Hi, Carl. Jenn gave great advice in her comments to you. I would humbly add my opinion that your success might also depend on the type of vanda that you're trying to grow. The Euanthe (formerly Vanda) sanderiana hybrids tend, in my experience, to be the slower growing members of the family. They also tend to be some of the more temperamental ones as far as their flowering habits go (again, I'm only speaking from personal experience). Have you tried your hand at any vanda species other than sanderiana? After years of failing miserably at getting the sanderiana hybrids to grow (let alone flower), I tried a couple of the "true" vanda species. I started off with V. tessellata and V. merrillii and was overjoyed to find that they were much easier to grow and flower than the sanderiana-derived hybrids. They readily produce new roots along the entire length of the stem (unlike the sanderiana hybrids, which often limit their root growth to the base of the plant) and are quite vigorous growers. And while neither of these species probably has the "wow" factor that the big saucer-shaped flowers of the sanderiana plants display when they bloom, they do flower reliably and are easy (and relatively fast) growers. One of the nicest things about them (and in contrast to the vast majority of sanderiana hybrids) is that they produce wonderfully fragrant blooms. And if I can grow them here in the less-than-ideal Midwest, you shouldn't have too much trouble with them in Florida. You could also try growing some of the aerides species, which also produce fragrant blooms, and are easy to grow and flower. Not sure why all of the roots on your plans shriveled up and the leaves dropped, but maybe, as Jenn stated, they weren't getting watered heavily enough. During the growing season I drench mine with the hose a few times a day until every root has turned dark green with moisture and the entire plant looks like it just weathered a tropical downpour. Were you fertilizing your plants heavily? Although I have read that vandas are heavy feeders, I tend to be rather miserly with the fertilizer, and my plants still grow well and flower regularly. So I think that perhaps fertilizing them heavily might be a bit overrated (and if your plants are--or were--stressed and losing roots and leaves, fertilizing them may actually be more detrimental than beneficial). See if you can pick up a copy of Dr. Motes's book on vandas and their culture (can't remember the exact name, but it's probably on Amazon if you search under his name). It's got a lot of interesting information on the differences between sanderiana (and its hybrids) and the majority of the other vanda species, and it gives helpful information on how to grow the plants. And don't give up hope! Good luck!
Steve
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