Suggestions needed for my Vanda

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Here're pics of the roots of my Vanda luzonica, Vanda coerulea, and Opst. Selene (not sure of the entirety of the cultivar name):

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

The stick running across the bottom of the Opst pic is a partial pic of Papilionanthe vandarum. One of the roots I purposefully stuck into the pot of the Opst for the time being.

[Ocelaris]

Originally Posted by caseydoll

Thanks Ocelaris! I will move it under my t-5's for now and also get another light. I was thinking that I would need to do that anyway later on but wasn't sure if it was a goner or not. I figure that this will be my only Vanda so I don't mind going out of my way to make it happy. I'm very determined! Thanks for all your help!

I can't find a picture of it, but I am thinking of these clip on lights that they sell in the paint section of home depot. They have a cheap aluminum reflector that is kinda like a trumpet. If you can find one of those for 5$, and a 30 watt compact fluorescent bulb or somewhere in that range, the brighter the better. I think you will probably be ok. I think Daemos was doing a east or westerly window and a bulb like that... but might check the lighting section for ideas... but it can be fore cheap.

[AaronM]

Caseydoll,
Do EXACTLY what Ocelaris ( ) tells you!! If I had gotten advice from Ocelaris sooner I might not have lost the most important orchid in my collection .
I applied some of the same principles to another struggling vanda and have started to see the first signs of move towards health in the six months I've been trying to rescue these plants.
Ocelaris is wise ! Ocelaris is wonderful ! Ocelaris has better looking vandas than you for a reason !
This is my vanda growing mantra.
Seriously!

AaronM

[Daemos]

Caseydoll,

Are you sure that the plant on your photo's is a vanda pr. mikassa. I am trying to get the exact species name for that particular vanda for a long time now and nobody exactly knows what it is.

[Roy]

Originally Posted by Daemos

Caseydoll,

Are you sure that the plant on your photo's is a vanda pr. mikassa. I am trying to get the exact species name for that particular vanda for a long time now and nobody exactly knows what it is.

I think what you should be looking for is :

Ascocenda Princess Mikasa. Not Vanda. It should be cool growing.

[Daemos]

Originally Posted by Roy

I think what you should be looking for is :

Ascocenda Princess Mikasa. Not Vanda. It should be cool growing.

A perfect match with the photo's on google. Another chapter closed thnx Roy

[caseydoll]

So sorry about the confusion Daemos! I have to admit that I was just being lazy when I called it a Vanda and not an Ascocenda. Ascocenda is actually on the tag but I was unsure about the spelling so I called it a Vanda. If I had referred to it correctly there wouldn't be any mystery! Thank you Roy for providing the correct info.

[Ross]

Originally Posted by Ocelaris

Hey Sarah, My guess is that the vanda isn't getting enough light. It's true you shouldn't overly light a stressed plant, but on the other hand they need a fair amount of light to grow. If you can get a 30w screw in compact florescent or something like that with clip on, I think Daemos in another thread has something similar. The only problem with T-5 is that they have a very short range, as in anything more that 12" away is insufficient for high light loving plants. A clip on 30watt compact florescent bulb (and I'm talking the ghetto painting type lamps) should only run 15-20$ or so... Or south facing window... basically, without a light meter, it's hard to tell, but my guess is that it's been shocked, and needs some TLC.

The roots look ok to sprout new ones, but a plant of that size should have many more roots. So I guess that it may have shed some leaves in order to put it's energy into roots.

I think you just need a little more light. the leaves will start to shrivel at the top and usually make spots on the leaves, turning red/purple if it's too much light... Anything short of full sun will be fine.

If she were to get a CF bulb, why not a honker like 105 Watt Compact Fluorescent ? It's no metal-halide, but would do a great job for a couple plants. I think Daemos did something like these. I use them and they work for me on Sophronitis (turns it purple) and several other high light loving types (like Encyclias and Brassias) as well. Only downside is the bulb must be positioned withing 8-10" max of the plant. But it should make a reall difference. My bulbs are approx 4-6" from plants that need it.

I don't grow Vandas, but lots of other orchids will shed leaves when stressed and eventually pull out of it. Only time I haven't seen stress-related leaf shed is in an orchidarium where the conditions are super good. I have seen leaf shed, but not stress related.

[caseydoll]

Thanks Ross! I think I may go with a bulb like that if I see some progress with it. I actually have ordered some bulbs from that site after you had posted about it before. They have really great prices and super fast shipping. I was really pleased. So far there hasn't been anything good happening with my vanda so I'm not sure if I should invest anything in the poor thing. I would think that I've had it long enough that it should be doing better not worse. But I'm not giving up until the last leaf is shed. (which may not be that far off!)