Why are my vanda leaves mottled

[maudie57]

Hi,
I am new to posting on this forum. I have developed a passion for orchids and last year I bought a healthy vanda in bloom.It's progressing well and has rebloomed, but the leaves have developed a mottling. Is this some sort of deficiency. I water the vanda by soaking the leaves in a bucket. I add tomatorite fertiliser and cal mag to the rain water I use.
It is watered at the same time as another vanda I have which has not developed this mottling.
Can anyone help?

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board.

Do you mean you soak the leaves, or the roots? For how long?

What are your ambient temperatures and humidity?

[maudie57]

Sorry I meant the roots, not the leaves.

---------- Post added at 07:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:53 PM ----------

Ambient temp about 20 degrees centigrade. Humidity about 60%

---------- Post added at 07:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:54 PM ----------

roots soaked for about 1 hr/day

[estación seca]

Those temperatures are somewhat cool for many Vandas but not impossible.

I don't know what is causing the leaf problems. It looks the way some virus infections look on other genera, but I can't find any photos of virused Vandas that look like that. It could also be fungal.

I might suggest calling a nearby university with a botany department, or a local government agriculture office. They may be able to look at it under a microscope.

I wouldn't treat blindly - I would find out what it is.

I would not use the soaking water on any other plants, nor would I soak the Vandas together.

[maudie57]

Thankyou, I think you are right, trouble is I don't want to throw it as it is still growing and blooms.