Vandas in Glass Vases

[La Casa de las Orquideas]

Hi Telipogon,

Loved your post!! We have a site that provides orchid info both in English and in Spanish. I would love to "convert" your post into a blog post article in our site. Can I do this?

Also, I would like to give you all the credit; can you please tell me how'd you want to sign your article? Or if you want to be contacted or not?

Tried to send you a private message but was unable... if you prefer, contact us at admin@lacasadelasorquideas.com.


Thanks in advance and best regards,


La Casa de las Orquídeas
Cuidados Orquídeas – Orchid Care

[allla]

I came back to say that my roots were brown also from some sphagnul moss which sems to give roots this brown colour?! They had turned brown but continued to soak up water and put out new roots... Perhaps mildly damaged since brown?

I don't understand why moss gives this colour? The roots are surely half rotten yet they still seem to soak up water every time.

Thank you so much for pointing out that I have to soak more often to rehydrate. So my almost rootless plant ended up back in the vase (for basket culture the roots needed some gradual accustoming to moister conditions in order not to rot I believe)

[Vanda lover]

I don't think it could be the moss that turned your roots brown. I have vandaceous orchids in both baskets with sphag and in vase culture. Both do well, although I think vase culture is easier in some ways. giving the plant enough light in a vase can be more difficult than hanging a basket in the sun.

[bil]

I got fed up with the vases as the roots were just too big. I now hang them from frames and just mist them.

[allla]

Thank you for sharing your experience. Certainly it would be much easier to just spray everything and leave it.

I still do not understand why my brown coloured roots seem to like to soak for a long time and then dry out a few days. When I mist them, they just shrivel and do not like it...

What do you think?

[bil]

Well, the roots on mine were rubber ducked when I got them, and they have since thrown big fat roots, white with green tips that are as hard as anything.

[Vanda lover]

I have stared replacing the sphag with lava rock in the baskets and they seem to really love it. I was never any good with cattleyas until I put them in lava rock. They don't rot easily this way.

[Orchid Whisperer]

I have been growing all but 1 of my Vandas using a type of vase culture. I have the roots suspended in a clear plastic container, just a few pebbles in the bottom to prevent tipping over, but otherwise the "vase" is empty. Roots are soaked every other day & drained. They seem to be doing well, I have 2 right now that are spiking. I think Bud described something similar in an earlier post.

I prefer the vase culture over growing in a conventional basket (I have one plant grown in a basket). The roots in the vase are maintained in an orderly manner, whereas the roots in the basket spread all over the place, just too unruly for my small collection that must be moved indoors in the winter.

[Vanda lover]

Mine in vase culture are only soaked once a week and seem to be pretty happy with it. I mist the roots every day.

[bil]

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

I prefer the vase culture over growing in a conventional basket (I have one plant grown in a basket). The roots in the vase are maintained in an orderly manner, whereas the roots in the basket spread all over the place, just too unruly for my small collection that must be moved indoors in the winter.

Yeah, that makes sense.