their roots freely? Are yours potted and sitting on the shelf?

Thanks!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Pics:

[TinTinGirl]

Philip, thanks for the pics, you read my mind

I noticed your pots are clear, I guess the roots need to see light as well?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I prefer they do.

If I haven't mentioned it in this thread before, most epiphytical orchids have roots that are capable of photosynthesizing to some degree or another.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

If you notice the tips of the orchid roots are green, that's a dead give away.

[tucker85]

The Santa Clara Valley Orchid Society (SCVOS) SCVOS is a non-profit organization that meets the first Wednesday of each month at the American Legion Hall at 1504 Minnesota Avenue in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, California. The usual meeting starts at 7:30 pm. The schmoozing starts at about 7:00 pm.

[TinTinGirl]

Philip, thanks! I think having it in a pot would help with the humidity but mine is very big and has lots of long roots, I'm afraid that I will break the roots and kill the plant before I can fit them in a pot though.

Tucker, thanks for the info! I googled and found the same asociation. Too bad, they only meet on weekdays but I will try to make it once in awhile. Maybe I will try to email them first, hopefully they reply to emails.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Another person in the Beginner's Forum has a similar situation as you do with potting Vandas. I suggest checking out the thread "Sick Vanda orchid", and see what her solution was.