Vanda Question

[Jirel]

From what I read in some vanda information, if a vanda gets too lanky, you can cut the cane below a couple of sets of roots to drop down the non-leaf area. I'm wondering if this is a good candidate to be cut? Some of the lowest roots have dried up.

[digitalgate]

that does not look good. How long did that "brownness" travel up the stem? Has it stop
travelling upward? Does the upper root has green/brown tip?

if you have no green tip, bring it to a stronger light (a little bit at a time) Let the root grow
new green tip. I am referring to the upper root. Spray more often since it is summer now.
once you seen new growth in the root cut the stem stepwise up ward,until you see no brown stem. go another inch higher (hopefully you have root in that area) put into
a pot with charcoal/moss under low light. Let the root establish itself and grow new leaf.
By then summer would be over. reduce watering. hopefully the plant would establish itself.
Can u take a closer photo of the flower? I can't really tell if i have given you the
correct advise.

[Jirel]

Most of the roots look great - its just the lower ones that are bown. I just realized today that the plant doesn't look too good. I bought it on Monday so it may be going into shock with the adjustment to a new place. Here are pictures that I went out and took.

The bottom with the dried out roots.


The better roots:


And just because - I FINALLY got a picture that shows the white backs and stems of the flowers and how they contrast with the fronts that looks like what I saw that attracted me to this plant:

[NancyG]

Jirel,

I've got a coupls of vandas that look like this too. I was wondering the same thing but wasn't real sure how to go about cutting the stem and replanting. How long does it take for the vanda to establish itself again? How long before it will bloom again? Can you just leave it like this? Will it be okay like this and continue to bloom? Just a few questions.

NancyG

[Jirel]

NancyG - good questions, I hope someone answers them because I would be interested in the answers. Otherwise I just go on my instincts.

[made4engineering]

You should cut it. Because monopodials have only one main stem, and the oldest part of the stem slowly dies off, it depends on the newer part of the stem with live roots to gather moisture and to attach to surfaces. Older Vandas grow in a j shape in the wild - the old part pointing downward flat against the tree with the newer part curving up with leaves arranged like a fan.

[NancyG]

How long do the new roots have to be before you cut it? A grower once told me vandas can go for years in the same basket.

NancyG

[made4engineering]

I dunno. I would just cut off the stem right below the first root thats still alive, and just stick in back in the basket. What I meant by "newer", is "still alive".

[missann]

Quoting from "Otho's all about orchids" (small book) "...a mature plant or one with a damaged tip will often sprout (babies) along the main stem.)
or You can cut the top off, and if you put it in bark or something, it will grow babies along the base of the old plant, and possibly the top cut as well.

This part is the most important: "Monopodial orchids such a vanda can be propagated by cutting off the top of the plant BENEATH several aerial roots and potting it up seperately."

"Roots should be at least 2 inches long..."

I just bought a top cut of a vanda and it has 4 roots about 3 inches long. It is 15" high.

The most important thing when you cut that top off is that you have some roots on the bottom of it. If the top part of the plant does not have roots, you can air-layer it in order to grow some new roots. It does not look like you could cut off the top off of that plant without taking a good chunk of the dead stem with it, which is probably what you are trying to get rid of in the first place.

You could totally get away with cutting that top with the bottom 2 roots, since they are so long, but I would suggest putting it in some kind of potting medium to hold extra moisture while it grows new roots.

"Typicallyan older plant will grow tall and leggy, with a portion of stem toward its bottom that is leafless. The plant can be shortened by cutting off it's top immediately below a node with well developed aerial roots. The upper part is potted seperately while the old plant, thought leafless or nearly so, is returned to where it has been growing. It will usually produce new growth at the top of the cut stem which can later be removed and planted. Or, it may sprot new growth at the base of the stem. If that happens, th old stem can be but off once the new growth is well established."
"If..lacking aerial roots, which facilitate shortening and thereby jump-starting the parent plant into producing new top growths or or basal shoots, try this air layering procedure: Wrap a handful of moist, live sphagnum moss around a portion of the bare stem, covering at least two of the three nodes where leaves oce grew. Enclose the moss in plastic. When roots have begun to grow actively into the moss, the stem can be cut directly beneath the air-layer and potted.."

[Jirel]

Thank you everyone for the information. And I think that with a plant that large I will be a lot happier with some of it in potting media. For one thing, I can't do a lot of watering as I have to do it from either a watering 'can' or a small hand spray bottle. I've just had the feeling the plant is not getting enough water and it worries me. With some of the roots in media I would feel that it has more of a chance of getting enough water.

[NancyG]

Thanks, that helps alot

NancyG