Sorry forgot to add, cut off the new flower spike on the vanda if it is struggling as you say. Let the plant get the energy and not the flower. Most vandas will bloom a few times a year in Florida for you to enjoy later on.

thank you to everyone for all the great advice!

poppyseed: used the lemons and am so pleased with how it looks! somehow water couldnt get everything off so this is a great trick

stefpix: i have no idea how vanda root growth develops/ dies off but i recently bought a huge vanda that has very healthy roots and underneath it looks like some old, dead ones... i assume they just sprout new ones that are potentially more efficient?? your orchid setup looks great though! what a cool flower!

mantis: ive been watering the poor thing liek clockwork but havent thought to soak it!... its sitting in some water right now, there is one root coming off the stem that looks promising so ill keep up the soaking routine.... ive now cut the spike, and plan to start with fertilizer so i hope it can pull through!

thank you thank you everyone!

My small Vandas have 3 / 4 new roots and the ones that came with died off [they are from royal orchid club so from miami via thailand bare rooted].
I wonder if Vanda roots die and new are formed with a change of environment - anyway mist them 2 ice a day.

wonder when they would get blooming size...

flower is Blc Mem.Graciela Garcia.
Was the cheapest blooming size at Parkside orchids. $18. googled but found not much about it

ps I got a cheap railing for $2 at Ikea. screwed above my south window and hung pots with cheap chains and hooks.

anyway want to try S/H for many - so wont worry about watering too many.

yep, vanda roots can die. But they also give the appearance of being dead when they actually are not. the roots can hang down a very long way. Have you tried folding some of what you may think are dead and twist them? if they don't snap than they can be trimmed away as they would be dead. A good way to tell if the roots of any orchid is healthy is to soak them or water the roots from a faucet. You will be able to identify any dead roots and trim them away when you are repotting. if your vanda is in a basket and the roots are exposed to the air and hang free than that is how you want it to be, but i am in florida so you have the right idea for keeping the plant hydrated. vandas roots hang free in the wild and that is why it can be difficult to keep them hydrated. they also LOVE heat, sunshine and humidity and in my personal opinion misting is not enough to really keep them hydrated for good growth. It is very hard to create a humid climate inside. If I lived up North I always thought that one of those warm mist humidifiers could be a worthwhile experiment (and actually in the winter they are great for dry sinus). Also, a small fan blowing on your orchids is a great idea as well. Love the idea of hanging your orchids in your south window.

Hey, Mantis. I wanted to let you know that I agree with almost everything you've written so far, except for a couple little details.

1. Heat...

Not ALL Vandas appreciate the heat. Some will actually suffer a bit if it's too hot. One example is Vanda roblingiana. Although, they can tolerate it. Most Vandas actually grow just fine in moderate temperatures. A few, such as Vanda coerulea or Vanda coerulescens can take it down as low as 36 F (that's almost freezing, you'll get a light frost if any of you experience this temperature).

I'm going to also throw in a bit of a curve ball...

2. Sunlight.

While a good majority of Vanda hybrids and species do need strong light exposure to survive, there are the black sheep of the family. One that I know of right away is Vanda lilacina. I burned this guy thinking that it needed strong light. Boy was I wrong. It actually grows just fine in light that suits the mottled leaf Paphiopedilums.

While I understand you're speaking in generalities, I'd like you to be aware of these things with Vandas.

I'm not perfect either, I'll slip up and say things only to find out what I said isn't exactly accurate or precise. I hope this does not offend you, it was not meant to be.

FYI this is why I try to type in words like "most" or "may".

Just thought you'd like to know more about your keepsakes.

Thanks
 

Thanks for the tips and the info. Will try to keep them in my mind when I post again. :)

i have a question about dirct sunlight for vandas... from what i read it said they like DIRECT sunlight... in florida how long should i do this for??
can i over water? should i try to water 2 times a day?? im affraid to do something wrong and loose the really big plants ive been lucky enough to get a hold of (for a steal!)

i think im going to start fertilizing as well, which im totally intimidated to do.... should i just spray the roots or the whole plant???

any other tips that anyone has picked up over the years??

hi
 

I would introduce your Vandas to the sun slowly if they have not been exposed before. Maybe in some filtered light to start. As far as watering goes it is difficult to overwater most Vandas. My Vandas roots are exposed and open (not potted) so I water them alot when the air gets dry, but since we are still in the rainy season they probably get what they need through the rain showers and humidity. If it's been a few days I would soak them. Do you have a misting system set up or do you use a garden hose? If you use a garden hose they probably do not get enough water so I would soak them periodically unless they are potted in medium. Don't be afraid of fertilizer for your Vandas, once a week weakly should be fine. They need it and I add my fertilzer to a bucket of water and soak them or I put them in a koi pond for a few minutes and they get fertilizer there as well. The leftover fertilzer I give to my garden plants.

they get a little direct light, but i dont think enough (from what i have been reading)... im worried if i relocate them then they will get too much light! seems very touchy...

my roots are exposed as well and i hose them off everyday, and they also get some rain... someone mentioned soaking my sick looking one, but i guess it would be beneficial to soak them all once a week (??).... i want to have a structure setup outside that would include a misting system, but for now have to stick to the hose.

any fertilizers you would suggest.. i was told just miracle grow would be fine..?