New vandas - fertilizing tips

[Irisha99]

Hello, guys.
Saw these two beauties at a local Lowe’s and couldn’t resist buying them $35 a piece. They are both blooming. One is kind of starting to dry the blooms already but the other one is still going strong. I know normally you don’t fertilize blooming plants but it has a second spike. How do I ensure that it blooms?
I have another Vanda plant that I have been trying to rehabilitate from last year. It has a few short roots so it’s easy to water/fertilize it. But these two beauties have long roots. How do you guys manage them? Spray fertilizer on them? Any help/suggestions are appreciated. Thanks

[fooferdoggie]

once a week I soak them overnight in a tablespoon per gallon orchid food.

[Irisha99]

Originally Posted by fooferdoggie

once a week I soak them overnight in a tablespoon per gallon orchid food.

I got 20-10-20. Good enough? And also what do you place them in? A basin or what? Thanks

[Roberta]

Where did the idea come from of not fertilizing a blooming orchid? To me, that is like telling a pregnant woman not to eat, just at a time when she is nourishing a growing fetus along with herself. Makes no sense to me at all. As long as the plant is not dormant (some Catasetinae do bloom during dormancy, and indeed want little or no water and no fertilizer) if it is growing it should be fertilized. 1. Blooming takes energy and 2. often new new growth cycle happens at bloom time.

[Irisha99]

Don’t remember where I read about not fertilizing when in bloom but definitely did see it somewhere. But good to know. Thank you, Roberta.

[Roberta]

My Vandas get fertilized the same way as everything else - I use a 2-gallon pump sprayer, and give everybody a good drink. I use a fairly fine spray for mounted plants and any with "wild roots", potted ones maybe a little tighter spray. With Vandas and other with the free roots, if you feed them at the beginning of your "session" and then circle back and give them another bath at the end, they'll appreciate the extra shot. Of course, I'm doing this in the back yard where runoff isn't a problem. Doing it in the house the approach would have to be different.

[mobelle]

Aside from using a fertilizer, seaweed extract is a good supplement for vandas.

[Irisha99]

Originally Posted by Roberta

My Vandas get fertilized the same way as everything else - I use a 2-gallon pump sprayer, and give everybody a good drink. I use a fairly fine spray for mounted plants and any with "wild roots", potted ones maybe a little tighter spray. With Vandas and other with the free roots, if you feed them at the beginning of your "session" and then circle back and give them another bath at the end, they'll appreciate the extra shot. Of course, I'm doing this in the back yard where runoff isn't a problem. Doing it in the house the approach would have to be different.

So you spray the roots with solution?
I keep them indoor and going to the back yard with all my plants I’d too much of a hassle. Besides, they get all sorts of buggies. Not an option for me

---------- Post added at 12:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:07 PM ----------

Originally Posted by mobelle

Aside from using a fertilizer, seaweed extract is a good supplement for vandas.

I got the extract. Thanks for the tip!

[Roberta]

Yes, I just spray the roots with the fertilizer solution. The bucket soak would certainly get more fertilizer into the plant, and be easier to manage in the house (or bathtub). One caution there, though.. if you use the same bucket of fertilizer solution for multiple plants, you do create the possibility of spreading disease from one to another. If none of the plants has an issue, you can get away with it. But just something to keep in mind. If you spray them (again, do it and wait 20 minutes or so then spray again for maximum effectiveness), like in the shower, you avoid that risk.

[Florida Realtor Paul]

Thank goodness for this thread...LOL