Took the plunge and got my first Vanda!

[Orchidreamer]

My two vandas in a vase are doing well. They've been in the vase since last summer. During the spring and summer, I place them outside in my front yard, and every 2-3 days I fill up the vases with water (and fertilizer) for an hour or so, and then I pour out the water. The plants are growing new roots and new leaves, and they seem happy.

Unfortunately, my two vandas in pots with bark died.

[Vanda lover]

Are they in full sun at times? I have mine in a South facing window [open most of the time] but a little back from it to make the light less intense. It is difficult to tell how much light seedlings like. They seem pretty happy with this arragement and are showing a little reddish tinge.

[Orchidreamer]

My yard faces west. They get some midday sun and then dappled sunlight in the afternoon. Mine are young ascocendas, which tolerate a little less sunlight than regular vandas. A little reddish tinge is good; just make sure the leaves don't feel too hot to the touch.

[Vanda lover]

My front yard faces that way, and has some dappled cherry tree light. I'll keep that in mind. Actually, our front porch faces West as well. I hang my vanda out there, but I try to keep it out of strong sun while it is blooming, so I've hung it on the North west side. It's hot and sunny right now.

[Paul Mc]

Well, confession time. I didn't want my first vanda to be lonely with all of the other types of orchids, so I ordered another. The first arrived in a pot with some long hairlike fiber stuff in it. Smaller than I had expected too, but two of them were in there. I cannot tell of they are separate plants or not and am a bit nervous to disturb it until it's acclimated. So what is this hairlike brown fibers and how should I water it. Sorry for no pics, no home interenet at the moment, only cell phone.
Second one was shopped priority mail to Missouri from florida by priority mail! Should I be concerned about the second ones health when it arrives due to it not being 2nd day mail or something similar?

[Lagoon]

Is the media this stuff, Paul .....

Coconut Husk Fiber A-La-Carte Bag - Larger Image

[Vanda lover]

I bought 3 vasco seedlings from a seller on Ebay, and because it was in France, each one took 13 days. The first one had root damage, but I suspect that it already had some before it was sent. The other 2 are great! The roots are fine. I wouldn't worry about a few days in the mail, if I were you. What you do with your Vanda depends on which culture you plan to use. Vase culture is an option, or put it in a basket. As long as you are carefull with the roots it should be safe to remove the brown stuff so you can have a look. I put my babies in vase culture, and the one with no roots grew 4 new ones.

[Paul Mc]

OMG yes. That's the stuff except far more straight looking. So it holds moisture right? I probably should not be spraying it with the waterhose twice a day?
Good to know 2nd should be fine. I will try to use vase culture for 2nd one for a while though I would like to experiment with just baskets.

[Vanda lover]

I think vase culture is good for seedlings, because you can keep track of the roots. When mine get older, I may put them in baskets just because you don't need to water nearly as often. My Vandas in baskets seem to only need watering about every 4th day.