Vanda Issues
 

Hi all! I haven't posted in ages and have been agonizing over this evil vanda I have and trying to figure out why it won't do anything. I've had it about a year and got it from a vendor in south florida. Here is how i am currently growing it:

1. Exposure: South window, 23rd floor, great light!
2. Water 1x a week, fertilize roughly every other watering (not as much in the winter)
3. Good air movement w/ 6" desk fans
4. Humidity is stable around 50-70%
5. Media is a mixture of wine corks and coarse fir bark with some sphagnum on top to hold in moisture

This vanda is a Trevor Rathbone. In the year I've had it, it put out 3 leaves reaaaaaaaaly slowly and nothing else. It is currently putting out its 3rd new leaf since I've had it. I attached a picture to this posting to give you an idea of how large it is - its in an 6" pot.

Can any vanda growers out there give me any advice? Anything I should change about my growing? I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks! ~Becky

Hey Beckster :) I would up the feeding plain every 3rd watering if it is dries out in a week then might need more watering I don't grow mine in pots someone that does might have better info .. Good to see you back .. Gin

I grow in a pot, but not the same part of the world so don't know if my experience will help.

I mist the surface roots every day, with fertiliser in the water every 3 to 4 days. It's a relatively heavy misting and the water dribbles down into the pot (it's a clear pot so I can see it).

It seems the bark rarely, if ever dries fully. Because of the dribble of water that seeps down every day it stays damp. However because it's not much water different patches of bark are got each time, and there is a lot of air in the bark because it's never fully wet either.

Someone else in the UK told me they dribble water in regularly rather than fully water with potted Vandas as well.

Maybe every couple of months I give a flush with a lot of water getting it thoroughly wet and washing out any fertiliser salts.

These also love bright light. I know what you have said about south exposure but through a window the light will never be as bright as outside. Mine was in full sun for a couple of hours outside each day. So much so the leaves got a red tan (not burnt but tanned) and at that point I moved it slightly to get fractionally less.

It's my one and only Vanda and I've not yet owned it a year... but it grew well all summer and is currently in flower with about 10 flowers.

Are you using a bloom aid fertilizer, ? I switch fertilizers with my vandas one week roots, next week blooms, weakly weekly. If you can just change it up and trick it into blooming, it then blooms often. Is this in an office? Is the air conditioning always on, like weekends..or heat?

I don't use bloom aid fertilisers.

Various discussions I've read on this make me agree with Ray. They don't as such do anything... BUT a high nitrogen fertiliser will boost growth AND inhibit flowering. Thefore if you have a high nitrogen mix switching to a lower nitrogen one will release it to flower.

If you use a balanced forumla at the strength Ray recomends you get decent growth without inhibiting blooming.

That's what I try and aim for and seems to work well on all my orchids, which flower well without having to switch fertliser.

Carol I think alternating the way you do will just result in a balanced mix overall. Seeing as finding a balanced fertiliser can sometimes be difficult it seems a good method.

To me the leaves look a little dark. How close to the window do you keep it and are you using anything to reduce the light intensity?

Vandas are slow growing. Expecting the plant to take off like a weed like Masdevallias do is very unrealistic (using extremes to illustrate a point, not necessarily saying that that is what you're really expecting).

Although as some of the others have mentioned, the lighting could be stronger.

You may not need the sphag on top too.

I agree with King. Also, Vandas will eventually send out long, long roots if you let them. They need to be exposed to air for maximum root growth. When roots are exposed they need frequent waterings, as much as 2 or 3 times a day. You'll know they've had enough when they turn from white to green.

When vanda roots are crammed in a pot and watered once a week they run a high risk for root rot. They love, love, love water but they need to dry out rapidly between watering sessions. They can be watered 2 or 3 times a day as long as they're allowed to dry out between watering sessions. Vanda roots generally take up more space than the plant itself. Long dangling roots are indicative of health and add to the beauty of the plant.:)

I can only compare yours with mine and comment. Since I grow bare root, it might not be applicable, but...

Yours definitely looks blooming size. Has it bloomed for you before, or was it in bloom when you acquired it? Some Vandas need maturity before blooming.

Mine get several hours of direct Florida sun. You are further north in a high rise. Many high rises have tinted windows. Have you measured the light intensity? If it's low, can you supplement the lighting?

Mine (bare root) have long exposed roots that get watered frequently in the summer (typically daily by rain, or almost daily by me). Yours is in media and gets watered weekly. Might be equivalent, might not be. Bare roots dry out as others have stated above, yours don't. Have you considered growing in a vase. Check out the Vanda section - I believe there's a sticky. Others in Northern climes haver had great success.

Mine have aerial roots up the main stem, Yours looks potted up like a house plant. It might be OK, but it seems somehow unnatural for a Vanda. Have you looked at the roots?

Bare root (or vase) growing make mineral build-up nearly impossible. How long has it been in media? Is it possible that it's being "stunted" by minerals.

As others have said, media that includes sphagnum are pretty slow drying, but cork is pretty retentive also. The size of the media also affects drying time - yours looks pretty fine. A coarse bark would dry faster (and be better aerated). LECA would be even faster drying.

Please take these questions for consideration ONLY. The first time I saw a Vanda in a vase, I couldn't believe it was possible, but people have great success. It may be just as possible for you in your current media. There's a variety of different opinions here, and they all work for someone. We have to pick the ones that might work for us.


Best of luck, and let us know which direction you take and how it goes.

I grow mine in a basket (without bark), I soak it with water every morning and fertilize weakly, weekly. Mine also gets very bright light 14 hours a day, but only early morning direct sunlight.