R. Bangkok Sunset yellowing leaf. Help!

[Oranagra]

Hi,
Forgive me if i repeat a question that has been asked here many times, i couldn't find a thread that's show photos that look like my case, and i'm afraid i'm running out of time.

I purchased this Vanda a week ago, I think the edges of the leaves got a bit damaged at shipping, but it arrived all green and looked healthy.

now about a week later one of the few leaves it has (which are not many) is turning completely yellow (but not dry).



i have a photo that i took 3 days ago, and i can see that the yellowing started from the middle of the leaf, not the edge or the axis.



i hope it's not too late to save the plant, please advise.

p.s. i'm not very experienced with vandas, i have two seedlings (V. Pachara and V.Blue Magic) for the past year and it looks like they're doing fine (although growing very slowly).
i keep them all bare root, and soak the roots in water with low levels of fertilizer every morning for 10-20 minutes.

[SaraJean]

oh my... where are the roots on that poor thing? is there a possibility you can contact the seller?

[estación seca]

Vandas need lots of water. Vandas grown bare-root with normal root systems need to be watered every day. In lower humidity, such as in a house, they need to have their roots good and moist for several hours per day. If they don't get enough water, leaves shrivel, may turn yellow and drop off.

As SaraJean alluded, your plant's root system is poor. Your plant has enough roots to survive and grow, but you will need to water it a lot. I would suggest soaking the roots in water overnight, every night. It needs strong light, and warm temperatures.

[Dollythehun]

Btw, that is not technically a Vanda. It doesn't take as much light. Mine does fine in a south window. It might help your process to keep it in a little lower light and move it back in gradually as it roots. The amount of roots you have are only slightly less than I had to start. But the advice is right, you must! keep it watered.

[Oranagra]

Thank you all for replying.
So you're saying that yellow leaf is just a dehydration issue?
I was worried it might be some kind of infection which i need to cut before it reaches the stem.

It's true that it doesn't have a lot of roots, and i did try to contact the seller (no response yet).

But maybe also the photo I've uploaded previously isn't showing the roots very well.
It does have about 5 short roots, few centimeters each, which is not a lot, and i wonder how it got to that state, but i think it can survive with them and grow more.

Here's a photo of the (wet and green) roots when i got it and watered it for the first time:


So you're saying that 10 minutes a day isn't enough, and i should soak the roots for hours?
Are you sure it's ok to water them on the night time? i thought it is better to water only in the morning?

Also, one thing i'm worried about is if that's ok if the axis and the base of the first few leaves is soaked too? i.e. in an effort to submerge all the roots...
I've seen people dip them in a bucket of water submerging the base, but then water can get trapped between the leaves...

[Dollythehun]

I submerge mine and walk away. Sometimes 10 min, sometimes an hour. I have never had a problem. I put in a couple of posts last year on mine. It might be helpful to use the Search feature to read those. This is more forgiving than a strict vanda. Btw, I have a lower leaf that has looked like that for a long time.