Desperate for help with a vanda - Orchid Board

GhostPrincess · #1 09-02-2017, 03:45 AM

I bought a blue vanda orchid for my grandmother a few months ago and it was doing very well but suddenly it started to die. It's flowers and all of its leaves have fallen off over a period of about a month and I'm very worried that it isn't going to make it.

I water the orchid twice a week for thirty minutes once on Monday and once on Friday. It is kept in two places a south facing room with large windows protected by a larger ficus tree. And in a dining room that recives light from the same south facing windows but is more shaded. I used a water soluble fertilizer when watering it today (Friday September 1). I would like to know what else I can do to help the orchid come back or if it's a lost cause.

jcec1 · #2 09-02-2017, 07:07 AM

It looks dead to me.
The treatment you gave it sounds similar to the way I treat mine so I don't think it was badly treated. It's too far gone to tell what happened to it, the most likely cause I can think of is rot that may have set in. This causes the leaves to yellow and brown at their base causing them to fall off.
Once set in and left untreated it can quickly set in, it may already have been suffering from this when purchased.

GhostPrincess · #3 09-02-2017, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcec1

It looks dead to me.
The treatment you gave it sounds similar to the way I treat mine so I don't think it was badly treated. It's too far gone to tell what happened to it, the most likely cause I can think of is rot that may have set in. This causes the leaves to yellow and brown at their base causing them to fall off.
Once set in and left untreated it can quickly set in, it may already have been suffering from this when purchased.

That sounds like what happened. Thank you.

Fairorchids · #4 09-02-2017, 08:17 AM

And this may have been compounded by:
a. Inadequate light (based on your description)
b. Possibly poor air circulation (stagnant air is not good for Vandas)?

Subrosa · #5 09-02-2017, 08:23 AM

Vanda need large amounts of water, no question about that, but if they're in a typical potting media that media needs to dry out as well. I keep Vanda under several different regimens, and hands down the best way for my conditions is to grow them bare root in baskets and give them a daily soak of usually 10-15 min with an occasional overnight soak. This is also the most labor intensive way. I also grow some in vases in what is known as water culture. This is by far the least labor intensive regimen I use. It seems counterintuitive but in this method the plant is suspended in a vase with about 1/3 of its roots in water full time. There's a bit of die off at first but then new roots grow right down into the water. Plants grown this way are healthy and even bloom well, but are not as vigorous as those grown bare root. Semi-hydroponic culture in leca is a good compromise in terms of effort to results. I gave up completely on organic media for them. All of my plants are outside whenever temps are safe, and Vanda are positioned to receive a good amount of direct sun once they're acclimated to outdoor conditions each spring.

MattWoelfsen · #6 09-02-2017, 11:05 AM

Agree with everyone's speculation and would add a summary:
1. Vanda require a lot of sunshine, if its neighbor, the ficus tree, is flourishing in this window, the Vanda would also benefit, in front of the window, not getting blocked by the tree.
2. Vanda culture requires warm, fresh, humid air. Being ensconced that close to the floor probably didn't receive enough air movement to keep the plant from getting crown rot. Using the ficus tree as an example, the best leaves are probably towards the window and closer to the top of the plant. That would be the optimal location for the Vanda.
3. Growing in a glass vase is a good way to grow Vanda if there is limited access to water. However, I would have propped the Vanda plant closer to the top of the vase where the leaves are fully above the rim, and let the roots hang into the pot. I would also put an inch layer of pebbles or similar material, and let water barely cover the pebbles. As the water evaporates, it will provide moisture to the roots. It would be debatable to let the roots stay in the water--but that is probably preferable than being dried out so much between watering.
4. If you could increase your watering visits to one extra day, like a Wednesday, that would sustain the plant too--and probably that extra visit would be appreciated by your grandmother?

If you were to replace this plant, I would put it in a plant stand or TV table, closer to the window.