Vanda bud blast - Orchid Board

cath620 · #1 09-13-2009, 04:08 PM

Hello- My vandas bud but the spikes wither and turn brown before any buds bloom. I was reading here yesterday and think that light and fertilizer are not the issues. The vandas are growing and have great roots. They have been getting watered 15 mins every morning on mister system (I'm in So Fla) but is that enough? What is a recommended watering schedule in this area. Weather is now about to turn nicer. Thank for any help.

Update 11/22/09: I sprayed w/Orthene for thrips as suggested and I almost immediately had three different vandas in bud. Beautiful blooms. Thanks for all of the help!!!

Junebug · #2 09-13-2009, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cath620

Hello- My vandas bud but the spikes wither and turn brown before any buds bloom. I was reading here yesterday and think that light and fertilizer are not the issues. The vandas are growing and have great roots. They have been getting watered 15 mins every morning on mister system (I'm in So Fla) but is that enough? What is a recommended watering schedule in this area. Weather is now about to turn nicer. Thank for any help.

The same thing happened to my Noid Asc. It sent up two good looking spikes and everything was looking great and then all of a sudden the buds blasted.

I've had the plant for 4 years and it generally blooms 3 or 4 times a year. I haven't made any cultural changes and the roots and leaves look great...no bugs either. It does have a 1 year old basal keiki that bloomed a few months ago. Maybe the keiki is sapping strength from momma. I just don't know. All my other Vandaceous plants are doing great. It's a mystery to me.

LauraN · #3 09-13-2009, 05:26 PM

I have this happen a lot myself...Not really sure why it happens. I personally under fertilize, and then I've had it happen both to ones grown outside and ones grown in the greenhouse...

orkie · #4 09-13-2009, 07:27 PM

This also happens to one of my intergeneric vanda hybrids. Even when the spike gets buds, it either dries up totally or out of 6 buds I get 3 flowers. I have no clue why this is, it makes up to 5 spikes a year and I get flowers maybe half the time. I've had it indoors and outdoors (in summer), it gets watered almost every single day...it's a mystery to me. It's got a spike right now, I would love to see a full spike of flowers, if anyone has an idea about this-also, I have seen no signs of thrips ever, so I don't think it's an insect issue. I also have a second vanda hybrid now with buds, so I'm anxious to see if this one will make it the whole way.

orchidbingo · #5 09-13-2009, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cath620

Hello- My vandas bud but the spikes wither and turn brown before any buds bloom. I was reading here yesterday and think that light and fertilizer are not the issues. The vandas are growing and have great roots. They have been getting watered 15 mins every morning on mister system (I'm in So Fla) but is that enough? What is a recommended watering schedule in this area. Weather is now about to turn nicer. Thank for any help.

My Ascda. Su-Fun Beauty 'Orange Belle keeps sending out spikes but it seems like 3 out of 4 times, the buds dry out. This is pretty much the only Vanda type I even keep around. I've given up on all the others because they never bloom for me.

bingo

rastafouni · #6 09-14-2009, 05:52 AM

Same happens to me as well sometimes. Last time was last month with a double spike of Vanda coerulea. And like all of you , it's a mystery why. Didn't change any paramaters...
Sometimes a new spike appears just next to it and this one grows and blooms correctly. Really don't understand but it is part of the game...

Swamper · #7 09-14-2009, 08:04 PM

Aphids. When you have your next bud spray the entire plant bud, leaves, roots, all of it with insecticide. No more blasts. Until winter when you bring them in and you give them a sudden change of temp.

orkie · #8 09-14-2009, 08:23 PM

I don't think this re-peat bud blast on vandas is likely a bug issue (or at least I don't think it's mine).

I inspect for bugs pretty frequently using a hand lens (I examine my plants once a week) and have sprayed my whole collection when there has been any sort of issue (mealies snuck in once or twice on new plants) and precautionarily a few times when I've moved plants in and out. This bud blast happens in summer and in winter here in NYC (low 30s high 20s F suring winter) in a 5th floor apartment that maintains a pretty stable temp, there is not a tree or other plant within sight of my window sending bugs my way...so in my case at least, this does not seem to be a bug problem. If it was only an issue in summer and the plant was outside, I would suspect bugs. I initially was worried it could be thrips (as I heard they like vandas) the first time this happened and sprayed religiously while the plant was in spike last year (this was in Feb.). Never saw a single bug and the spike still got as far as forming buds then blasted. The plant that this is a problem with spent all of last year indoors (spiked 5 times, made flowers 2 times, never the full amount of buds). This year I summered it on my fire escape and same pattern, made a spike, blasted it and now that it's back inside for winter, it's got a new spike forming.

I'd love more suggestions on what it could be...!

Swamper · #9 09-14-2009, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orkie

I don't think this re-peat bud blast on vandas is likely a bug issue (or at least I don't think it's mine).

I inspect for bugs pretty frequently using a hand lens (I examine my plants once a week) and have sprayed my whole collection when there has been any sort of issue (mealies snuck in once or twice on new plants) and precautionarily a few times when I've moved plants in and out. This bud blast happens in summer and in winter here in NYC (low 30s high 20s F suring winter) in a 5th floor apartment that maintains a pretty stable temp, there is not a tree or other plant within sight of my window sending bugs my way...so in my case at least, this does not seem to be a bug problem. If it was only an issue in summer and the plant was outside, I would suspect bugs. I initially was worried it could be thrips (as I heard they like vandas) the first time this happened and sprayed religiously while the plant was in spike last year (this was in Feb.). Never saw a single bug and the spike still got as far as forming buds then blasted. The plant that this is a problem with spent all of last year indoors (spiked 5 times, made flowers 2 times, never the full amount of buds). This year I summered it on my fire escape and same pattern, made a spike, blasted it and now that it's back inside for winter, it's got a new spike forming.

I'd love more suggestions on what it could be...!

Yes I meant thrips, sorry, in your case I can only wondr if they are getting hit by a/c vent or something that changes their temp. But you say they have a stable temp and climate control. No bugs. I got nothing else. Hopefully some else can help you.

orkie · #10 09-15-2009, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swamper

Yes I meant thrips, sorry, in your case I can only wondr if they are getting hit by a/c vent or something that changes their temp. But you say they have a stable temp and climate control. No bugs. I got nothing else. Hopefully some else can help you.

I got nothing too! But I appreciate the advice

.

For anyone else who has had this mysterious sort of vanda problem, is it possible that bugs, like thrips, are the problem?