Vanda

They thrive in warm, humid and sunny environments.  They grow very well outdoors mounted in trees or in hanging baskets, where their roots can hang down free.  However, they do very good as well in semi hydroponics indoors.

It’s a genus with 60 species and several hybrids.  They are native to Southeast Asia,  Philippines and Northern Australia.

knowing your orchid:

general care:

WATER:  This genus likes to be constantly humid, specially outdoors and during the hotter months.  They must not dry between waterings.  If they are being grown in semi hydroponics, it’s easier to keep their roots moist.; if grown mounted, they need daily waterings, and in the hottest season, additionally their roots must be soaked in a bucket with fertilizer once a week for 20 minutes.

 It’s important to water them only in the mornings with room temperature water so that the leaves and new growths have time to dry before the temperature drops in the evening.  Excess water can be a focus of infection and can damage the plant.  The frequency of waterings will depend on your climate and the time of the year; waterings should be more frequent and abundant during the hot months and if your climate is dry, you may need to water up to 3 times a week, fertilizing only once a week. During the winter and in cold zones, the watering and the feedings can be spaced every 7 to 10 days to avoid root rot. It will also depend on the type of media you’re growing them in.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY:  

70% – 80%.  

If your HR is to high, it’s very important to have good ventilation to prevent diseases.  To increase your HR, please visit our post  “Tips to increase Relative Humidity“.

TEMPERATURE: 

Día: 75ºC – 95ºC

Noche: 60ºC – 70ºC  

It’s ideal that there is a difference of 15ºF to 20ºF between day and night temperatures to promote new growths (leaves, stems and roots). If your temperature is higher that the ideal, you’ll have to increase the RH, airing and waterings, to avoid premature withering of the flowers and buds and the dehydration of your plant.

MEDIUM – HIGH LIGHT: Using the Shadow Trick (see Basic Care: Light Issues section), the shadow of your hand must be dark grey to almost black, very well defined.   Ideal locations: east, south or west facing windows with a sheer curtain.  This genus DOES enjoy direct sunlight, but not during the hotter hours of the day; it helps them develop new growths.  If they are hanged outside, place them in a spot where they’ll receive some shadow during the more intense sunlight hours.   Also, before you mount them on a tree, observe the light that tree is getting throughout the day.   They can get sunburned.

ARTIFICIAL LIGHT: VHO (very high output) fluorescent lamps placed 6″ – 12″ above the leaves, 12 hours a day.

These are the IDEAL conditions, however, orchids are more adaptable than we think!!  You’ll just have to put a bit more effort accommodating them in their new environment.  Look for tips in our Magazine!

to know more about nutrition, growing media and basic care, click below: