growing vandas outside in N. CA
 

Hi,

I've heard of people growing Vandas outside in the San Francisco Bay Area year round. Is this possible? If so, which ones. I would assume that the vandas would have to have V. coerulea in it's ancestory. Any info woud be greaty appreciated. Thanks!

The "blue" vandas like coerulea would be the bast to try BUT be careful that any of the parents don't carry sanderiana in it. There are usually plenty of coerulea line bred hybrids around, I would study the parentage of the plants available and choose them.

Thanks! Do you think the hybrid Vanda rothschildiana x Vanda coerulea would be ok, or would a ascd. princess mikasa fair better?

neat! I didn't know vandas could grow outdoors year round around here. So I take it V. coerulea is a cooler growing species?

Ascocenda Princess Mikasa or most Ascdas will grow cooler than straight Vandas BUT BUT will not tolerate frosts or temps in below 10c or 50 F for long periods of time. Cold winds will damage them badly also.
V. coerulea is one of the most cold tolerate Vandas around but again the rule above applies. If the weather is bad, take the plant inside at night and back out in the day provided its suitable. The flower quantity and quality will suffer but you should get flowers.

Thanks Roy! Your information was very helpful!!

Awesome! thanks for the info as well. My wife loves orchids grown in baskets and these will be perfect for where we live.

bkim,

if you don't mind me asking what part of the bay area do you live in?

Don't mind at all. I live in San Bruno.

Cool. I'm in San Leandro.

I live in Central Florida near Orlando and I have a greenhouse but a majority of the local society members who don't leave their vandas outside until the temps are supposed to drop below 45F. I have three of the large Renantheras and V. Miss Joaquim, a Teres hybrid, that I have grow outside for several years and they have shown no damage with temps in the low thirties for a few hours. (Protected from frost of course)

I've been looking into this possibility for a while now and talked with many growers here in California. I've come to believe that vandas will do fine in the 40s and even 30s at night as long as airflow is restricted, they are dry and the daytime temps heat up past 65. I'm currently growing an Aerides odorata, Sedirea and Neofinetia outdoors year round. The Aerides shows the slowest growth and I'm thinking it likes to warm up a bit in the day like vandas.

As a note, min temps this past winter were 28 for an hour or so.

I'm looking to build a structure with a polycarbonate roof and 60% shadecloth on the sides to keep up RH, slow airflow and allow some heat to exist during the day time here on the Monterey Bay.

Just got two small blooming sized V. coerulea so currently trying those outdoors too.

Laelia anceps and the reed stem epidendrums have no problem with lows in the upper twenties for short periods in the event that you have an interest in them.

By the way, and ironically enough, both the Renantheras and Vanda that I spoke of are currently in bloom.

Take a look at this!
January 14 Freeze

WOW!!! I knew cymbidiums and some dendrobiums can survive frost, as mine have in the past, but not that bad. Thanks for the info.