Vanda in vase: problem & buds!

[Buds!]

Hi everyone,
Yes, I am still growing my vandas in vases. I purchased 3 vandas in May.
I need some help from the vanda experts because I don't know what I am doing wrong?

The Results:

Vanda Sansai Blue
This Vanda came with some strange blotches on the leaves, some of the bottom leaves were also yellow. After 3 months in my care, it has grown LOTS of new roots. The problem is that I don't understand why the lower leaves are turning yellow and dropping off.
I have lost 3 leaves and another one/ two is going to drop soon.
The Sansai Blue gets the same care as the other two vandas: water/ soak everyday (or every second day, depending on weather), and fertilize weekly.
This Sansai Blue also had a soak in Epson salt five weeks ago. I am not sure if that helped?
I wonder if my Sansai Blue came sick? Or am I doing something wrong?




Princess Mikasa Blue & Vanda Blue Magic
These two just took off and I am going to get some flowers soon. I couldn't be happier!





As you can see this is quite confusing for me, the two vandas above are very healthy, I am not sure what is happening with the Sansai Blue?

Youe help would be most appreciated!
Juliet

[snow]

i am not a vanda grower; but i was wondering what you,re lifgt conditions are?
also i was thinking that it needs some fresh air breezes.

[dgenovese1]

Hi Juliet,
While I don't grow my Vandas in vases, I do have some experience growing them, and particularly growing the V. Sansai Blue. I’ll give you my Sansai Blue story at the end.
Your roots look nice and healthy, which is one of the most important things on a Vanda, grown under any conditions. I grow mine outdoors in a shade house.
I don't know what light source you are using...is the Sansai Blue farther away from the bright light than the other two? Vandas like bright light...I grow mine in 50 to 70% sunlight (shaded by 30 to 50% depending on where they are in the shade house). That could be a reason the lower leaves are dropping, not enough light.
The black spots look like a fungal infection that sometimes gets on Vanda leaves...I don't remember the name of the fungus, but I've seen what you've pictured here. This could also be another reason why you are losing leaves. Try a good broad spectrum, systemic fungicide like Diathan M-45. It comes as a yellow powder and is mixed 1 tablespoon per gallon of water. If a fungus is what you’ve got, it will stop it; however the black spot damage will not go away.
Now here’s my story, which may provide you with additional clues as to what is wrong with your plant. I had a problem with my Sansai Blue and ended up topping it off because of a repeated fungal infection on its leaves and crown. I think that this hybrid may be a little more susceptible to fungus than some others. In spite of my prevention regime for fungus outbreaks in my collection I was getting yellow and black spots and treated them by cutting them off and using cinnamon on the cut leaves. I also had whole leaves turning yellow and falling off in the middle of the plant, and one new leaf at the crown. When that happened, I bit the bullet about 6 months ago and lobbed off the entire top of the plant, leaving about 8 inches of stalk with about a dozen leaves. Now the plant looks very healthy and green, including every leaf on all 3 of the sprouts that grew from the stem. They are all about 6 inches tall now! I’ve decided to treat this plant a little more diligently for fungus. Hopefully that will stave off a repeat performance.
I don’t think you need to be that drastic, as your plant actually doesn’t look too bad off, but you may want to at least get a fungicide for it and check out the light it is getting.
I hope this helps!

[dgenovese1]

Originally Posted by snow

i am not a vanda grower; but i was wondering what you,re lifgt conditions are?
also i was thinking that it needs some fresh air breezes.

Snow,
That's a great point I didn't thinbk about. Vandas do like a lot of air movement if it's at all possible...plus one more thing...they like to dry quickly after being watered.

[Buds!]

Originally Posted by dgenovese1

Snow,
That's a great point I didn't thinbk about. Vandas do like a lot of air movement if it's at all possible...plus one more thing...they like to dry quickly after being watered.

Hi David,

for the advise! It may very well be a fungus issue. I will email a picture to the vendor. I wish people would stop selling SICK plants! It did look a bit weird compared with the other two vandas when it arrived.

I am growing these vandas on a east window sill, it gets plenty of light, as you can see the Princess Mikasa & Blue Magic are both showing a bit of leaf burn, and have spiked under the same light intensity (on a sunny day my light meter reads 6000FC in the morning and 1000 to 1200 FC in the afternoon).

Snow: The vases in the photos look wet because I had just watered them. The vandas have their own fan, and heater!!! They roots are dried before night fall.

Thanks for all your suggestions. I will try to look for some fungicide! What a bummer!

[renatedorrel]

Juliet,
I read your post with great interest. I just put my new Vanda in a vase today. The grower had wrapped the roots in a circle and stuck the whole thing into a plastic pot. Needless to say, most of the roots had rotted. He is a renowned and very successful orchid grower!! My question now is: My plant will get plenty of light, but the roots in the vase are below the window. Will that be a problem? I am fascinated by vase culture and think that is a great way to have a Vanda in the house. Many people have expressed concern that the roots will not get enough air, but from what I have seen, that's not a problem.
Good luck with your fungus problem, if that is it.
Renate

[JennS]

Renate,

I don't know this for sure, but I think your vanda will be fine with the vase above the window. As long as the light is bright enough for the plant, I "think" it's OK. Although roots can photosynthesize, people put them inside pots all of the time and they still do fine. I think it would be beneficial to allow more light to the roots (not direct light, of course), but I don't think it will be very harmful. Just watch it closely and let us know what happens!

[Buds!]

Originally Posted by renatedorrel

;135414]Juliet,
I read your post with great interest. I just put my new Vanda in a vase today. The grower had wrapped the roots in a circle and stuck the whole thing into a plastic pot. Needless to say, most of the roots had rotted. He is a renowned and very successful orchid grower!! My question now is: My plant will get plenty of light, but the roots in the vase are below the window. Will that be a problem? I am fascinated by vase culture and think that is a great way to have a Vanda in the house. Many people have expressed concern that the roots will not get enough air, but from what I have seen, that's not a problem.
Good luck with your fungus problem, if that is it.
Renate

Hi Renate,
I think it would be better if your vanda roots could get a bit of light because the light heats up the vase and simulates the hot humid conditions that the vandas loves- like a little green house. Having said that, I also agree with JennS, many other people do grow vandas in pots.

In winter my vase vandas literally sit on my window sill.

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A few tips with regard to vase culture:

1. Ventilation: it is all about the rate of evapouration, you want the roots to stay wet/ moist when there is light ie. photosynthesis, but dry when it is dark to avoid fugus/ rot.

I do turn the vases around once a day to make sure even air circulation on both sides and tilt it with a plastic cap to increase air circulation on a cloudy day.

2. Choose an easy bloomer like Asc. Princess Mikasa or any of the V. coerulea hybrid, they are more forgiving.

3. If you already have root rot, then you have to treat the infected area before putting it in the vase. Once the vandas roots are disturbed, they can sulk for months. I have a Asc. Princess Mikasa Pink that was in bark, it has taken 3 monts to grow new roots in v/c.

It is a lot of effort but the blooms are worth it!

All the best!
Juliet

[pedidiva]

My sansai came with similar spots. They have not increased, nor moved to other leaves. I figured that they were due to mechanical damage, blemishes, or sunspots. It was pretty deydrated when it arrived.

I have it in vase cultue. I water/soak ~ 1 hour daily. Previously to rehydrate, I did it longer. The older leaves are still wrinkled & probably will be, I've decided. The newer leaves are smooth. New roots, so I figure the plant must be happy.

I am in a very dry environment. HTH

Pedi

PS I can't wait for mine to bud. I hope you post pics of your flowers.