Triming vanda roots

[Swamper]

I like that idea Dave, they look great. I guess I have room. I couldn't cut them either.In the meantime I'll just hang mine higher.

[addictedcountryman]

Thanks David! I love Vandas. Yours look very happy. I just hung mine outside this past week (its currently 94 in the shade). They seem very happy; i just hope they grow as much a yours have.

abby

[unhappykat]

It all depends where you grow the plants, if your area is constantly warm and humid and you can provide them with the care they need after shocking them with the root trimming you should be fine with some occasional pruning. I cant prune because the plants I have dont produce an abundance of long thin roots, instead they like to produce a few very hard, stiff, and brittle roots that hang way below the pot, to conter this I sometimes snap the tips before they elongate to allow them to branch which makes weaving a lot easier. The ones I miss usually end up snapping off and then the plants refuses to bloom that year, Spoiled Brat.

[nancy]

Interesting that this topic just came up, as a pal (also editor of her OS newsletter) forwarded a copy of the newsletter to me, with excerpts from a talk by Robert Fuchs (and he oughta know), who said that he just cuts the roots straight across, and this encourages both more roots to form between the leaves, but also more top growth and more inflorescences.
I'm pretty much in agreement with the people who say this idea makes their flesh creep...but, I have a giant honking vanda, 4' tall with 5' of roots, and that sucker just refuses to bloom, so what's the risk? So, a few weeks ago, I cut the roots straight across about a foot below the bottommost leaves.
No verdict yet, the plant still hasn't bloomed, but it didn't immediately croak, either.
However, I'll keep an eye on it, and report. I hope there will be something *to* report!
On another vanda-abuse note, I cut about 1/2 way through the canes of a couple of very long-necked vandas (lots of foliage, topping a long, nekkid, rooty stem). One has sprouted new roots above the cut, and a couple of little plantlets below it. We will see what happens next...

[unhappykat]

Originally Posted by nancy

Interesting that this topic just came up, as a pal (also editor of her OS newsletter) forwarded a copy of the newsletter to me, with excerpts from a talk by Robert Fuchs (and he oughta know), who said that he just cuts the roots straight across, and this encourages both more roots to form between the leaves, but also more top growth and more inflorescences.
I'm pretty much in agreement with the people who say this idea makes their flesh creep...but, I have a giant honking vanda, 4' tall with 5' of roots, and that sucker just refuses to bloom, so what's the risk? So, a few weeks ago, I cut the roots straight across about a foot below the bottommost leaves.
No verdict yet, the plant still hasn't bloomed, but it didn't immediately croak, either.
However, I'll keep an eye on it, and report. I hope there will be something *to* report!
On another vanda-abuse note, I cut about 1/2 way through the canes of a couple of very long-necked vandas (lots of foliage, topping a long, nekkid, rooty stem). One has sprouted new roots above the cut, and a couple of little plantlets below it. We will see what happens next...

I have heard of slightly damaging the stem on a vanda to induce new roots and plantlets to form, when I tried it nothing happened, except the plant hasn't bloomed this year, nor has it formed any new roots, i think I made it mad.

[dgenovese1]

Originally Posted by unhappykat

It all depends where you grow the plants, if your area is constantly warm and humid and you can provide them with the care they need after shocking them with the root trimming you should be fine with some occasional pruning. I cant prune because the plants I have dont produce an abundance of long thin roots, instead they like to produce a few very hard, stiff, and brittle roots that hang way below the pot, to conter this I sometimes snap the tips before they elongate to allow them to branch which makes weaving a lot easier. The ones I miss usually end up snapping off and then the plants refuses to bloom that year, Spoiled Brat.

Hey Kat,
I was just wondering how often you water your vandaceous chids? After hearing your root description, it came to me that you might be under-watering them. I don't know what your growing circumstances are, so that may make a diffeence too. Fill me in a little...I may have some suggestions for you. I've got about 140 or so vandaceous plants in my collection, and most have healthy roots that are firm yet flexible, with their length depending on the overall size of the plant. Even most of my 2 to 3 year old seedlings have roots 8 to 10 inches long.

[unhappykat]

Originally Posted by dgenovese1

Hey Kat,
I was just wondering how often you water your vandaceous chids? After hearing your root description, it came to me that you might be under-watering them. I don't know what your growing circumstances are, so that may make a diffeence too. Fill me in a little...I may have some suggestions for you. I've got about 140 or so vandaceous plants in my collection, and most have healthy roots that are firm yet flexible, with their length depending on the overall size of the plant. Even most of my 2 to 3 year old seedlings have roots 8 to 10 inches long.

I grow my plants outside during the summer for the fresh air, the only reason they get brought in is the winter frost, during winter they remain in a shelter away from frost during which time they experience a dormancy. They hang beneath a willow tree during the summer and are watered every two to three days, they sit above a growing bench that gets water with the same schedule. To make up for the absence of water I give them a small amont of sphag moss around the roots to retain moisture, some grow in clay filled with moss. I think the super thick roots are a result of many being grown with low humidity, or they contain Rhynchostylis in their parentage and the root habit has passed on to them. I have tried misters that were automatically operated but found them to leave spots all over the other plants so I just stopped. What is your opinion?

[JennS]

Nancy, oh my gosh! Did I read right, you removed about 4' of roots? DId it hurt? I mean you, not the 'chid? I think I may have passed out after watching my baby grow all these roots and then I whack them off! However, I can understand your situation...you had to try something! I am not criticizing so, please don't take it that way. I am just wondering how it affected you!

Kat, I don't know anything (and I really mean anything) about your climate, but my initial guess is that watering every 2-3 days is too little. I water at least 1 time a day, as do alot of other florida growers, but if you are in more northern cali this may not be necessary. Someone else shoudl come along with better and more scientific info for you. I just wanted to throw out my thoughts on the subject. I do have one vanda that sounds like the one you described, but they are not that thick. They are long (very long) brittle roots and a couple seem dead. I just received the plant as a gift though so i can't speculate how it was cared for previously. Anyway, I have been trying to water it alot, fert. and give it superthrive to try to get some new roots.

Good luck with your 'chids!

[dgenovese1]

Originally Posted by unhappykat

I grow my plants outside during the summer for the fresh air, the only reason they get brought in is the winter frost, during winter they remain in a shelter away from frost during which time they experience a dormancy. They hang beneath a willow tree during the summer and are watered every two to three days, they sit above a growing bench that gets water with the same schedule. To make up for the absence of water I give them a small amont of sphag moss around the roots to retain moisture, some grow in clay filled with moss. I think the super thick roots are a result of many being grown with low humidity, or they contain Rhynchostylis in their parentage and the root habit has passed on to them. I have tried misters that were automatically operated but found them to leave spots all over the other plants so I just stopped. What is your opinion?

Hi Kat,
Jenn is correct in her assertion that watering every 2 to 3 days is significantly less than ideal, although I have heard other growers tell me the same thing, so don't feel that you are alone. Some of your tricks you're using might be helpful, but from your initial description, your plants are suffering some.
I borrowed my Vanda watering regime from nature, where they grow naturally in forests that receive rain on an almost daily basis, plus from growers like Dr. Martin Motes and Michael Coronado (VP of RF Orchids), both of whom have been growing and breeding vandaceous plants for decades.
Dr. Motes recommends watering the roots thoroughly, early each morning (until there is runoff from the roots), wait about 10 to 15 minutes, and then water thoroughly again. With healthy plants, the first watering will moisten the roots...turning them from white to green (the velum root covering actually opens its pores during this stage and the chlorophyll in the roots becomes visible), the second pass with the water actually gives the plants their drink, with the water passing through the pores to the root hairs in the center of the velum covering.
Dr. Motes says that this watering technique...the double pass...is sufficient enough to mimic the long daily rains that these plants receive in their natural environments; furthermore he states that this is even more important for species varieties.
I have enough plants to water each day that I just start at the beginning of the line, and when I am done, I start back at the beginning and do it a second time...this does the trick for me.
As for your growing area Kat, the only tip I can suggest is to see if you can move the plants you have under your vandas so they won't get over-watered, and give it a try with more frequent watering on just the vandas. They will certainly improve on their roots...thus giving you more blooms!

[dgenovese1]

Originally Posted by JennS

Nancy, oh my gosh! Did I read right, you removed about 4' of roots? DId it hurt? I mean you, not the 'chid? I think I may have passed out after watching my baby grow all these roots and then I whack them off! However, I can understand your situation...you had to try something! I am not criticizing so, please don't take it that way. I am just wondering how it affected you!

Kat, I don't know anything (and I really mean anything) about your climate, but my initial guess is that watering every 2-3 days is too little. I water at least 1 time a day, as do alot of other florida growers, but if you are in more northern cali this may not be necessary. Someone else shoudl come along with better and more scientific info for you. I just wanted to throw out my thoughts on the subject. I do have one vanda that sounds like the one you described, but they are not that thick. They are long (very long) brittle roots and a couple seem dead. I just received the plant as a gift though so i can't speculate how it was cared for previously. Anyway, I have been trying to water it alot, fert. and give it superthrive to try to get some new roots.

Good luck with your 'chids!

Hi Jenn,
Just a comment on what you've mentioned at the end of your post. I've had similar plants like you described with the long brittle roots...these are probably dead, dehydrated roots from past neglect. Your ideas for promoting additional roots are great...if you haven't done so already, you may want to check out the post in the Vanda forum titled "promoting new roots on a vanda.....". It has lots of additional suggestions that you might find helpful. I read through the whole 4 pages the other night.