Vanda coerulea, how long to blooming size??

[Gage]

Ok, I know this is so lame, but all these coerulea pics are making me antsy. Honestly, until yesterday's thread on coeruleas, I was perfectly content to wait patiently for my little seedling to reach blooming size. But now that I'm all worked up, how long do you coerulea growers think it'll take to get this puppy to first blooms? Right now it's right at 7 inches from leaf tip to leaf tip, and it's been steadily growing roots and leaves since I got it back in January. I'm growing it in vase (mason jar) culture for now to give it more humidity to the roots. Seems to love it. So what do you guys think? Thanks for the feedback!

[Arenalbotanicalgarden]

You know how opinions are.
I say until it's in a basket ? NEVER.

[Gage]

Originally Posted by Arenalbotanicalgarden

You know how opinions are.
I say until it's in a basket ? NEVER.

That's interesting. How do you think a basket would relate to blooming?

[Bud]

Dude, you are in South Florida where it is warm and the atmosphere is humid and very conducive to growing vandas outside. You do not have frost so you can pot it in a basket or stick it to a tree...put it inside if it goes below 40...I say you still have a year before that blooms.

[Gage]

Originally Posted by Bud

Dude, you are in South Florida where it is warm and the atmosphere is humid and very conducive to growing vandas outside. You do not have frost so you can pot it in a basket or stick it to a tree...put it inside if it goes below 40...I say you still have a year before that blooms.

One year sounds short! Thanks for the vote of confidence to put it outside, but for now it will grow faster in the jar lol. I bought 3 Vanda seedlings at the same time, and after a couple of months I put the biggest one in a basket outside. It seemed to really slow down its growth, and I believe it's because the roots are drying out in less than 2 minutes after watering because of the wind. I can only water once a day, so outside that amounts to less water than in the jar on the windowsill. I know it seems like a conundrum since I'm in South Florida. I think once the roots gain a couple of inches I may put 'er out.

[Bud]

Very good experiment. I have frost at the moment so all my vandas have their roots curled inside a vase(but the glass vase is drilled with holes to let water out) you are right the humidity is preserved and the roots dont need everyday watering...but during summer; the extreme humidity and warm bright sun of manhattan makes me let the vandas hang loose their roots and stay at the fire escape ( kinda like the breakfast at tiffany fire escape Audrey Hepburn was singing "moon River")...and summer gets them watered twice a day
* I am sorry I didnt see the ratio of the jar to the longest leaf...that is a seedling! more or less give it 4 years

my coerulea is 6 yrs old in spike at the moment

[Gage]

Originally Posted by Bud

Very good experiment. I have frost at the moment so all my vandas have their roots curled inside a vase(but the glass vase is drilled with holes to let water out) you are right the humidity is preserved and the roots dont need everyday watering...but during summer; the extreme humidity and warm bright sun of manhattan makes me let the vandas hang loose their roots and stay at the fire escape ( kinda like the breakfast at tiffany fire escape Audrey Hepburn was singing "moon River")...and summer gets them watered twice a day
* I am sorry I didnt see the ratio of the jar to the longest leaf...that is a seedling! more or less give it 4 years

my coerulea is 6 yrs old in spike at the moment

That's a great routine you have with the fire escape, and then back to vase culture (of sorts) for the winter.

Darn, 4 years is more like what I was thinking. I'll just keep it fed, and put it outside once it has enough roots. [fingers crossed]

[pedidiva]

OK, here's my question.

How tall does a Vanda need to be to spike? For instance, a coerulea? I assume the height is somehow related to age?

TIA~~
Pedi

[mollycart1]

Gage, it looks like mine is a different clone. I also have another V. coerulea, which looks similar with yours. I have had it for almost 2 years and it is a shy of a foot wide leaf span. I do not think it is even close to a blooming size.... 'sigh'

[wonderlen3000]

Its all depends on the clone. Funny thing is all the wild clone of V. coerulea are a lot more compact than the selected breeded clone. Wild one, you can expect to flower as small as 6" with leaf span about 5-6".

Most of the line breeded clone from Thailand are alot bigger. Most will start to bloom around 8-10" tall and leaf span about 10". Note coerulea has a very short horizontal leaf and most blooming size plant are around one foot leaf span. Also all the line breeded clone, the blood is too diluted that they will bloom in wide temperature range so you might have to play with the temperature to see which range it prefer. I have one that bloom perfectly in 16'C range and have another one, that only bloom after I give it several cool months in summer time w night temp around 10-12'C.