Vandas in Glass Vases

[Rothrock42]

Thank you jcec1. I've got a siphon that I plan to use to drain the vase. We'll see how well it works. The radius is 3 inches and it is about 24 inches tall, so if my math is right, it is about 3 gallons/25 pounds. If it gets to be too much I'll try something smaller.

estación seca can you explain more about the band of light green? I had been using a 20-10-20 urea free fertilizer and planned to start using a 30-10-10 the next time I soak/feed.

I did just look at an photo I took in early December and the new leaf was just starting then. So I'm thinking that is pretty slow, but it is winter here. BTW you can barely see it in the photo, but on the far side is a keiki!

[jcec1]

Originally Posted by Rothrock42

Thank you jcec1. I've got a siphon that I plan to use to drain the vase. We'll see how well it works. The radius is 3 inches and it is about 24 inches tall, so if my math is right, it is about 3 gallons/25 pounds. If it gets to be too much I'll try something smaller.

estación seca can you explain more about the band of light green? I had been using a 20-10-20 urea free fertilizer and planned to start using a 30-10-10 the next time I soak/feed.

I did just look at an photo I took in early December and the new leaf was just starting then. So I'm thinking that is pretty slow, but it is winter here. BTW you can barely see it in the photo, but on the far side is a keiki!

I didn't think about syphoning the water, good idea! Bear in mind that you'll need to fertilize 3 gallons of volume with the vase you are using.

[Rothrock42]

I did it this morning. Filled the vase in the sink. It got quite a bit of condensation on the outside, so I think the water was too cold. Next time I'll use a bit more warm in the mix. Let it sit for about 20 minutes.

Siphoned off about half of the water. Used a gallon pitcher and mixed up a double strength batch of food. Poured that into the remaining water and then topped off. Let that sit for just a minute or two. And then siphoned the food water off.

Pulled the plant out, rinsed it with a little sprinkle to remove excess food and rinsed/dumped the vase.

Went well and wasn't too difficult. The roots are very green and pliable.

Yeah better living through physics!

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by Rothrock42

estación seca can you explain more about the band of light green? I had been using a 20-10-20 urea free fertilizer and planned to start using a 30-10-10 the next time I soak/feed.

I did just look at an photo I took in early December and the new leaf was just starting then. So I'm thinking that is pretty slow, but it is winter here. BTW you can barely see it in the photo, but on the far side is a keiki!

When a Vanda is growing actively the base of the emerging leaves is lighter green than the rest of that and the mature leaves. It is quite visible. If temperatures, water and fertilizer are adequate it is supposed to be a centimeter wide.

I can't enlarge the photo you posted Feb 8, but it does appear to me there is a band of light green leaf tissue at the bases of the two most recent leaves. Or am I imagining this?

Your 72 F / 22C temperature is not too low, but Vandas probably won't grow very fast at that temperature. That might limit the width of your growth band, but I don't know. I'm blessed with higher growing temperatures than yours, except for a few cloudy winter days here and there.

I don't know how fast Vandas can grow in a vase with ideal conditions because I'm still learning. I asked on this board how many new leaves they should make per year. A couple of people suggested 4 leaves per year is typical growth.

I learned a lot by watching my seedlings grow, but also by reading. There is a lot of information in this here thread, but there is a lot of information in the other Vanda threads on this board as well.

I also highly recommend reading one or both of Martin Mote's books. The first is out of print but can be found easily online. The second is available at the Motes Orchids Web site.

Vandas: Their Botany, History and Culture. Timber Press, 1997, reprinted 2000.

Floria Vanda Growing Month By Month

I have written Dr. Motes regarding how I am growing his seedlings, and we have had some discussions about Vanda growing. He said he is always interested in how people grow them outside of Florida. The books do not discuss vase culture at all, and Motes no longer uses the high amounts of fertilizer recommended in the books, but I learned from his books about maintaining a 1cm band of light green tissue.

Here is a photo of most of my Vanda seedlings in their fertilizer baths.

[estación seca]

As to watering/fertilizing in a big vase: I still use the soak method, because 5 gallons of fertilizer solution is enough to fill all my vases, and each is small enough to handle easily. But you can also fill a spray bottle with pure water or fertilizer solution and use it to soak the roots. So long as they remain wet, they won't take up any more solution if soaked rather than sprayed, and you need to mix much less solution. At the relative humidity you measured in your vase, they will stay wet to damp for a while after a good spritz, and this may be all the fertilizing you need.

If you're home during a particular day, you can leave the spray bottle by the plant, and spray it again several times during the day. This gives the same effect as a long soak, with much less fertilizer solution mixed or water hauled around.

However, if you do mix 3 gallons of fertilizer, you may also be using it on other kinds of plants, inside or outside. Since growing orchids, my other plants are finally getting more fertilizer. They get the leftovers from the orchids.

You can also lift the plant out of the vase, set it on something, and take the vase to the sink to empty or fill. This has the advantage of tempting you to look closely at the roots.

[Rothrock42]

I did my second soak in the big vase today. I'm sure it is just a coincidence, but the keiki is growing a new leaf. I also just added a layer of black pebbles at the bottom to hopefully absorb a little of the sunshine and evaporate the bits that drip down a bit.

When I posted the other day I only had the one vandaceous orchid. I got a Neostylis Lou Sneary which I'm thinking of moving to a vase after the current blooms finish up. It is quite a bit smaller

[sylviab]

Hello...

I have a vanda that I'll try to regrow in a vase inside the house by an east facing window with the phalaenopsis. Should the roots touch the water? Can you please respond to my inquiry? I am from San Diego, CA. Our temperatures have been fluctuating bad recently,

[estación seca]

Hi sylviab, The vase is normally empty. The roots should not touch water most of the time. Some people periodically fill the vase with water or fertilizer solution, and let it soak for some hours. Others spray the roots with a spray bottle. How often depends on your ambient humidity. Vanda roots like to get wet, then dry out before the next watering. Usually they like being watered every day. Some people leave some water in the vase to raise the humidity inside, but the water should not touch the roots or they might rot.

[jcec1]

Originally Posted by sylviab

Hello...

I have a vanda that I'll try to regrow in a vase inside the house by an east facing window with the phalaenopsis. Should the roots touch the water? Can you please respond to my inquiry? I am from San Diego, CA. Our temperatures have been fluctuating bad recently,

It will need more light than a phalaenopsis, is there a more sunny window it can go in (suitably acclimatised of course).

[sylviab]

Hi Estacion!

Thank you for your response. I read through all the 34 threads and found everything very interesting. Should the daily spraying be done at a specific time of the day? CAn it be done at like 5 PM?

---------- Post added at 09:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:38 PM ----------

Thank you for taking time to respond to my question.
Would a south facing window be better?