Vandas in Glass Vases

[cday2inflorida]

Not to make this thread confusing nor take away from vandas in vases which I find totally fascinating....
I was at a friend's house and he has many vanda type plants. He grows Tillandsia usneoides (spanish moss) around the roots for added humidity. It actually looked GREAT! He told me has grown this way, always.
Just wondering if anyone has grown with this culture and the pros and cons.
I wish I would have taken a picture of his massive plants surrounded by the Tillandsia. I did find a link after coming home and trying to research it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...a-coerulea.jpg

[nenella]

Funny you should write this as I too grow in vases and a couple weeks ago. Chatting with my mum she told me to take the tillandsia off an african orchid (Rhipidoglossum rutilum) as it grows better without the Tillandsia. So I took most of it off & put it on top of my miniatum and my blue Asco which both grow in vases, covering roots and for the moment I am very happy. It seems to keep more humidity in the roots... to be seen how it does.

[Vanda lover]

I haven't tied it with vase culture but my vanda which is growing in a basket has a large air plant for company. I have had the air plant for years and it hasn't bloomed, so I decided to try treating it as if it is a vanda. I think I will put 1 or 2 in the top of the vase with my new vasco and try it.

Nancy

[cday2inflorida]

Maybe I should post this under Vandas, Nenella?

[Susie11]

I have enjoyed reading all of the comments about these fabulous plants. I am trying to decide whether or not to get one for myself. I like the idea of growing them in a vase but like other people on here I am scared about the root problem. I have found a supplier online who sells them with the roots touching the glass as if it's normal behavior for the plant. I think that I will probably get the smallest plant available from here.

Vanda | Euroorchid

[Vanda lover]

I have been asking others about how often they water with vase culture, and it seems that the roots touching the glass isn't a problem. I guess we will have to use our own judgment on how often to water. The opinions ranged from twice a day to once a week, with mistings. I have 3 seedlings so far, and they seem to like soaking every day.
Purhaps when they are older and have lots of roots, they will need soaking less often.

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by Vanda lover

I have been asking others about how often they water with vase culture, and it seems that the roots touching the glass isn't a problem. I guess we will have to use our own judgment on how often to water. The opinions ranged from twice a day to once a week, with mistings. I have 3 seedlings so far, and they seem to like soaking every day.
Purhaps when they are older and have lots of roots, they will need soaking less often.

The roots of my plants touch the sides of the vase all and I have never had an issue with rot. I water mine nearly every day but due to the dry environment in which I live, I have taken a cloth and wrapped it around the base of the plant and it is allowed to stay wet. I was worried I'd rot the roots at the base of the plant but that didn't happen. It kept the plants moist enough to last to the next watering while still allowing the roots to get enough air and level of dryness. I dnt recommend this for people who live in humid environments.

[Vanda lover]

Originally Posted by Pilot

The roots of my plants touch the sides of the vase all and I have never had an issue with rot. I water mine nearly every day but due to the dry environment in which I live, I have taken a cloth and wrapped it around the base of the plant and it is allowed to stay wet. I was worried I'd rot the roots at the base of the plant but that didn't happen. It kept the plants moist enough to last to the next watering while still allowing the roots to get enough air and level of dryness. I dnt recommend this for people who live in humid environments.

That sounds like a good idea for when it's hot and dry. Our summers are normally like that, but not this year. We're having a lousy summer here.
I did use a little live moss around the base of my plants and they seemed to like it, but it was in the way at watering time and kept falling in the vases.

[tcrane]

Hey all, I went to water my Vascostylis Tham Yuen Hae x Broga Blue Bell in vase culture the other day and noticed that the root nubbin it had been sitting on for weeks had grown into an actual root.

I've been watering once or twice a week, soaking the plant to the neck of the vase in water with a few drops of KLN Root hormone. Bought this plant bare-root and tried it in a pot - all the old roots have mostly shriveled but one or two is holding in. The new growth looks a lot more healthy than the old. After reading the previous few posts on this thread, I added the tillandsia to it and this seems to have boosted humidity to the point where the plant is a lot happier.

[nenella]

Good photos which show this well. That's sort of what I have done; except I still mean buy bigger net baskets to be able to sit my plants on a net basket that sits over the whole top of the vase... mine are through sticks placed like an X over the vase.. also the top of my vases are straight and do not narrow down. I see baskets as TC's to my next plant order Thanks for the reminder!