Can i mount a vanda?

[kadive]

I have a vanda in a clay pot just recently potted and not doing well. Can i mount it in a wood branch or cork? or it need a hanging basket?

Thanks!

Jessie

[brn_thmbs]

either option will most likely require daily watering
keep them in high humidity & bright indirect light
direct light is ok in the morning & evening, but avoid midday hours without shade
at least once or twice a week I soak mine for a good long while (almost an hour)
less if I can manage to soak it more often during the week
they are also heavy feeders during the growing months
instead of giving them a huge dose at once, I tend to feed more often at much lower doses (never on dry roots)
so 2 - 3 times a week after giving them their daily shower I give them 1/4 or less dose of fert (as well as all but 1 soaking per month is low level fert)
if you live in hot place more watering may be needed (twice a day) unless it's very humid which they love.

take this as a guide with a grain of salt
what works for me may not work for you in your area
tweak as needed to what works best for you & how you grow your orchids
that said, hope it helps & keep us posted on successes & failures or any other questions you have.

[Chatbud]

Originally Posted by brn_thmbs

...I tend to feed more often at much lower doses (never on dry roots)
...

Can you explain this part? Why not??

[Bud]

Of course you may mount your Vandas any way you want....in bark or in a basket; brn_thmbs is right you might need to water it more often....it depends on whether you have moisture and humidity in the atmosphere in your grow zone.
If you do not experience frost then you may hang the plant outdoors under a tree.

* Chatbud: it means liberally watering the plant and feeding with diluted fertilizer (weak or low doze=meaning more ratio of water)
(never on dry roots) = I water the roots or damped it first before spraying fertilizer.

---------- Post added at 03:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:27 PM ----------

dampening the roots before fertilizer is helping the nutrients be easily absorbed by the roots.....its a process of osmosis it takes longer for the fertilizer to be absorbed if the roots are dry.

[Island Girl]

^+1

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by Bud

dampening the roots before fertilizer is helping the nutrients be easily absorbed by the roots.....its a process of osmosis it takes longer for the fertilizer to be absorbed if the roots are dry.

I've actually heard the opposite, but I don't really know.

What I heard is that in 'the old days' fertiliser concentration was much stronger than we use now. As a result it would 'burn' the roots. Dampening the roots before fertilisation reduced the absorption of the fertiliser because the roots were already 'full' and so only a little seeped in, thus stopping root burn.

If the roots are dry they are like dry sponges and pull in a lot of the water/fertiliser mix very quickly, if the fertiliser is too strong that means they absorb a lot of fertliser and can burn.

My understanding was that the idea of not fertilising dry roots is outdated now that the fertiliser concentrations recommended are so much lower. In fact I've heard is said that they SHOULD be dry, otherwise they don't absorb enough of the fertliser.

Don't know which is right, but I've fertlised with every watering on dry roots since I started growing orchids and so far it seems to have worked fine.