How should i water my vanda?

[kadive]

I just got a vanda and don't know how many times a day or week should i water. I'm an indoor grower. This vanda has bare roots, long and healthy. Right now i'm spraying twice a day with some seaweed. She looks pretty happy but i dont want to over water or dehydrate the plant. Any advice?

Thanks!

[MattWoelfsen]

Hello kadive, we live in a huge country, so I am sharing with you how I am growing my Vanda in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I would encourage you to indicate at least your grow zone and your location. This helps all of us figure out how to help you.

I am growing my Vanda in bright light. It is in a southern facing room. I grow it in a hanging basket with bare roots and Spanish moss to keep it company. I water the entire plant once a week, letting it completely soak up as much water as it will drink. Then I hang it back in its place, letting the water drip into a humidity tray. Before I go to work, I mist this plant every morning. Because it is already dark when I get home, I do not mist it again. I have an oscillating fan circulating air around this grow space. I also have a humidifier going and try to keep relative humidity around 50%. I would raise the humidity but I also share this space with my home office filled with electronic equipment. It is like working in paradise but I sometimes worry that water will seep onto electrical wires and cause a shocking surprise!

This is a lot of work to maintain this plant's health. But It is not the only plant in this space...I have other Vanda alliance plants, Dendrobium, Cattleya, and Oncidium orchids growing here--they all have similar cultural requirements.

I hope this helps you with your Vanda. Vanda are such particular plants but once it blooms, it is worth it!

[LovePhals]

I am also an indoor grower. I ended up potting (in a clay pot) mine in very loose cork mix, which keeps them from rotting and also retains moisture a bit more. Mine were getting too dried out with the low humidity in the house during winter. I also layered very little sphag on the top. There is a thread on overwintering vandas which also has some ideas. I water every few days when humidity is low.

[kadive]

Thanks a lot for the ideas. I have other sharing the space, Cattleyas, phal, Dendrobium, Nun, ect. so i think is a great idea to put an oscillating fan. I'm going to change the water routine to once a week and mist it every day. Any experience with seaweed?