wood basket with vanda plant please help!

[mindy1]

Helo all,

I need a little help. I have a young Vanda plant that is in a wood basket and I have noticed that when the new branching roots get close to the wood basket they are turning brown. I know this is from salt buildup. The basket and plant are not that old. I only fertilize every other week right now. Is there any way that I can save this basket and reuse it for the same plant? I soaked it in a 10 parts water to 1 part bleach solution for about twenty minutes. WIll that reduce the salt buildup. Should I soak the basket in a purified water solution??

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

When you water, are you running a lot of water thru the basket and mix? Or alternatively, are you watering the plant by soaking the entire basket in a pale of water to cover it?

[mindy1]

I have a sprayer that I use that emits a fine mist. So I mist my vandas everyday with it. I use either purified water or rainwater when I can. I got a new basket for the vanda mentioned above. I am wondering if it is possible to save the basket for other orchids?

Thank you

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

You will have to drench this basket every so often. Misting is an additive process, and salts will build up if you don't do something to leach them back out.

Reusing baskets if an iffy business. If the last plant was virused, and you almost never know if it was or not, there will be the high probability that it will cause the next plant in the basket to become virused. Sterilizing wood is difficult. You might soak the basket for long hours in a 10%, no, better make it something closer to 20%, bleach solution, or maybe the 400F oven for 2 hours method would be OK for wood. Virus is not a rare thing in orchids, including commercailly produced plants, and virused plants grow very poorly.

[mindy1]

Thank you Cynthia for your help. I am still very new to growing orchids and any information is very helpful. I did not know about drenching vandas. What is the best way to drench them? Bath tub, bucket?

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

What ever is easiest. Take it to the sink and run a sprayer nossle on it for awhile is another way.

[prisana]

I stuck my new vanda baskets in the oven at 250- 300 F for about 20 mins- 1/2 hour before use..don't know if that will do anything, but I did it as a precaution... I do the same thing with the bamboo stakes..seems to work .

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I would have thought that would be enough too, but critter creek recomends clay pot be put in the oven at 400 for 2 or 3 hours (can't make up their minds). Or 24 hour soak in one of the virus killing solutions.
http://www.crittercreeklab.com/

[Joaniep]

Never knew there was a virus killing solution! Thought you had to throw the plant out if it had a virus.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

The solution is a liquid that you soak your cutting tools in to prevent transfering virus between plants. No, soaking plants in it will not cure the plants, just kill them. Sterilize tools with 10% bleach or saturated trisodium phosphate.

[mermaidsea]

Hi,

I am new here! Rather than start a new thread, I thought I would ask on this one how to feed a vanda in a slatted wood hanging basket. The water all runs through it so how can you feed it?

Thanks very much,

mermaid

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Run enough water thru the basket to get a good soaking of the bark, then follow this by a cup full of fert solution. What ever sticks to the bark will be enough.

[mermaidsea]

Cynthia,

Thanks for your response. There's no bark in the box, which is how it was sold and why I am puzzled. I'm going to lose a lot of roots if I try to pull it out and add bark -- plus the box is quite small.

Any other advice you might give me would be very much appreciated.

mermaid

[mindy1]

THere is no bark in my vanda baskets either, just roots. No need to sacrifice the roots just leave them in the basket it came in. You can hang it in the shower to water it. I have done that before. I use a pump sprayer to fertilize my Vandas once a week. First I spray them with regular water til the roots turn green then I fertilize. Seems to be working very well. remember to give them a week off from fertilizing, to reduce salt buildup.

[mermaidsea]

Thanks Mindy!