Vanda roots wither
 

Some months ago I got a Vanda that looked very good, from my mother-in-law. Strong fresh leaves and 4 thick roots. I mounted it and it seemed to like its new home, but after 6-7 weeks the lower leaves started to get yellow and fell off. The remaining leaves looked ok but they had got more and more wrinkled, just as it was underwatered. I started spraying it with water 2-3 times a day, but nothing changed except for that two of the roots started to grow offshoots. I tried soaking it over night a few times and then I put strips of fabric on two of the roots to keep them wet 2-3 hours. Once a day I soaked the strips at the same time as I sprayed the arial roots with water. There is one new big root growing but I do not think it looks very healthy and all the small offshoots have withered.
What am I doing wrong ?
And... I have about 35 vandas. All the bigger ones, but one, has very few roots but they are not growing any new roots. Is there a season for root growing or what ?
I live in the tropics and this time of the year there is no rain, 28-35 C temp (80-95 F, cool in other words) and the humidity is about 50 %.

I’ve had some similar die off of roots when I neglected my Vandas for a few weeks. I grow most of mine indoors. To stay happy, they like overnight soaks every night. Maybe a heavy watering once or twice a day, every day, would help yours? It sounds like dehydration is the problem.

That looks like lack of water.

Hi, I am also new to the board. I have less than 10 vandas but since I followed instructions from Motes Orchids on youtube I see improvement on the roots of my vandas. Watering Vandas require a few pass, get them wet then water other plants and get back to getting the roots wet again. Sometimes I do more than 2 passes just to make sure the roots are wet/green. I've seen all white roots restarted with green tips, also some of the thinner roots even branch off. I have been watering 2-3 times a day just to make sure the new roots don't die off. My temperature is about the same as yours but I am near sea so quite windy and the roots dry quickly.

Before getting my hand on Kelpak, I used B1 Liquinox. The Thailand version is very popular in Indonesia, and suggested by orchid nurseries for stress and root start.

My current problem is something to do with new roots that wont turn green no matter how many times I've spray it with water. Anyone has a trick to get new roots to absorb water?

Yes. It sure looks like lack of water - the leaves I mean but... Does new root tip die from lack of water ?

And, as I said, I water them 2-3 times a day (normally 2 passes, just as PhoenixIndo said) and have put fabric strips on 2 of the 4 roots that I soak it until it is dripping. I also have changed to water all my orchids 1-2 hours before sunset now during the dry season, so the strips are still a bit humid in the morning. Shouldn't that be enough ?
I got the orchid from my mother-in-law and she gave it to me because she said she wasn't able to care for it. I guess that included put water less than 1 times a day, so how could it keep all leaves and look very healthy by then ?
I have been told that vandas like much light so I do not want to put it in total shade or is that what I have to do ?
Or just let it drop the leaves it cannot support and wait for it to stabilize ?

---------- Post added at 08:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:47 PM ----------

I can get B1 Liquinox from Lazada, but I do not know what it is. Only B1-vitamine or more of a fertilizer ?

If you are talking about new roots on Vanda I have noticed that they do not get green nor absorb water while they still are young. Maybe that is why your new roots doesn't get green ? I don't think there is anything to do more than wait for them to get a bit older.

B1 Liquinox contains auxin NAA (Naphthaleneacetic acid) so it is a root stimulant. I've only used Kelpak for 1 week because it is hard to find. The roots I have now can be contributed to B1 Liquinox. Just an option if you can't find Kelmax/Kelpak which is recommended by a lot of growers here.

I find my vanda root tips die back when the root doesn't get wet/green (thus my previous question), but can restart growing when it begin absorbing water frequently and maybe given root stimulant.

I have one vanda that took a beating in a hurricane. Circumstances were drastic and the poor thing was forgotten hanging in a tree. There is a thread on it eslewhere.
I have been nursing it back to health with limited success. Today it is hanging in the garage with shop lights and a heater. I give it a soak daily. Sometimes 15 minutes, sometimes a few hours (when I
get busy and forget to hang it back up). It is dispaying the same root issues as the OP has shown. Will soaking overnight daily really help it hydrate and possibly start new roots?

The light in your photo looks good for Vandas. I would leave it there.

Bright green root tips will not change color. The outer cells die and their remains form the white velamen. This happens some distance from the tip.

I think you are doing as much as you can. When the humid season arrives I think it will grow more roots and take up more water.

All good answers above but only apply to a healthy orchid.
I am suspecting this orchid has picked up an infection.
It is hard to see the stem except that it is completely brown which could be dead leaves from underwatering but it could be an infection too and if that is the case and it has been spreading then the top of the orchid might already be disconnected from the roots.

What happens then, no matter how much one cares the roots will slowly die. This usually takes 3 months, they take a long time to dry up if they kept getting watered even if they are technically dead! so know whether your stem is healthy or not before you realize in 3 months time your roots have all dried up.

If your stem is ok then there is hope and it will just need more soakings but that brown stem and the way you have described lower leaves turning yellow could very well point to an infection. You will need to peel back the dead leaves to get a closer look, the stem should be a fresh white or green color, not black or brown.

To me (with my limited experience) the stem looks healthy and you can see that the roots become dark green after getting sprayed with water.
So... Just to wait and see where the balance between water and green leaves stabilize...

Thanks to all of you for your answers, I am sure I will come back soon with more questions...:biggrin: