Plants in wrong pots

[Brittany]

I got the fact sheets from OAS and now I find that I have planted the two Vanda that I purchased from Royal orchid Society in orchid pots. They should be in the wood crate like boxes.

They seemed to have perked up good, should I just leave them alone, or make some 4 inch boxes and repot them.

Thanks

Charlie

[kmarch]

There's no hard and fast rule, no right and wrong here. Any given orchid has cultural needs but those cultural needs can be met in many different ways. I have seen Vandas grown attached ot a wire hanger (like in your closet) with no pot or basket of any kind, I've seen them in hanging baskets (both plastic and teakwood) with no mix, in hanging baskets with about as many different kinds of mix immaginable (corks from wine bottles was one of the more amusing mixes), and in pretty much every kind of pot found where orchids are grown.

All of these methods can be successful in providing the conditions that Vandas need. The fun part is getting the one that works best for you. If you want to grow in pots, ask Cynthia, one of the forum moderators as she has good success growing in pots. Understand if you are going to grow in a basket with little or no mix you;ll need higher humidity and may have to water daily.

Have fun!

[jerrymeola]

Also with Vanda seedlings are usually grown in pots for the first couple of years.

Seedlings need to be more regularily moist and pots do this easier.

Many Vanda hybrids do better in pots than bare root.



This plant is blooming in a 6 inch pot that is just full of roots. Others that I hung on hangers are not doing as well

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Your orchid pot, I assume it is of the clay variety with slits on the side, will be very much like a basket in effect, because of the fast drying of clay and the extra areation of the slits. So, keep them in these pots. I find that a Vanda with a healthy root system will empty a smallish pot in a matter of a few days, especially if the plant is hanging in the warm eves of my GH, and with lots of air movement that I have there. Your plant may take much longer if you have it over potted, or have little air movement. So, use the skewer method (orchid culture section) and make sure your plant is getting pretty close to dry before watering. Be sure that the skewer is close to the center of the pot, as the outside should dry first in a clay pot.