What am I going to do with this monster?

[patrickj]

I've had this guy for about 4 years now. It was about 9 inches long when I received it mail order from everyone's favorite Bill @ Royal Orchid Club . lol

It's a mari clone, (thats when you cut it from a mature plant? right?) and it did not do too well for 2 years that I had it. Stayed kinda dry and withered in the leaves and all the sudden it shot off! It grew a foot and a half. Last year was it's first time blooming (for me anyways) and it bloomed also this year. Now it has grown even more topping out at around 3.25 feet. Makes around 11 fragrant light purple flowers that are the "teselatta" crinkled style flowers.

I don't know what to do at this point. Should I make longer hanging wires? Do I try to re-pot it? What do I need to do for a maturing plant?

It's my baby!!!

[Zoi2]

You could divide it but if it were mine, I would get longer wires. That is a fantastic plant, way to grow!!
Joann

[Bud]

what I would give for all of my vandas to be as tall as that...all my Mokaras are as tall as that...and my Vanda luzonica...but it takes years to have vandas get to be as tall as that...now what you must do next is work on the length of the roots...that orchid will be producing two to three spikes in a couple of years...
do not worry, just get a longer wiring effect...or remove the wire and get a wood to support the center to hold it upright...and just display it proudly

[patrickj]

funny that you say that about the roots. It has no hanging roots. I really dont mist it all that much so I do not get good hanging roots. I only mist maybe once a week if its lucky. Guess the roots just sort of stick around on the basket.

This vanda is growing out of control in comparison to my other standard broad leaf (like my pach delights). I barely fertilize. Maybe 2 or 3 times in a 6 month period. Every 3 weeks I watch a new tessellation grow out.

[rastafouni]

If I were you (and if you can of course) I would keep it like this...
Very nice plant !

[vjo]

If I were you I would get a taller ceiling!!

[CTB]

Nice one, can't believe such good results --- from the care you described. I water mine daily and fertilizer weekly and they're not growing any where near like yours are ????????????????????????? Good Growing!

[Gage]

Nice Vanda! I would do as others have mentioned and get longer wires, no biggie.

[patrickj]

Thank you all who relied and thanks for the kind words!



Right now the wires support it from flopping over. I guess I need something like that or a wooden pole. I just dont want it to flop over and snap!!

**Also this year it has started to grow a keiki at the very bottom. Not sure what to do with that? Do I snap it off or do I leave it?

[edera]

do not try to modify the babe and pls leave the keiki as well , that is a clear sign that you have achieved a certain degree of excellence in growing vandas and the keiki in a short while can only add more vegetative growth to the tall parent at the base so it becomes more aesthetically pleasing. when i was younger i started with a vanda tricolor it was a baby at first but it became a monster over 1m high with three off shots at the base , after all these yeas i have never managed to reach such a degree of self satisfaction again even though now i have my own growing area and i can spend all the money i want on the babes apart from giving you thumbs up for the monster i would like to ask you for a piece of advice since were i live in malta orchid lovers are few and we do not have any contact whatsoever so we learn by trial and error . i keep my babes in wooden slatted baskets with some large grade bark at the base and spaghnum moss on top for moisture since summer here can be very hot what do you think ? i have tried to keep the babes in plastic slatted baskets and that failed miserably but the survivors of my latest collection seem to be picking up , i also water daily with rain water and spray daily (temperatures here soar to over 30 deg celcius and humidity can be as low as 40% , i hope that one fine day i might manage to have monsters like the one's you have

dennis