Vanda Sanderiana. What to do??

[hanzy08]

I just acquired this beautiful Sanderiana and being in the greenhouse they are usually potted in plastic pots with bark and spag. I don't like the way the media looks as it seems very fine underneath and I don't know how the roots are doing and there's also algae forming around the pot. I have learned not to disturb vanda's roots and/or change the media because the roots are going to die and it will set the plant back for a year or more and being this is a species, it is more sensitive and grows slow. It looks healthy and growing well though. A plant this size should have flowered already but I don't see any old spikes..
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[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

If you just got this plant, then I'd wait a year or two and see what happens. Be careful not to water this orchid too much. Let the potting media dry out completely before watering again.

Just out of curiosity, how long have you had the orchid for?

---------- Post added at 09:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:49 AM ----------

I've personally not found species Vandas to be more delicate than the hybrids.

Imo, the species orchids are often far easier to grow.

While I've had no real big issues with repotting my Vandas into new potting media or new pots, I have found dividing my Vandas to be problematic. This is why I just leave the multi-growth Vandas alone and do not try to make them look neat by dividing them into their own individual fans. I just let them clump.

[hanzy08]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

If you just got this plant, then I'd wait a year or two and see what happens. Be careful not to water this orchid too much. Let the potting media dry out completely before watering again.

Just out of curiosity, how long have you had the orchid for?

---------- Post added at 09:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:49 AM ----------

I've personally not found species Vandas to be more delicate than the hybrids.

Imo, the species orchids are often far easier to grow.

While I've had no real big issues with repotting my Vandas into new potting media or new pots, I have found dividing my Vandas to be problematic. This is why I just leave the multi-growth Vandas alone and do not try to make them look neat by dividing them into their own individual fans. I just let them clump.

I ordered it from hausermann and it arrived yesterday. I have repotted a coerulea and it is even in flower when I did it and it didn't have any problems... I think it's changing the kind of media it was in that kills the roots?

[Bud]

If you inherited this potted then allow several weeks for it to accustom itself to your environment. I noticed the leaves are not fully open (it is semi-closed) you need to provide it with more bright light and warmth.
I see that you have a humidifier=that is a great help.
Philip is right, with that kind of media mix water it every other day or when you see the mix has dried out. You cannot rot Vanda roots but you can manage to infest it with fungi and bacteria with stagnant water on the roots.
Follow the culture and this Vanda will bloom for you this year.

[hanzy08]

Originally Posted by Bud

If you inherited this potted then allow several weeks for it to accustom itself to your environment. I noticed the leaves are not fully open (it is semi-closed) you need to provide it with more bright light and warmth.
I see that you have a humidifier=that is a great help.
Philip is right, with that kind of media mix water it every other day or when you see the mix has died out. You cannot rot Vanda roots but you can manage to infest it with fungi and bacteria with stagnant water on the roots.
Follow the culture and this Vanda will bloom for you this year.

So maybe after a month I Can repot it in bark? Im planning on keeping it on a pot i just want to change the media.. Yea the leaves look unusual.. Reminds me of a bonsai plant or something. They are stiff and not open.. I thought it was a sanderiana characteristic.. Temps outside is still chilly for a sanderiana but it's receiving bright afternoon light plus fluorescent lights.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

If you just got this plant in yesterday, I wouldn't automatically expect it to be in spike/bloom even at the size the orchid is now, unless the seller said it would be.

Different species can bloom at different times of the year.

Just because Vanda coerulea is in spike now, doesn't mean that it is blooming season for Vanda sanderiana.

Vanda sanderiana typically blooms in fall.

I'll give you another example.

I own Vanda coerulescens and it is in spike right now.

I also own Vanda roeblingiana and it was in bloom during fall of 2013.

[hanzy08]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

If you just got this plant in yesterday, I wouldn't automatically expect it to be in spike/bloom even at the size the orchid is now, unless the seller said it would be.

Different species can bloom at different times of the year.

Just because Vanda coerulea is in spike now, doesn't mean that it is blooming season for Vanda sanderiana.

Vanda sanderiana typically blooms in fall.

I'll give you another example.

I own Vanda coerulescens and it is in spike right now.

I also own Vanda roeblingiana and it was in bloom during fall of 2013.

I know they have different blooming times. What I meant to say was for the size of the sanderiana that I bought, it should have already bloomed in the past.. but I don't see any signs of old spikes..

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by hanzy08

I know they have different blooming times. What I meant to say was for the size of the sanderiana that I bought, it should have already bloomed in the past.. but I don't see any signs of old spikes..

I'd give it some time. Maybe it'll bloom for you for the first time.

Ordering through the internet can be a bit of a surprise. You never really know what they'll pick out for you. The only way to know with certainty about what you're getting is when you're physically there to pick out the plants.

I really don't know what to say other than it may not have been the time or the right size for the plant to bloom, or conditions may not have been right for the plant to initiate blooms. Vanda sanderiana is a significantly larger plant than Vanda coerulea and may start their first blooms at a larger size.

The only other thing would be to find out how Hausermann's grows their Vanda sanderiana, or even ask them how long the plant has been in their nursery.

If Vandas are grown right, I wouldn't worry too much about it never blooming. It eventually will.

This species likes:

1. Bright indirect light.

2. Temperatures ranging from the warm side of intermediate to warm (60 F - 95 F).

3. Provide plenty of water year round. The potting media must drain freely, and the media should not stay wet for more than 1 day.

Vandas species are, in my experience, fairly sturdy plants. The whole reason I've stopped growing hybrids in favor of species Vandas was because I found the species to be far easier for me to grow and some of them tend to be smaller growing as well. The reason why many hybrid Vandas get very large and unmanageable for most people is because of the Vanda sanderiana in their genetics. Again, the reason why many Vanda hybrids tend to be warmer growing or brighter growing than their species counterparts is also because of the Vanda sanderiana in their genetics.

Like I've said, repotting them has not been a major issue. I've only found dividing them to be problematic.

The only problems I've ever had with Vanda roots rotting out was when they were left wet for several days and didn't have enough air circulation going to the root zone. Which is why I said what I said.

If you're looking to repot the plant, now is the perfect time. Unless you're damaging roots like no tomorrow during the process of repotting, there's nothing to worry about.

I've been growing Vanda species for several years. My Vandas range from being under my care for about 5 - 10 years and many of them bloom year-after-year like clockwork. What I'm telling you is what I've observed and have gone through, and what I believe to be the correct information based on my experiences.

[Bud]

If you are not comfortable with your media, you may repot it right now if you have the fresh mix....it is also advisable to check the roots and spray with physan20 just to rule out on bacteria or fungi....it is always for my peace of mind to know that my plant is healthy and clean.
By looking at your picture, your sanderiana is of blooming size by counting the number of leaves, the height and the leaf span....
My only worry is: the leaves are half closed=it means there is not enough sunlight....yet the color of the leaves is the right shade for strap-leaf Vandas (other Vandas are semiterete or terete....yours is a strap-leaf kind)....maybe its the variation of each plant for I have seen other hybrids that are semi closed. My sanderiana have open leaves maybe because I slowly weaned it to direct sun in the summers.

[hanzy08]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

I'd give it some time. Maybe it'll bloom for you for the first time.

Ordering through the internet can be a bit of a surprise. You never really know what they'll pick out for you. The only way to know with certainty about what you're getting is when you're physically there to pick out the plants.

I really don't know what to say other than it may not have been the time or the right size for the plant to bloom, or conditions may not have been right for the plant to initiate blooms. Vanda sanderiana is a significantly larger plant than Vanda coerulea and may start their first blooms at a larger size.

The only other thing would be to find out how Hausermann's grows their Vanda sanderiana, or even ask them how long the plant has been in their nursery.

If Vandas are grown right, I wouldn't worry too much about it never blooming. It eventually will.

This species likes:

1. Bright indirect light.

2. Temperatures ranging from the warm side of intermediate to warm (60 F - 95 F).

3. Provide plenty of water year round. The potting media must drain freely, and the media should not stay wet for more than 1 day.

Vandas species are, in my experience, fairly sturdy plants. The whole reason I've stopped growing hybrids in favor of species Vandas was because I found the species to be far easier for me to grow and some of them tend to be smaller growing as well. The reason why many hybrid Vandas get very large and unmanageable for most people is because of the Vanda sanderiana in their genetics. Again, the reason why many Vanda hybrids tend to be warmer growing or brighter growing than their species counterparts is also because of the Vanda sanderiana in their genetics.

Like I've said, repotting them has not been a major issue. I've only found dividing them to be problematic.

The only problems I've ever had with Vanda roots rotting out was when they were left wet for several days and didn't have enough air circulation going to the root zone. Which is why I said what I said.

If you're looking to repot the plant, now is the perfect time. Unless you're damaging roots like no tomorrow during the process of repotting, there's nothing to worry about.

I've been growing Vanda species for several years. My Vandas range from being under my care for about 5 - 10 years and many of them bloom year-after-year like clockwork. What I'm telling you is what I've observed and have gone through, and what I believe to be the correct information based on my experiences.

Thank you for your input philip. The media is what worries me the most. It's too fine and it stays wet for quite some time.. There 's barely air penetrating the media. I'm planning on repotting it to large bark. Thanks again!

---------- Post added at 01:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:32 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Bud

If you are not comfortable with your media, you may repot it right now if you have the fresh mix....it is also advisable to check the roots and spray with physan20 just to rule out on bacteria or fungi....it is always for my peace of mind to know that my plant is healthy and clean.
By looking at your picture, your sanderiana is of blooming size by counting the number of leaves, the height and the leaf span....
My only worry is: the leaves are half closed=it means there is not enough sunlight....yet the color of the leaves is the right shade for strap-leaf Vandas (other Vandas are semiterete or terete....yours is a strap-leaf kind)....maybe its the variation of each plant for I have seen other hybrids that are semi closed. My sanderiana have open leaves maybe because I slowly weaned it to direct sun in the summers.

Yea peace of mind is what im looking for. I'm planning on repotting as soon as possible. I have read and researched a lot about sanderiana because it is our national flower(philippines). I have read in an article that there are variations of sanderiana depending in which part of mindanao they came from.. The drooping leaves like mine is a trait from the cotabato area and the longer and sharper leaves came from basilan which is located at the southern tip of mindanao. I believe there is logic behind this because animals also show variation in different locations where they are found but still is the same species..