Growing vandas?

[fishmommy]

I grow them sucessfully (I've even got a double spike brewing right now) in Northern climate but I do it by growing indoors under HPS lighting.

[Kelo]

Thank you very much, Philip, the advice is much appreciated. I may have to alter the height of my kitchen though to accommodate the height they seem to grow to.

[abigaillevans]

I'll interject a quick question -- how cold-hardy are vandas? The thing that's put me off buying them is the potential to have to bring them inside over the winter.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

The species I mentioned become blooming sized plants at very fairly small sizes.

I've seen Vanda coerulea bloom at a height of 5" - 8" (12.5 cm - 20 cm) tall, and a leaf span of 10" (25 cm).

My Vanda coerulescens is blooming sized at a height of approx 8" tall (approx 20 cm), and a leaf span of 10" (25 cm).

My Trudelia pumila is blooming sized at a height of approx 8" tall (approx 20 cm), and a leaf span of 10" (25 cm).

[Kelo]

Those sizes would be fine. I actually don't mind how big a plants grows, it's just a question of how much destruction I'm willing to go through to grow the plants I want lol.

abigaillevans - I don't know but if some of them like the cold they would be at home here in the winter lol.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by abigaillevans

I'll interject a quick question -- how cold-hardy are vandas? The thing that's put me off buying them is the potential to have to bring them inside over the winter.

Vanda coerulea - down to 36 F (2 C)

Vanda coerulescens - down to 36 F (2 C), maybe cooler; quite possibly down to 20 F (-7 C), not sure

Trudelia pumila - down to 36 F (2 C)

Vanda roeblingiana - down to 36 F (2 C)

Vanda luzonica - down to approx 45 F - 50 F (approx 7 C - 10 C)

Vanda jennae - down to approx 45 F - 50 F (approx 7 C - 10 C)

Vanda subconcolor - down to approx 45 F - 50 F (approx 7 C - 10 C), maybe 36 F (2 C), not quite certain

Vanda tricolor - I've seen the ones at Santa Barbara Orchid Estate grown with their Cymbidiums - so maybe down to 45 F or 50 F (7 C - 10 C); perhaps as cool as 36 F (2 C), idk.

Vanda lilacina - down to approx 45 F - 50 F (approx 7 C - 10 C)

Never grown this particular species, but Vanda javieri could possibly go as low as 45 F - 50 F (7 C - 10 C).

Trudelia cristata and Trudelia alpina may be able to tolerate temperatures down to 36 F (2 C), much like Trudelia pumila does.

Vanda lamellata - down to approx 50 F (10 C)

Vanda merrillii - down to 55 F - 60 F for certain (13 C - 16 C), quite possibly as low as 50 F (10 C), not sure

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I think more so than the temperature tolerances, it's the size that puts a lot of people off.

Although there are small ones, such as:

Vanda parviflora

Vanda lilacina

Vanda parviflora and Vand lilacina are vegetatively similar and are in the same section - (Longicalcarata).




As a side note:

Vanda coerulescens and Vanda lilacina appear to have similar looking flower morphologies (although if you compared them side-by-side, you'll see the subtle differences), but they are completely different vegetatively speaking. Ironically these two species are also in the section Longicalcarata.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

This gets honorable mention...

Some Vandas go through a dormancy period...