Using sphagnum moss for vandas?

[boisemomma]

I recently repotted my 2 vandas into a slotted wooden box and lined it with sphagnum moss to hold in moisture..was that the right thing to do?

[Bohata]

That would be too much. Either use coarse bark, or just wire it to the basket to keep it stable.

[fishmom]

I'm don't know, Idaho is pretty dry, not much humidity during most of the year I think. It would depend on how you packed the moss. If it is dense, the roots will not have a chance to dry out as they like. If it is loose around the roots, it might work. Have you stabilized the plant other than with the moss?

[boisemomma]

Yes,it's stable..I think I'll have to pull out the moss though..I didn't know the roots were to dry out...

[Bunch_Of_Roots]

I have a Vanda growing in a wooden basket with sphagnum moss on the roots. If your environment is dry, and the moss dries out and the roots turn white during the day, then this method is a good choice. Otherwise you will need to water more.

The tried and true method is vase culture. You put the roots inside a vase that is big/tall enough to contain the roots. Fill the vase and soak the roots for an hour or a few, then empty all the water. This way you can water every other day.

[Bohata]

Originally Posted by fishmom

I'm don't know, Idaho is pretty dry, not much humidity during most of the year I think. It would depend on how you packed the moss. If it is dense, the roots will not have a chance to dry out as they like. If it is loose around the roots, it might work. Have you stabilized the plant other than with the moss?

Actually, it is possible to grow vandas even in Kansas with just bark in a basket. Of course, O.P. might try moss for a while to see how long it takes for it to dry out. If over 4 days, then it is a bit much. Then they could try vase culture or bark.

[MattWoelfsen]

Fort Wayne, Indiana is in Zone 6a on the USDA Hardiness Map. I think Boise, Idaho is in the same hardiness zone? I grow my Vanda on a single wire, bare root. I drape Spanish Moss to help with relative humidity. I also hydrate my Vanda every morning so their roots are a dark green color. By the end of the day the roots are nice and white. Once a week, I soak my Vanda in a bucket of water, adding a very weak amount of fertilizer. I soak them for about 20 minutes. In the past, I have tried baskets, pots, with all kinds of planting media. Growing bare root on a single wire, is how Vanda are grown in many parts of the world. It is admittedly not very decorative if you use orchids to decorate your home.

[estación seca]

Don't pull it out yet!

I'm from the West of the USA, too. People from other climates just don't understand what we face. I think you will be fine with moss in a basket, as long as it isn't tightly packed, and it dries out to almost crisp within 2-3 days. It is unlikely you can keep Spanish moss alive unless you have a humid greenhouse.

The hardest thing for us Vanda growers in the West is coping with dry air that dries them out rapidly. You will not be able to grow them bare root, nor in a vase, unless you have a very humid greenhouse, or you soak the roots in water for 20 minutes to several hours every other day or so. Once a week soaking is not enough for us.

in fact, I was just about to try a Vanda seedling in a wood slat basket with very loosely packed moss.

[Bohata]

Looks to me like there are a number of ways to grow Vanda that work!

[MattWoelfsen]

Originally Posted by Bohata

Looks to me like there are a number of ways to grow Vanda that work!

Absolutely. How you grow your Vanda in your environment depends on you. What works in Fort Wayne, Indiana where I grow my Vanda in my master bath, may not work so well growing in a patio in Tucson, Arizona or above the kitchen sink in Boise, Idaho.