Getting Vanda tessellata to bloom

[smweaver]

I need some help, guys. I have a V. tessellata that, although quite happy to grow taller and produce what seems like a billion new roots every year, is stubbornly refusing to bloom. The plant is approximately 2 feet tall (approximately 61 cm) and very healthy. It gets lots of direct morning sun, followed by very bright conditions for the remainder of the day. I water it every day, and it gets small amounts of fertilizer every couple of days (for convenience, I have it growing in a clay pot, but there's nothing actually in the pot except for a mass of roots).

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I'm certainly placing the blame on me rather than on the plant. Any suggestions to help get the plant to bloom (short of threatening it with a food processor) will be much appreciated. Thanks!

Steve

[susiep]

Steve, sounds like you are doing everything right, so I can only offer 2 explanations. First, the plant is just young and hasn't reached the age to bloom. Second, you are treating it too good.

I have a lot of vandas. Most bloom for me. A few have never bloomed. They are all treated the same. I rarely fertilize. The only advantage I have over you is very hot temps for about 5 months and warm for 6 months and maybe 1 cold month. High humidity most of the year. I have mine under palm tree shade but that is still bright. Maybe it is the water (pH, etc). I use regular city water on mine, but I grow outside so I flood them with the hose. Then they dry out hard. In summer I water twice daily if possible.

I have a V tessellata which is blooming now. It is a small plant with maybe 5-6 flowers. But I have several hybrids such as V Cindy Banks and V Arjuna Wink that bloom about twice a year.

Hopefully someone will have a good suggestion for growing these in northern climates.

[natasha]

i too have a vanda hybrid that refuse to flower... it is already taller than me.. when i buy it, it is about 3-4 ft high, and now perhaps already 6 ft!

[smweaver]

Thank you, Susan, for your feedback. I actually don't fertilize very much (in either quantity or frequency). The thing still grows like a weed, and I've found that it's quite tolerant of cool winter temperatures (this, in fact, is one of the reasons why I acquired the plant several years ago--the other being it's reputedly free-blooming nature!). Here's a picture of it that I took this afternoon:

Vanda tessellata on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I'm going to take your advice and start treating it less kindly. Perhaps a little bit of fear (or whatever the plant world's equivalent of it might be) will induce it to think that the end of the world is at hand and attempt to flower.

Steve

[trdyl]

Have you tried increasing the light intensity?

[smweaver]

I might just have to try that. But the plant is growing alongside Dendrobium speciosum and Rhyncholaelia digbyana, and those two plants bloom reliably. All three of these plants take direct, unobstructed sunlight from 7 A.M. until noon. Then they get moved to a location that is only slightly shaded from noon until (at this time of year) 7 P.M. During the winters the plants get moved to an unobstructed Southern exposure. I think my next step might be to shove it out with the cacti to see what happens.

[mollycart1]

Originally Posted by smweaver

Vanda tessellata on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I'm going to take your advice and start treating it less kindly. Perhaps a little bit of fear (or whatever the plant world's equivalent of it might be) will induce it to think that the end of the world is at hand and attempt to flower.

Steve

Holy Cow! That is HUGE. I think I baby my plants more than I should.

[Angurek]

The plant looks like it has reached blooming size. Maybe it's just the plant. I know for a fact that all plants of a specific type may not necessarily follow a norm. I think you were unlucky enough to buy the rebel of the bunch.

Even though you don't fertilize heavily, it might be the nitrogen levels. A long time ago, I heard something about vandas being reluctant to bloom if exposed to too much nitrogen. Allegedly, they'll stop blooming and continue growth. Not sure about the validity of these claims, though.

[smweaver]

Good point about the fertilizer, Carl. In addition to giving it even more light, I'm going to reduce the amount of fertilizer it gets. Maybe that will help. Thank you for the tip.

Steve

[trdyl]

Did a little research with the help of a friend and came up with 3000 to 4000 foot candles needed for tessellata.