What's the typical time it takes for bareroot orchids to show live sign?

[Orchid Whisperer]

Your Vanda will like it if the roots dry out. It will become sick or die if it stays damp.

[Optimist]

I like to use smaller sized lava rock, sometimes mixed with a bit of bark when repotting orchids that do not like wet feet (want to dry out between waterings). This summer, I learned that orchids take more water than I thought to get growing well. The growing season is when orchids should receive the most water. Winter means less water, and a kind of plant hybernation. Most rotting roots will be caused by winter like conditions, and wet feet. Where you put the roots ( the planting medium) is a life and death situation, really. I chose the lava rock because even though it meant more watering, the chance of wet roots was mostly eliminated.

[RosieC]

Vanda's can be grown potted, I've was sold one that way in the past. However as has been said, they need a very course mix, and the other thing to watch out for is that they should be repotted every year to 18 months. As the bark ages it 'sours' and vandas seem more sensitive to that than other orchids. I think this is why mine suddenly declined after a couple of years of being happy, and unfortunately I lost it.

I'm growing my latest one bare root... but I've only had it 5 days so can't comment on success of that so far.

---------- Post added at 01:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:07 PM ----------

Oh, and I mention second the idea of using kelp/seaweed extract to help get them rooted. I've not tried it yet on my new Vanda, but I'm planning to at the weekend. I use it on other orchids with struggling roots and it's shown great results.

You can buy it as a garden supplement, one source is First Rays Orchids who have a product called Kelpmax which various people here on the forum have had good results from. Ray is a member of this forum. I've not tried it as I'm in the UK so use a UK one, but it's meant to be good.