Looking to get a vanda

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by CR7cristiano

V. Sansai Blue 'Acker's Pride'.

I'll second this one, which is an FCC/AOS, BTW. I have 2 cultivars of Sansai Blue, but the 'Acker's Pride' has bloomed for me 6 times since I got it a little over a year and a half ago (and has 6 flowers at this very moment). The other cultivar of Sansai Blue just recently finished reblooming for the first time since I got it (I got both within a month of each other).

I struggle to get my humidty above 40% most of the time, but I hang mine in the shower every morning when I come home from work (shower them for about 10 minutes, leave them sit for half an hour or so, and then shower them again). I fertilize at least once or twice a week by spraying the roots after they soak up the first part of their morning shower.

I've got 5 vandas under a 200W 6500K CFL light (plus my new Neos, which have recently rejoined the genus Vanda). I haven't bloomed my others yet, but they have been slowly adding new leaves.

To the original poster, your conditions sound pretty close to ideal, compared to how many of us are growing our Vandas. Go for it.

Here's an old pic of my 'Acker's Pride' from Dec 2011; it's grown substantially taller since then.


VSansaiBlueAckersPride by Jayfar, on Flickr

[The Orchid Boy]

Are there any that are more compact? Or at least stay a little shorter? Or is there something you can do to help them stay shorter? I've heard if they get a big stem below and get leggy, you can cut the top section off and put it in a new basket, if it has roots.

[CR7cristiano]

If you want more compact look to ascocendas such as:
Ascda Bigness x Ascda Korb fah (large flowers)
Ascda Kulwadee
Ascda Princess Mikasa
ascda suksamran
ascda fat tuesday 'rs'

Ascocentrum are nice miniatures. Intergeneric vandas often are quite compact; go for vascos, rhynchos, rhynchorides. These are all very compact.

Vanda manuvadee is a great vanda with a tall upright spike; I have one hanging under my cherry tree in a clay pot and it is very compact.
Rhrds. Thai Noi is a good one.
Thats just a few you could try

---------- Post added at 11:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:02 PM ----------

You can divide, but i would only do that if the size is beyond manageable. You can remove a top section so long as it has 3 nice large roots (6 inches or more).

[trdyl]

To give you a little more info on V. Pachara Delight. I got mine when it was a little more than a foot tall in spike in Nov. 2011. In the last 1.5 years it has just about doubled its hieght. But has been putting out spikes with a minimum of 10 5.5" to 6" flowers three to four times a year.