Vanda Sansai Blue with discolored spots on leaves
 

Hello, this is my first thread here. I´m from Yucatan (you know the Mayan culture) and I´m writing to look for some advices.
A month ago this Vanda Sansai Blue came to my collection. It was dirty, so I washed it. You can see that it has guignardia fungus, that I know how to control, but it has those discolored spots on lower leaves, that I think are due to lack of some element in its fertilization. In addition during washing I found a spider net between the roots so I suspect too that the discolored spots maybe are because some kind of red spider. After all I think the plant is fine, just it had not a good growing, because the three top leaves are ok, without guignardia or discolored spots and those tiny yellow spots on the new leaves it seems to me that they are the result of mechanical damage or insects bites.

Am I right? I really appreciate your opinions.

By the way my nickname (Sak_ikim_lol) is the Rhyncholaelia digbyana Mayan name (digbyana grows in this part of Mexico):

Sak=white,
ikim=feather,
lol=flower (no LOL laughing out loud :-) )
So the translation is "white feathers flower", nice, isn´t it?

Thanks!!!

Mario

I think that may be a different kind of fungus in addition to guignardia, but I am not totally sure

Outdoor Vandas develop fungus because spores can be airborne.
But you can wash it with soap quite often and minimize the fungal infestation.
Your plant have bloomed three times by counting the old cut spikes....
Its nothing to be worried about = the leaves are not that damaged.

This will be another possibility and sounds reasonable. Thanks!!!

---------- Post added at 07:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:49 PM ----------

Thanks! I think too that it´s nothing to worried about, but you know, sometimes there are doubts and indeed one is trying to look for the answers. I hope that with a good culture this plant will have a great growing (as you wrote it have bloomed).

Regards from sunny Mexico :-)

Mérida, Yucatan : I love your city. It is a very beautiful one that I keep very good memories of.

Enjoy your Vanda Sansai Blue, it is of the most remarkable hybrid of Vanda coerulea.

Thanks for your lines! Great that you like my city, indeed is beautiful but you know is very hot (today maximum 39º).

I knew your blog! because I have one young sanderiana and one mature tricolor and I was looking for information. Your site is great! Congrats!

I´m new into vanda growing but no into orchid growing. I returned to live in Mérida after more than 23 years so I decided to grow vandas since some months ago. You know the weather in Mérida, so you can tell me how the blue vandas (due coerulea blood) will thrive here. I have the Sansai Blue and the Patchara Blue Delight from a plant dealer from Central Mexico but Mérida is hotter! The Patchara came first and I notice that the plant is stretching, getting wider with new very beautiful top leaves, sprouting new roots, the plant is so happy... but it will bloom nicely? I have a lot of questions but I will share them soon because there are so great wise orchid growers here like you, Bud (he answered my question, I think he´s the guy that grows sanderiana in Manhattan!!, sure he has a lot of knowledge) and that great Brazilian grower named Rosim, (I will ask him about my Cattleya dowiana seedlings I found them as the best unifoliate to grow in very hot climates) I´m a fan of all of you :-)

You know my weather so please help me with my vandas. Here is lowland (8m. above sea level), 25ºC weather average, humidity average above 60% so sanderiana hybrids sure are more suitable but you know the blue vandas are always so amazing.

THANKS!!!!!! to you and to all growers who read me and want to give me some advices and/or share info.

Mario

Here another pic from the same plant. You can see the discolored spots in lower leaves. Because I thought about lack of some nutrients I think I gave it so much fertilizing so there are two brown tips. Indeed I stop doing it. Now is just water and a lot of tender care :-)

Am I doing the right things?

Thanks!!!

Mario

Hi Mario,

I think that Sansai Blue and Patchara Blue Delight should be ok in Mérida's climate and that the conditions that you describe are fine too !
On the photo that you display maybe the plant receives a bit too much light and you should reduce for a while light intensity especially with Yucatan's strong summer sun.

I think your vanda looks pretty good. I grow vandas outdoors and there's always some leaf spotting fungus and other problems with the leaves. Just give it good culture and it should be fine.

Thanks Rastafouni!! The plants are under shade cloth, you know the hard sun that we have here and how bright is the light even on the walls. The new leaves have a nice apple green color, but I´m going to still check the light amount.

Did you live in Mérida?

Regards from the sunny Yucatán now, later at afternoon sure we have a monsoon-like rain.

Mario

---------- Post added at 02:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:21 PM ----------

Tucker: thank you for your lines. Each day I´m knowing my vandas better (well, I think so :) ) I think they are now just adjusting to weather, it seems that summer here will be the time for roots and leaves and then, with a less hot climate in fall or winter they are going to reward me :biggrin:

Thanks again and my best wishes for your plants.

Mario