Mini Vanda repotting advice and other recommendations
 

I received 5 mini Vandas from Krull-Smith about 2 1/2 weeks ago. They are potted in plastic pots. 3 of them came with very little or no media in the pots and the other 2 are in pots filled with LECA. I have never grown anything in LECA so how often should those be watered? As per Krull Smith, I was told daily.

Can I place these outside? Temps range from as low as mid 30s in the winter and can go up to low 100s in the summer. Not a lot of humidity here in So. CA. Krull-Smith website states that they "will do great both outdoors or in an indoor setup." Have two other mini Vandas and those are sometimes outdoors depending on the weather. Have a mounted Neofinetia outdoors and one indoors. If I put the new minis outdoors I would probably bring them inside if weather became too hot or too cold.

I think it might be good to repot the ones that have no media. Would that be a good idea or should I attempt to mount them? Have never placed any of my orchids on mounts. If I repot should I go with LECA, bark mixture or sphagnum moss or nothing for the ones without media and perhaps put them in hanging cedar baskets? If I go with cedar baskets, can anyone recommend good resources from which to purchase those? Thought I could hang the minis on the branches of my lemon tree or under some shade cloth (40%). As for the ones with LECA, should I repot those or just leave them in the LECA for now?

Thanks in advance.

I would follow the vendor's advice on watering. And I would leave them as they are. They don't need pots, except as a means to hang them. The leca won't break down so no need to repot. I would think either under the tree or under 40% shadecloth would be acceptable light. Other folks may have recommendations too.

Can you be specific on the names of the mini-Vandas? This time of year, certainly all will be fine outside (night temps are not cold enough to be a problem for any) Some shading to protect from direct sun on those hot summer days would be beneficial.

Many of the mini-Vandas have significant amounts of Neofinetia (Vanda) falcata in their background, and can be very cold-tolerant, especially if kept on the dry side. That's why the question about names... it is possible to look up parentage, which can tell a lot about what they'll tolerate in the winter. (30's F no problem for the species Neof. falcata and hybrids threof) Your bigger challenge is keeping everybody hydrated, especially in summer or when the easterly winds (called "Santa Anas and a variety of other names) bring heat and dessicating humidity . In hot weather, water both in morning and evening. (Cold weather water only in the morning) The way they are potted - totally appropriate for Vandas -,you can't possibly overwater them so don't hold back.

Based on the replies, I guess I won't repot for now although I would like to be able to hang them so maybe move them into some type of basket in the future.

The orchids are (5 mini vanda special):
1. Vanda White Crane (50% falcata x 50% sanderiana) x Vanda Cristata
2. Vandaenopsis Pilialoha (Phal. pulcherimma x V. falcata)
3. V. falcata x V. (testacea x Prema Indigahawela)
4. V. Virgil (falcata x cristata) x V. vietnamica
5. V. white crane

I checked before I purchased them and thought they would be fine here because of the falcata background and cristata is supposed to OK with extreme temperatures, favoring cool. Hoping the sanderiana background of White Crane won't be an issue. V. testacea and V. vietnamica also prefer warm temperatures.

Will make sure they get enough water.

V White Crane is V. falcata x V sanderiana, the photos look like the V. falcata is dominant so it should be fine outside. Mix in V. cristata and it will be even more cold tolerant. (V. cristata is definitely one of the cold tolerant vandas) So the one that is half V. Virgil also fine. V. testacea is also cold-tolerant. (It comes from a range of elevations... the Baker culture sheet indicates that its habitat can go down to 29 deg F) So you chose well!

Actually, there is no reason why you couldn't repot to put them into baskets/net pots. Assuming that they take after the V. falcata that is dominant, likely are growing and rooting now so will be especially adaptable. I use those net pots, with loosely-packed sphagnum. So they dry out fast, get lots of air, but have a small reserve of moisture. Putting them outside now is great - weather is mild, they'll have a chance to acclimate slowly to the summer heat, and then during the fall cool-down acclimate to cold.

---------- Post added at 04:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:27 PM ----------

Just for the record... I grow Neof.(V) falcata, V. cristata, V. Paki (cristata x tricolor), V. testacea outside as described (net pots with a bit of sphagnum, hanging) as well as an assortment of Neof hybrids. Southern California (coastal), winter lows into the mid to high 30's F, summer highs mostly not much above 90 F most of the time but can go higher. I water a lot in summer.

Do you have a good source for hanging net pots?
Trying to find net pots that already have the hangers attached.

Coastal weather is a lot better than valley weather in the summer. Wish I lived closer to the coast. :)

The Neofinetia I have indoors is potted in sphagnum moss, Japanese style mound. It seems "happy" indoors so I'm a bit hesitant to move it outside.

For your Neo - Not broken, don't fix it... I'd leave it where it is. I get my net pots either online, at shows, or I have a nearby garden supply shop in Gardena (Yamada Company). For online, consider Flori-Culture Octagonal Plastic Baskets - Flori-Culture: Hoyas + Tropicals + Supply . They weigh practically nothing, so shipping isn't very expensive. I get the wire hangers (like 3 wire for those net pots). Since all these Neo hybrids also don't really require much light, you also could grow them indoors with your Neo. Yes, the Valley (assume San Fernando Valley) can be really hot and dry. You may need to bring them inside during the summer if it gets really hot - or set up misters on a timer that runs 2 or 3 times a day to cool them off. (and maybe cool YOU off too... :D)

I've been to Yamada. It was a long drive but worth it to get Orchiata. I could use some more but remember reading that they don't have any in stock and perhaps they are no longer going to sell that and with gas prices so high might now be less expensive to order online and have it shipped.

Checked out the net pots at Flori-culture and will probably order a few along with the hangers. Thanks for the recommendation.

Guess I could have specified which valley, :). I live in the San Gabriel Valley.

Just as hot and dry in summer... Know it well.

I assume that the square Vanda baskets would work. Found some here: Orchid Vanda Baskets for Sale | Green Barn Orchid Supplies
Is Green Barn a good place to order from? Would the octagonals be better than the square ones?
The smallest size for square ones at Flori-Culture is 6" and that is too big.
Flori-Culture does have 4" octagonal. Vandas are currently in 3" pots.

I love the wood baskets from Green Barn, but for Catts (think of them as a 3-dimensional mount) more than Vandas. If having them too big is a problem for you, those baskets are actually bigger than they indicate - a 6 inch wood basket from Green Barn has the same useful space as an 8 inch wood basket from anybody else - and the slats are close together so the bark doesn't fall out.

For Vandas I'd lean more toward plastic. For mini-Vandas a 4 inch net pot is about right. Remember, Vandas are monopodial - they grow upward more than sideways. Roots may escape the pot - which is fine - but the plant doesn't have that tendency so you don't need to allow for future growth as much as you would with, say, a Catt.

My mistake. Should have been more specific. Was considering the plastic square baskets.
Plastic Vanda Orchid Basket 3.5" or the slightly smaller 3.2" one.
Would those work?
If you think the octagonal would work better I'll order a few of those. Chula Orchids also sells those as well as hangers. The Ultimate Orchid Basket - tropical, hanging, flat bottom

I prefer the octagonal baskets - with the extra depth, you can use sphagnum or other medium, with very good aeration. The square Vanda baskets work better if you are going totally bare root - more appropriate in a very humid environment. I'd go with the 4 inch octagonal baskets - it's a good size until they get outgrown (I use them a lot)

Thanks Roberta. I will go with your recommendation and get a few 4" octagonal pots. Am going to leave the 2 that are in LECA alone for now and use the octagonal for the ones that have no media. Should I add sphagnum or just leave them without media/bare root. Was told that those 3 were potted with little or no media because that's the way the grower (or whomever packaged them) felt they should be potted. However they came from FL where it's probably generally more humid than here.

Maybe I'll get a combination of types of baskets/pots. Can always use them for other orchids. Been using air cone and slotted pots for my Cattleyas. Need to order more of those, too.

One last question, need to repot my Zygonisia. What type of pot would you recommend for that? Right now it's in a plastic pot (no slots) but it needs to go into something larger.

I would use sphagnum (loosely packed) for the ones with no medium. Florida lends itself well to growing with no medium - very humid, lots of rain (like the natural habitat for Vandas) Southern California (especially inland) ranges from dry to desiccating. And forget rain... not going to happen until maybe November if we're lucky. So you do need to give them a bit of help.(That's where the spaghnum comes in) Along with watering every day, especially as the summer heats up. A friend of mine who lives a bit south of me, also coastal Orange County, sums it up... "Outdoor orchid growing is easy... just add water and subtract sunlight.":biggrin: Inland you need to add a bit more water and subtract a bit more light.

For that Zygonesia, I'd just go for a larger pot - allow for about 2 years' growth. I'd go with small bark or other moisture-retentive medium, they like to stay on the moist side though well drained. (And it's OK outside, somewhat shady, in warmer weather but bring it in for the winter, the Aganisia part of its parentage is a warm grower)

We had some rain today here, but very little. :)

I'll see what I can find when it comes to pots for the Zygonisia. Should I stick with a solid pot or get something that is slotted or has holes? I was thinking of getting a ceramic orchid pot if I can find something I like in the size I need. If it doesn't need an orchid pot with holes then I'll just get a solid pot. Will repot in Orchiata and it will probably have to stay indoors since I don't think I have any space remaining in shaded areas.

It's a Murasakikomachi that I actually found at Trader Joe's.

Thanks again for your guidance.

Drainage is critical... slits in the side aren't important but holes in the bottom of the pot are vital. I would not use a fancy pot... once the plant grows a bunch of roots, they sometimes adhere to the pot, requiring cutting or breaking the pot to get it out when you repot. Much better to sacrifice a pot than to sacrifice roots. So if you want "pretty" you can use an outside decorative pot, put the plastic pot inside.

I looked up Zygonisia [Zns.] Murasakikomachi ... it is 3/4 Aganisia cyanea, a warm-growing (and very pretty) species. So the hybrid definitely wants to be on the warm side. Grow like a Phalaenopsis, except that it needs to never dry out, maybe just a little more light.

Let me jump in with the Zygonisia. I and others here didn't have success until we started standing them in dishes of water. Don't use a slotted pot. I used sphagnum for small mericlones; others here used fine to medium bark. Its ancestor Acacallis/Aganisia cyanea from the Amazon basin is often submerged during flowering season with only flower spikes above the water.

Thanks for that information. Interesting about the Aganisia cyanea being submerged. I've had it over a year and it seems to be doing OK but definitely needs a larger pot. I will try your suggestion of standing it in a dish of water. I keep it indoors and it is located near a north facing window. It hangs out with 3 Zygopetalums. :lol: