Vanda for New Year

[Roy]

I'm looking forward to this vanda for the New Year,it flowered earlier this year but plant wasn't accustom to my conditions yet. It looked awful.
V. Roberts Delight " Crownfox BigRed "
<br><br>Post edited by: Roy, at: 2008/12/28 13:47

[Hakulady]

Roy, your standards must be so high! This vanda looks pretty healthy to me. And the spike looks great. I've had one vanda bloom twice for me since I brought it back from Hawaii in January of this year. The conditions here in Virginia must be so different from Hawaii so the plant really looked bad (partly from being packed in a box with other orchids for almost 48 hours before being unpacked). However the first spike bloomed beautifully and the second spike started just before I brought it in for the winter. It finally bloomed but the flowers are almost half the size of the first set of flowers that bloomed during the warmer summer months. Is that typical for second set blooms from the same vanda to be smaller in size or do you think that happened because I brought it inside the house? If it is that then I will have to accept that because it does have to be protected from our cold weather.

Thanks!

[Ashraf61]

Healthy plant, still confused how much bark need for pot, does roots are lying on the bark or cover with bark peaces, and how many time you water these baskets in summer and please give me idea how to water slipper orchid,

[Roy]

Hakulady, what you describe is a typical flowering when the plant is not in a natural environment. If you had the Hawaiian winter conditions you probably wouldn't notice any difference in the flowering. It will probably improve as the plant becomes accustom to your conditions, less than 12 months away from Hawaii is not enough time for it to acclimatize.

[Roy]

Ashraf, the amount of bark is about half the pot full and very loosely packed. It fits in and around a minimal amount of roots. I fully pot the Aerides in the bark, like potting a Cattleya. I water the Vandas,Aerides & Paphs every day at Mid morning if possible and if its been a very hot and low humidity day I will give the plants a misting late afternoon to early evening.

[Hakulady]

Roy, thanks for your advice on waiting for my vandas to get acclimated to their new environment here. I was actually very surprised to see not one but two spikes on this one vanda given the short time since being brought from Hawaii's warm tropical climate.

[DesertOrchid]

Ashraf,

Vandas do not need media. In fact, they love water, but like to dry almost immediately after being watered. I water mine daily by soaking for 30 minutes in tap water (my water has a decent Ph level etc). They like more fertilizer than typical orchids. They also like bright light and higher temps, like Cattleyas. Just A LOT of humidity.

[Ashraf61]

DesertOrchid, I have more than 25 different vanda family plant, and have more than 500 different orchid plant over all, and all are on roof under green shed, i dont have sprinkling system right now, i give them water at morning and all other plants except vandas are ok, i have few mokra, which are in clay pots with cocunet fiber and are doing well, when i saw Roy'vanda in pot, I packed them in 6 and 4 inch plastic pot with cocufiber last week, only left ascocentrim and giginta in open tray, ascocentrim have lots of tiny roots and doing well, so no need of packing them in pot, and difficult for me to dip vanda for 30 minutes on daily basis.

[DesertOrchid]

mybad i thought you were asking about media. as for watering, thats just my method. i wasn't stating that you have to soak it. Are any of yours blooming right now? Can you post some pictures?<br><br>Post edited by: DesertOrchid, at: 2008/12/30 21:15

[Ashraf61]

Desertorchid, 4 mokra plants have flower buds, will open in 2009, wil post you then,