Vanda (Trudelia) cristata - Orchid Board

Blueszz · #1 05-18-2009, 04:20 PM

I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the right section

I hope to get my Vanda cristata this week. Of coarse I did some online research but I hope people from this forum are willing to share how they culture their own Vanda cristata (or close relative like Vanda alpina). What did work for you, what didn't?

Questions I wonder about: Did you pot it, mount it? How much light do you give it, when do you water it and what kind of medium do you use if you have the plant potted? At what temperatures do you keep it? Humidity?

... and I beg you to post pictures from your Vanda cristata

... I would love to see yours!

It would be nice if you are willing to share this with me.

Thanks Nicole

epiphyte78 · #2 05-19-2009, 01:01 AM

My Vanda cristata is in bloom right now. I've had it for a little over a year now and received it as a near blooming size orchid. It's outside, mounted low on a Ficus benjamina tree. It gets filtered morning light and the leaves are a light green. The coldest it got this last winter was 33F and during the summer it probably hit 100F a few times. During winter I watered it around once a week and during the hottest days of summer I watered it every evening. Slugs and snails love to eat the roots so I have to make sure there is sufficient snail bait around the tree.

If I don't post a picture by the end of the week please send me a PM to remind me.

Blueszz · #3 05-20-2009, 06:30 AM

Thanks!
I know a bit about the climate in CA as a friend lives there and I get often to hear how hot it is, or how cold (well, cold for CA standards LOL).
Can you tell me a bit about the humidity where you live?

Mine can't live outdoors year round, the winters are too cold for that but I think it will do pretty well outdoors during summer and depending on the weather it can be outdoors during spring and part of fall too.

Here is mine:

Tom-DE · #4 05-20-2009, 03:36 PM

Your plant looks very nice and it may bloom for you next year. If I were you, I would just leave the plant in the basket without any growing medium if your humidity is good. This species does best on mount or in an empty basket, bright light, intermediate temperature(or slightly cooler). Mine is on stick mount and I water it every other day.

Blueszz · #5 05-20-2009, 05:40 PM

Your's is so beautiful! Does yours smell and how does it smell?

Mounted on a stick, sounds interesting! There is no way I can get it out of the basket without damaging the roots, so I leave it just were it is. The roots seem to be glued to the basket ;-) even after a real long soak.
Maybe it's a stupid question, but what do you considder as 'humid enough'?

I never had bare root plants or mounted plants. This week I started with a mounted Haraella and a mounted Phal. pulchra and this Vanda that grows in a basket. I love it, but watering mounted/bare root plants is quit different from potted plants. I have to figure out their needs ASAP :-)

The medium in the basket was tight moss, which I removed. I added the largest chunks of bark I could find and only used a few strings of moss to help to keep it moist a bit longer. It's not tight at all, in fact I can almost look thru the basket from top to bottem. Due to the moss it was in before I got it, it had lost several roots.
I prefer to dunk/spray the root system when necessary, rather than loosing other roots due to rot.
As it likes intermediate temps I leave it outdoors, only when they predict thunderstorms I might bring it in. I don't want this young plant damaged by heavy wind or hail. I think it benefits from the temp drop during the nights and that the plant grows stronger than when I grow it indoors now. Indoors it warmer during the day, above recommended temperatures for this Vanda. I don't want to grow it weak leaves.

Thanks for your help, it's really apreciated!

Nicole

epiphyte78 · #6 05-26-2009, 07:51 PM

Here are the photos of my cristata...

I haven't detected a fragrance. The humidity is quite low here but I water at night when night time temperatures do not fall below 55F.

pheli · #7 05-27-2009, 03:11 AM

I don't have this species but have its brother, Trudelia alpina. The flowers of my plant faced downward, which was difficult for me to take a photo for them.

Roy · #8 05-27-2009, 04:45 AM

I have order T. pumila and want cristata and alpina but they seen to be rarely available here. Boy!!! do I want cristata.

Blueszz · #9 05-27-2009, 07:14 AM

Thanks you guys for the pictures!
Mounted against a tree, woow that looks so stunning! I never saw a picture from T. alpina but read about the different flower shape. Thank you for showing me the alpina too!
Right now I followed Tom's advise and I removed the bark from the basket, so it's sitting naked in it's basket. I monitor the plant to see if this is OK in my climate.
I read that people on a German board prefer them potted (overal the same climate as were I live).

We'll see.

As it came with rotted roots (tight moss in the basket) I don't want to loose any more roots thus I keep it bare root for now.

Again thank you, I really enjoyed seeing your plants!

Nicole

guillesala · #10 12-31-2012, 01:49 PM

Hello from Florida!

I came accross your post in the orchid forum and I wanted to find out more about your cristata. I have been looking for a while for one here in Florida without success. Can you tell me where you got yours in the US? who is your source in California and or perhaps you have one that might want to sale? I am looking for one but havent had luck.

Thank You and all the best.

Guillermo