Potted or basket for my environment
 

Hello, I’m fairly new to Vandas. I purchased a Vanda coerulea supra seedling last summer that was doing well until a pathogen struck, but it looks as though it will make it. That plant arrived in sphagnum which did ok then I switched it to a mostly bark with some spagnum mixed. I didn’t switch until recently, but it appears to be making it. It is obvious to me that this was not the ideal setup as sent from the vendor.

I have since ordered 4 more vandas, 3 from motes and 1 from orchidweb. They should be arriving soon, but I’m wondering now if I should try to grow in wood baskets with spagnum and bark mix or stay potted with bark mix. My environment is Northwest Arkansas so it’s fairly hot and humid. My grow room has a south window with temps reaching as high as 100 at the window in the summer. I have a humidifier which I use to keep the room at 50-60% humidity in the summer. The winters are obviously cooler but I never let that room get below around 60 and don’t use the humidifier

For my environment would either be better than the other? Also if I do use wood baskets what size would you recommend for young seedling sized plants?

Also, sorry if this is the wrong sub. If so please feel free to delete/move

In nature, vandas are climbing vines.

I always went with wooden slat baskets and no potting media, but I did water them at least once a day.

Most were in 6" baskets, no matter the size of the plant, but they were fixed tightly to one interior corner to start.

There are posts here from Fairorchids about how he grows Vandas in pots. I seem to recall his conditions are similar to yours. Try to look them up with Advanced Search in the top maroon menu.

Edit

I just went to his Web site fairorchids.com and found this: Fair Orchids which talks about Vandas.

Great find! Thank you! I had been reading some of Fairorchids comments in post as well as some from others who advocated clear pots. I’ll check out that link. I may try a couple potted and a couple in baskets.