Vanda roots dry and leaves falling off...

[Blueszz]

Hi Robi,
ST = Superthrive.

Don't cut anything (yet). I love to help you, have a dehydrated Vanda meself (rescue) and at least can tell you my experiences with this plant and Vase culture. You might have multi-problem...

Dehydrated to the point were also the velamen around the roots is partially dead, as some rot going on on the stem. I'm not sure about the rot but I see something that I don't like.
Don't spray with water for now... give the roots good soaks and avoid at all costs that water gets in between stem and leafs especially were it lost the leafs.

Currently it's past midnight here and I really should go to bed as I have to get up very early. I'm too tiered to concentrate on a long answer... so I'm going to give that a try tomorrow...

Don't cut roots yet, even when they appear dead they can be helpful rehydrating your plant.

(I soak one of mine several hours a day and it bounces back this way - the roots don't turn nice green, just as yours, and even has less roots)

Nicole

[Robi]

Ok Thank you I understand I will look for your post in the am...Goodnight

[orkie]

ST is my abbreviation for Superthrive. There is a hydroponics store in Queens (just google that it will come up, it's on the Horace Harding Expressway), that is the only place I know for sure in NYC has it, as well as the KLN. Plus they have other orchid rowing (and other kind of growing) supplies. The Brooklyn Botanical Garden might also have it, they have some pretty good orchid supplies and are free one day a week to enter (either Tues or Wed...). If you haven't been there, you should go, they have wonderful vandas (on display, not for sale, I wish!). They have vanda baskets and various mediums though.

I also wouldn't start actively fertilizing until you have signs of growth, like March/April, as it could burn the roots and you don't want that. If you want to put it into a basket, consider adding a bit of moss or cocohusk fiber (I cut up one of those coco mat liners for large hanging baskets from Home Depot) or just pot it up.

Also, there are several orchid shows coming up soon where there is sure to be supplies like ST and of course plants for sale! Deepcut in NJ has a nice hsow the first week of Feb and the very best Noertheast show is the Longwood Garden show the last weekend of March. It's worth skipping out of work to go the first day! I like to check what vendors will be there and have any plants I must have delivered to the show, so no shipping charge and I'm sure to get what I want.

Where did you get the Vanda from, I'm just curious? And does it have a name? Some hybrids are a little pickier than others in terms of temps/sun. As a NYC grower, my winter goals are to keep the plants healthy during winter and try getting them happy enough to grow and bloom during summer. I think you rplant can make it, but if it doesn't you can always start over with a nice healthy plant in March or so and then have months to get it robust enough to have a decent winter. I've lost one vanda (that came with no roots from an infamous grower on Ebay, BillAsia) that I babied until I just decided it was more trouble than it was worth (2 roots, weird virusy looking spots, no growth) and trashed it. So where you buy from also makes a huge differenc ein how much work you have to put into the plant at the beginning. That said, it's rewarding to revive a sad plant.

Any help I can give (and all this is just what works for me of course) I'm happy to offer. Other growers both in NYC and of course elsewhere may have different advice or ideas.

[orkie]

Oh, I agree about not cutting off woody looking roots, I've had, almost magically, new great roots appear out of these gnarly looking roots on many plants!

[stefpix]

I have a few in NYC.
I mist them daily even twice a day and try to soak every 2/ 3 days. some bare root some with some coco chips in a plastic basket.
They are mostly small. The larger one V pak chong blue came from smiley's and had long thing roots.
I keep this bare roots and basically started growing many new thicker roots and the longer skinny roots dried up. Probably chunkier roots are better for drier conditions.

I have 2 small Vandas - 2 for price of one - Pachara from royal orchid club.
I can see one grows much faster than the other. But I somehow have the impression a smaller plant may adapt sooner to diverse conditions. But could also be that one seedling is stronger than teh other.

I have seen dying yellowing drying vandas even in the conservatory of teh Brooklyn Botanic Garden. most thrive some die.

Coco chips seems to be the best media for me. gets wet faster and dries faster than bark. it seems to be resistant to molds and roots like it. I used hydroton but I had some roots dry up or having the tip turn brown when in contact with hydroton. It may dry too fast.

the issus with teh shower... I used to do that but if the water gets in between the leaves you may lose some leaves. happened to me.

[JennS]

Here in Florida we have had a few cold snaps recently and I had to bring the Vandas inside. I have had this issue previous years as well and learned quickly that with the heat on inside it is very dry for them. If I slack off on soaking them (I do this in the bathtub for about 10-20 minutes at a time and make sure they dry out quickly like they would outside) I have lost spikes that were actively growing prior to being brought inside. So, I try to just soak them everyday now, but I have missed a day here and there, but not two days in a row. I will also lightly fertilize about once a week and use superthrive when I fertilize. I have actively growing vandas so I still fertilize them.

I agree that I would not cut off those roots. There is still a chance to get new growth from them, but you might also get new roots starting from the base of the plant. One of my vandas that lost all of its roots did successfully sprout new roots eventually, but it has not bloomed yet since then and that was about 2 years ago. It is still alive though, so there is hope.