Vandas: I feel like giving up

[smweaver]

Rathwulf, why is the climate in Mexico City bad for vandas? I would have thought that your weather would be decent for them.

Very pretty vanda you have, by the way. And welcome to the website!

Steve

[rathwulf]

Its mainly because the climate here is intermediate towards cool, the humidity is horrendous (hence the humidifier) and the pollution in hideous. Such polluted air. good thing is that the city is quite green.

That's why I mostly have coerulecens, neos, and their hibryds, and a goofy looking Pap Teres.

Thanks for having me here! I'm stunned by the sheer culture tips and the beauty of some of the orchids

[VandaFan]

Hi Carl,
You've got great advice from the forum community. I like to share my experience with you. I live in Canada and do not have a greenhouse. Buying vanda plants alone is hard enough because there isn't a great market i.e. vanda is much harder to grow and (re)bloom given the air is dry and sunlight is not alway abundant. Yet, I did not give up. Gradually, I've acquired a lot of vanda plants and every one of them blooms and reblooms every year. Some even gives new spike just a few weeks after the current one dries out. Window sill is my playground.
To start with, you should try some easy ones like Sansai blue, Pakchong blue, princess Mikasa, or many others classified as "vigorous growth". The first reblooming will encourage you to go further. Sanderiana is very very slow and harder to bloom.
Since the air is dry, I spray the roots whenever I have a chance, sometimes even in the evening (this may be considered as bad practice by others but it works for me). I also grow mine in pots (7 or 8'') with almost no media so that I can bring them to the sink to water or to spray. If you are not sure, do not fertilize. Over fertilizing can burn the roots and damage the plants. Under or no fertilizing, even for a few months, will not cause great damages. Just make sure you have day and night temperature difference to trigger blooming (that does not seem required for the easy ones I mentioned above).
I completely agree with Susan when she said the trick is having lots of them. That's what I have as well and I always have indoor vanda flowers all the time. However, you should start slowly (4, 5 only) and be more aggressive after getting some success.

Good luck to you, Carl.

[Junebug]

Please don't give up.

I live in zone 9b near the coast of Central Florida and this is what I've learned. Vandas and Ascocendas can be successfully grown outdoors in this area. As previously mentioned, make sure all of your orchid selections can survive in high temperatures. A little research can save you lots of money. It's a good precautionary measure to bring plants inside if the temperature is expected to drop below 48 degrees. Forty degrees is my absolute limit for all varieties of orchids. If they are mounted to a tree they remain outside and get securely wrapped for insulation.

It's especially important to keep young Vandas watered well. Inexpensive (porch cooling) misters can be purchased as a seasonal item at Sam's Club. They're easy to hang and an ordinary garden hose can be attached. Ten or 15 minutes of misting twice a day will encourage your Vanda to produce a grand display of roots. If you don't wish to go the mister route make sure to water between 1 and 3 times a day. Vanda's love water. Be cautious if your using well water. Water from deep wells in our area is not good for orchids. I use shallow well water for some of my plants and it doesn't seem to cause any harm. If your considering using well water it might be wise to have it tested. I get satisfactory results using ordinary tap water. Rain water is an excellent choice and can easily be applied with a spray bottle or inexpensive pump sprayer. Some people dunk their Vandas in a large bucket of water...whatever works for you.

I wouldn't recommend potting a Vanda in anything more than an open slat basket with large charcoal nuggets. Their roots thrive on good air circulation will grow quite well with no pot at all.

Sun exposure will vary depending on the type of Vanda. Researching this subject is very important. Some varieties will only tolerate a moderate amount of sun and some thrive in several hours of full exposure. The leaves should not be dark green. Dark leaves are a sign of inadequate lighting. An olive green or light olive green color is an indicator of proper lighting.

Patience is a virtue when growing Vandas. Sometimes they can be very stubborn bloomers. The important thing is to provide them with their proper growing requirements. If they're happy and mature they will grace you with blooms.

Here are some photos of my Vandaceous plants.

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[VandaFan]

Originally Posted by Junebug

Please don't give up.

I wouldn't recommend potting a Vanda in anything more than an open slat basket with large charcoal nuggets. Their roots thrive on good air circulation will grow quite well with no pot at all.

In Canada, I cannot grow orchid outside. Vanda with long roots hanging is a huge problem for me when watering. Potting is my only option. I then can carry them anywhere easily, just like papha, phals, or cats. Attached are a few photos of my sanderiana alba I just took this morning. I wish the flowers were fuller. But, I'll settle for what the plant gives me.

[Swamper]

Originally Posted by VandaFan

In Canada, I cannot grow orchid outside. Vanda with long roots hanging is a huge problem for me when watering. Potting is my only option. I then can carry them anywhere easily, just like papha, phals, or cats. Attached are a few photos of my sanderiana alba I just took this morning. I wish the flowers were fuller. But, I'll settle for what the plant gives me.

Do you have pics of the whole plant including the pot and the roots?

[mollycart1]

Originally Posted by VandaFan

In Canada, I cannot grow orchid outside. Vanda with long roots hanging is a huge problem for me when watering. Potting is my only option. I then can carry them anywhere easily, just like papha, phals, or cats. Attached are a few photos of my sanderiana alba I just took this morning. I wish the flowers were fuller. But, I'll settle for what the plant gives me.

Nicely done! Congratulations!!!

[VandaFan]

Originally Posted by Swamper

Do you have pics of the whole plant including the pot and the roots?

Attached are pictures of the whole plant. I also includes photos of my setup at 1 window. All these vandas bloom regularly. Closer are my Sansai Blue and another sanderiana in spike. When the flowers open, I usually move them to the living room so that my wife can enjoy them.

[stefpix]

VandaFan how long have you had them potted that way? how often do you water them? spraying or dunking in a bucket? Is there any medium in the pots?
stefano

[Swamper]

wow, really nice growing