Vanda's

[Rod L]

Hi all

I have purchased some Vanda's and was wondering :

What is the best pot/basket to grow them in?

What type of growing medium to use?

Thanks
Rodl

[brandank]

All of my vandas are in little black plastic baskets. I have heard that once they get older I will have to cut the basket out to repot it, but this allows repotting. I have seen a old huge vanda growing in a very large wooden 1, but I don't think that if he wanted to repot it he could because the roots have covered the entire basket. I do not use a medium but I have to water 3x a day to keep my roots from cracking. My friend keeps his in spaghnum moss, only because he cannot water as often as needed. So there is a start for you hopefully some other members grow in a medium and can help you out more.

[digitalgate]

let kmarch help u. He know your weather better than i do.

[pitik101]

All of my vanda's are either bare root hanging and tied with a wire or mounted in wood stump or drift wood infront of our house

I grow in partial shade and they get hosed 2x a day and during hot days (like now) the concrete floor below gets to be poured of waste/recycled water (those water used in washing clothes or cleaning the dishes) to help increase the moisture thru evaporation process.

[kmarch]

There will be 2 challenges growing Vandas in Melbourne, Australia: Temperature and Moisture.

Temperature first: Most Vandas are warm growing orchids meaning minimum night time temps around 18C (65F). So you will need ot grow them wiht protection in winter and possibly even heat.

Secondly, moisture: Vandas are humidity lovers. In the US people grow them in humid houses or outdoors in warm humid parts of the country with their roots hanging bare and being bathed in mist as many as a few times a day. Others who don't have so many plants, soak the roots regularly. So if you grow them bare root, you'll need to figure out a way to mist or water them several times a day, probably less in the months when we have higher humidity.

I only have one Vanda-type orchid, an Ascocenda Gail Noyes. I have grown it in a clear plastic pot in large chunk bark. Because it is such an open mix, the water drains out quickly yet it stays humid in the pot. Even a week or so after I water i can still see humidity droplets or "steam" on the inside surface of the pot. I grow it inside my flat where the coldest winter night it gets is about 15C (60F). I have had good success with this way fo growing it. I have owned it almost a year and in that time it has grown about 2-3 new leaves and it has rebloomed; it's currently in flower. Here is a pic of it when I bought it in bloom last year.

Now for a couple of questions:
1) What are your growing conditions/situations?
2) Specifically what kind of Vandas do you have?

[Miki]

Thanks for sharing Kevin, I've always wondered how people in Aust grow vandas indoors.
How much light is your vanda getting inside your flat?
I am trying the 'vanda in a vase' growing method. It is just too dry here in Perth, the vase/ container keeps the bare roots moist.
My growing room is heated to 21C at night! So I deserve some blooms!

Cheers,
Miki

[Rod L]

Kevin

Thanks for your answer find below answers to your questions

Growimg cnditions will be during the warmer months they will be under the carport/ entertaining area and in the cooler/cold months they will be inside we have a bay window where I was thinking of putting them.

The names on the Vanda's that I managed to acuire at the right price......

Roberts Delight (black)
Roberts Delight (dark red)
Thongchai x coerulea
Sirilak x bitz's heartthrob

rodl

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Miki

How much light is your vanda getting inside your flat?

This will shock some but my Ascocenda gets little light by vanda standards. It grows in the same light as my Paphs. I shaded south window, no direct light.

Originally Posted by Rod L

...Growimg cnditions will be during the warmer months they will be under the carport/ entertaining area and in the cooler/cold months they will be inside we have a bay window where I was thinking of putting them.

Are you thinking fo growing them bare-root or in pots?

[Rod L]

Kevin

Still investigating this but was thinking in pots using large bark

[kmarch]

Yeah that's how I grow my Ascocenda. Try to get clear pots if oyu can so you can monitor the moisture inside. As you probably know you'll have to water often in summer, not as much in winter.

[tom499]

Just one point to make on pot growing Vandas and other Vandaceous plants.

They will happily go into pots, as of course the extra moisture is greatfully accepted.

But If you take them out of pots to grow hanging again, then unless you give them very good humidity they can slow down dramatically. This is because Vanda roots in pots seem to grow differently to the 'aerial roots' and pot roots wont be used to the sudden lack of humidity and water availability.

Some would argue once you put them in pots it would be best to leave them there for good.

[Vivienne]

I have to agree with Tom regarding the pot to bare root conversion.
I was gifted an Ascocenda that had been in a pot. I wasn't happy with the way it looked so I moved it to a basket (and recently changed the sphag in the basket to LECA pellets). 7 months later and I'm NOW seeing green root tips and even better... new root branches!

[kmarch]

I'm not sure I follow, Tom. My Ascocenda is beign grown in a clear-ish pot so I can see the roots. They don't look any different than the vanda roots that were hanging out fo the basket on the plants I grew when I lived in Michigan except of course, that they're coiled around in a pot.

[Rod L]

Kevin

As far as clear pots is concerned would take away food containers be suitable

rodl

[kmarch]

I don't see why not if they're the right shape and if you can put plenty of holes in the bottom.

[Neenie]

We have several Vanda's. Ours are in the wooden open baskets & some are just attached to wire. Outdoors with no direct sun. Several are in bloom now.

[ryanjoe888]

most of my orchids are vandas, and they are all mounted on a madre cacao wood. they look very happy since tehy are in an open garden and they get the lighting they needed. most of the vanda here in the philippines are mounted on driftwoods. i tried potting a vanda suksamran spots in a terracota pot and she looks happy and starting to have this healthy roots