Care for large vandas that were neglected
 

I'm inheriting my grandfather's orchid collection, and I just got two old vandas that have been under watered and potentially never fertilized.

I've got my two adult vandas in my collection already in large wooden baskets with a handful of lava rocks, I would do that with these, and I may with the one already in a basket. I like the thought of mounting the larger circular vanda, but I wonder if I can/should cut the oldest portion? The oldest roots are strange, dry and blistered? almost. I think it is a good canidate to mount to cork bark, or I can take it to my parent's house to mount on an old oak tree. My parent's live in zone 9B, and it won't get the water it needs to thrive, but it should still live. I worry about the temperatures and freeze. It's been growing in 10B/A for 15-25ish years.

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It's desperately underwatered and is just hanging on. Commercial growers in wet Homestead water their Vandas every day it doesn't rain, and twice on hot days.

Don't put it outside for the winter in zone 9B unless you want to kill it. Vandas cannot tolerate 32 F / 0C. They often defoliate when under 45 F / 6C.

May I suggest growing it in a glass vase? Both my Dad and I are growing them that way and we have been successful reblooming ours. Trim the roots and put it into a net basket. Place in a vase large enough to get it down about halfway. Mist daily. Fill vase with water and soak weekly. I recycle the water into a large Cat. Yes, I put it outside for the summer and take it in before the night temps get below 50 degrees F.

It might help to water daily until you see new leaf growth before you do much with them. Also, root stimulant applied directly to the stems may be a good idea.

What do you mean by 'root stimulant' 'to the stems'? Powder rooting hormone, liquid, or gel? I've got all. With regards to the stem, rub the hormone right on it anywhere? The whole 'old' portion?

A lot of people use kelp extracts on orchids. I don't know whether they work when applied to the stem. Vanda stems are enclosed in a tight sleeve of old leaf bases.

I use KelpMax from First Rays on my Vandas once a month. I soak the roots overnight in a mixture of 2 ounces / 56ml per gallon / 3.78 liters of water. I see new root growth nubs the following morning. I am quite skeptical and did not believe it would work until I tried it.

You might peal away old leaf bases, I find superthrive will penetrate the stems. I don't know whether Kelpmax will, but you can try. Use about once a week for a month. If Kelpmax does penetrate stems, it may be better than Superthrive.

I can mix up some superthrive. I haven't got Kelpmax, but I am using MaxSea, which is derived from kelp. I'll peel off the old leaf stems and see what's underneath. I'm partly worried there may be pests. I've seen some bugs on the plants that were blooming when I took these vanda.