How do Vandas grow in the wild??

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

In short, they keiki.

If I can find my battery charger for my camera, I'd show you what I mean.

[CR7cristiano]

Oh yeah....i knew that. I was kinda thrown off by how it was written. Similarly when you top a vanda; meaning cut off the top of the stem, causing it to throw out keiki's. I am not fond of doing it, but usually when a plant gets huuge you can just "top" it making sure the top cutting has at least 3-5 roots.

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Here's something not many beginners to Vandas know about them...

If you buy a single stalked Vanda, it will eventually grow a bunch of fans on that one growth and branch.

Originally Posted by CR7cristiano

Can you elaborate?! not sure i understood that. Sounds interesting though.

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

In short, they keiki.

In other words, much like their little cousin Neofinetia falcata, which has fairly recently been moved by the taxonomists to the genus Vanda.

I haven't seen any of my handful of Vandas do this yet, but I've only had them a year and a half. Well, actually one coerulea has a newer growth near to top, but that came about after the original growing tip was damaged by an infection.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

No, you don't have to top them at all to get that behavior. They will do it automatically!

I have Vandas with multiple growths on them without me doing a thing to them! And, no, many of them do not have severe damage on the main growth at all - they're perfectly intact.

Yes, they do what Neofinetias do.

[CR7cristiano]

Yea i know. Usually this will happen on a mature plant. Some hybrids never ever keiki unless forced to while some do so frequently on mature plants, and with the odd occurrence on smaller plants. Top'n is just a quick way to get more of the same vanda by forcing its survival mechanism, and to manage out of control Vanda monster plants.

[rosemadder]

Fascinating!

A vanda in the snow... that's awesome! What is it perched on, a big pile of roots??

I have seen photos of neofinetias clumped together with a dozen fans all in one pot and tons of flowers, makes sense that other species could do something similar.

Wow, neofinetia falcata is a vanda now?? Wonder what that makes my Neostylis from that lineage...

[Bud]

Yes, your instincts are right, Rose.
Neostylis is a cross of Rhynchostylis and
Neofinetia which are both in the Vanda tribe.

[rosemadder]

Ah, yes I know neos are in the vandaceous category, but I was reacting to this:

Originally Posted by Jayfar

Neofinetia falcata, which has fairly recently been moved by the taxonomists to the genus Vanda.

Lou Sneary's neo parent is Neofinetia falcata. If that moves from Neofinetia to Vanda, then wouldn't the hybrid names of the descendants need to change as well?

[lambelkip]

Originally Posted by rosemadder

Fascinating!

A vanda in the snow... that's awesome! What is it perched on, a big pile of roots??

I have seen photos of neofinetias clumped together with a dozen fans all in one pot and tons of flowers, makes sense that other species could do something similar.

Wow, neofinetia falcata is a vanda now?? Wonder what that makes my Neostylis from that lineage...

I believe the Vanda is in a basket, with the roots covered in Spanish moss. This is a common way of growing them. I was not trying to imply that it was a wild plant.

Neostylis will be changed to Vandachostylis, but it will take some time before the International Orchid Registry is updated.

[CR7cristiano]

That's interesting but quite silly & confusing. Now without looking at the plant, the name vandachostylis or whatver will be extremely vague.