Need help with Vanda
 

This is my second Vanda. I killed the first one from underwatering, I guess, and wanted to try again with the vase method.

I have a blue Pakchong that I bought in spike. It is in a vase and it's roots do not seem to get really green and swell as much as I thought they should. I water it every day or other day with RO letting it soak for 30 minutes to an hour. I spray the top roots above the basket once a day. Still, the roots are thin and grey and get more so as time goes by. I put a few drops of KLN and pinch of fertilizer in the water--very weak

I can't imagine I am over watering because the roots don't swell much and get green. What little they do goes away by the next day and they are thin and hard and gray again.

The blooms are still on they plant, so no bud blast here. What in the world am I doing wrong? My roots look worse daily, and I have already lost half of them--they turned into hard sticks that wouldn't hold water, so I trimmed them off.

Sounds like fusarium, aka fungus.

Where do you live? If it is hot and dry, you should soak it twice a day, every day. If you live somewhere cold, it probably still wants watered every day if you don't have medium around the roots. I planted my vandaceous orchids in red lava rock and baskets or basket pots to help keep the air around the roots humid, yet not encourage rotting. I water until roots turn green.
Would you mind sharing a picture of the roots? Maybe, as suggested, there is a disease.

What is your grow zone? You can also provide us what position is the light source> south facing window is perfect for Vandas....
humidity and temperature is an important factor....if indoors you might put it far from the AC and near the heater but with an electric humidifier with oscillating fan.
Vase culture is not working for you, try Leafmite's suggestion in a basket but line it with coco fiber and sprinkle around the roots any large media mix for orchids
Water it twice a day in the warmer months and in winter let the media dry before watering

Here are photos


http://http://www.flickr.com/photos/...in/photostream

P1030013 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

P1030012 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
P1030011 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

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Zone 6 but it is indoors in a west window with filtered light.
Do you think it has fungus? If so, what do I do?

Will it work in an S/H pot?http://http://www.flickr.com/photos/...n/photostream/

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I am sorry, I can't seem to get the other photo to post.

Your plant is very sick. I saw the roots and it may have fungus or bacterial infestation. Try spraying with hydrogen peroxide(the one you can buy at any Walmart, alternate it the next day with original listerine. Repeat and alternate it for a week.
Then if you see it become green when wet; soak it for 24 hrs in fertilizer(your plant is very dehydrated the roots are clogged and not giving the plant any nutrients)=do not worry, Vandas get flooded and soaked for days in their natural environment due to monsoon rains....do the vase culture until the roots recover from the infestation. Do not repot in a media mix or in S/H until it completely recovers.

Thank you, Bud. Do I dilute the listerine?

nope do not dilute it....nor the peroxide....spray them as you get it from the bottle; the alcohol in the listerine will kill the bacteria....the peroxide will kill the fungi when it bubbles and what is left is water since the extra oxygen have evaporated and oxygenated the fungi

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alcohol and peroxide evaporates....the reason I want you to soak it after the treatment=alcohol dessicates the roots and dehydrate it more....but you need to eradicate the infestation
*when the plant recovers: invest in physan20 and disenfect areas that might harbor fungi and bacteria

Vandas need warmth, humidity, bright shaded light and good air circulation

Thanks, again.

aside from maybe applying a bactericide the 30 minute soaking at this point will do more harm than good. Watering, Misting and setting trays for humidity and good air movement with daily fertilizing and superthrive will do you a load of good. If you can, do the watering early mornings between 7 & 9am.
What is good is that you have quite a bit of roots to work with and that will go a loong way.
Good Luck.