Trying my vandas in vases, need input.

[amandarenee]

I recently ordered 1 v. coerulea, and ended up with 4.

There are 3 that are fairly small, 1 that is medium, and as far as I know non have previously bloomed. Right now they are all in glass jars/vases bare root with some florist wire for them to balance on to keep upright. The largest is in a basket in the top of it's vase. They all have fairly small root systems, and so there is nothing to help hold the humidity in. I soak them once a week with weak fertilizer, and spray the roots in the morning. They are in a southern facing window.

I want the roots to be dry by the evening, right? Right now I have some airy cloth wrapped around the top of the vases to help hold the humidity in, but I'm not sure if this is the best idea, or if it's even necessary. It is fairly dry here, and in June I'm moving to Arizona, where it is even drier.

I'm wondering what I can do to encourage lots of root growth this spring/summer. Currently they all look a little sad, I received them with damaged and misshapen leaves, so none of them really have that lovely Vanda shape yet.

[Louis_W]

I managed to bloom a little Vanda cristata in New Mexico in similar conditions as you will have in AZ. I used a plastic hanging basket full of LECA. That worked really well. I dunked it at least once or twice a day, more if i was around. With that way of growing you cant really overdo it because the water all just drains out of the LECA so I sometimes dunked it four or five times a day. It was growing very well (I hope it still is, I had to give it away). I also have a friend in NM who grows Vandas in clay pots with half inch pebbles as the medium. Works for him!


As for growing in the vase I cant really help you.

[amandarenee]

Unfortunately I don't have any place suitable for hanging plants But the idea of clay pots and pebbles in interesting. Did you allow any roots to stick out of the pot, or did you try to keep them all contained?

Vase culture sounded interesting at first, but I'm just worried about them all the time now. They seem happy enough, the smallest one is even putting out a new leaf, so maybe I should just calm down and go with the flow.

[nenella]

Amandarenee, have you read the thread on OB about growing in glass vases? All the people (including myself) that have vandas in vases - soak them once a day for about 1/2 hr. Mine flower no prob, some once a year others twice.
If you want more roots try giving them a soak with KLN or other rooting hormone works for me. Also they love sunshine and fertilizer.
Hope this helps

[Wrebbitrocks]

Coming from Tucson, Ive yet to have success with vanda. the 5 or 6 ive tried have been no match to the dry air. no matter how much ive watered them the air sucks the moisture right out. My best luck was with a coerulea hybrid that was doing quite well til the cold got to it this winter. ima try again this year.

Hi Amanda,
I grow several vanda seedlings in glass and they seem to like it. The vasco seedling that I bought first put out many new growths on existing roots, two completely new roots from the stem and a new leaf since I got it.
Encouraged by his progress, I have ordered couple more.
I have got them bareroot, so I placed them in a 4-inch baskets trying carefully to train existing roots through the holes, to make sure they are stable in the baskets.
I put baskets on the top of containers made of thick glass (usually used in the kitchen), their opening fits 4-inch basket perfectly.
I live in 5A zone, our winters are very cold, so the heat dries up the air down to 40%.
Every morning I dunk baskets into pile of water (just keep small pile of water beside the plants) and twice a week (Wed and Sat) I leave them in a water for longer.
Please see attached pictures.
They are my first vandas and I had them for about 3 months, but they did survive the driest period here.
I hope this helps.

[Vanda lover]

I have been experimenting with a gastrochilus in vase culture. I don't soak it every day, I want easier care that than, and I read one thread where the person only soaked every few days when they remembered, but would leave a dribble in the bottom. This seems to be working just fine, it's a tiny plant on an east window sill that gets some morning sun. It's roots are growing very fast. When I got it, it was over potted in fir bark and the roots were rotting. I've had it growing this way since January.