Help! Scorching Vandas!!

[GirlGoneWild]

I recently got a bunch of new vandaceous plants (now that I'm confident with vase culture I can't seem to stop buying them...special thanks to this forum for showing me how to do vase culture the right way!!)... and unfortunately I failed to take into consideration the fact that the sun is much stronger in the winter in my grow area. However, I have a Mokara and an Aranda on my sunniest windowsill, and they get blasted with full sun for about 75% of the day. They are growing like gangbusters and SUPER happy!

So when I acquired my Ascocenda Princess Mikasa, I gave it a couple of days to adjust to my conditions and then placed it next to the Mokara and the Aranda. After the first day I noticed some yellow splotches on the leaves, so I moved it back from the window and put it on a shelf where it would get bright indirect light, with some direct sun in the late afternoon. The next day I noticed purple splotches on the leaves. I moved it back from the window even further, while still keeping it in the general sun-lovers' area. The next day it was looking worse, so I put it next to a phal that just gets kissed by the sun a little in the morning. When I went to give it its morning soak today, I encountered THIS disaster:



The poor plant is a mess. Could this damage have all happened in the first couple of days when it was getting the most sun, but just taken a little while to show up? Because I can't imagine it was getting this burnt where it was yesterday. Does sunburn take a couple of days to fully develop?

Anyway, I'm not sure what to do with it now. I've never had a sun-lover get this burnt. Do I keep it in the shade for a while to let it recover? WILL it recover? I feel just awful about this...how, oh HOW did I let this happen to my poor Princess?


So, besides that, I have another dilemma...

How do I arrange my other new acquisitions so they don't fry too?
I just got a Vanda (Euanthe) Sanderiana var alba, an Ascf Cherry Blossom 'Carmela' (I'm not even sure what "Ascf." stands for...it was a "bargain pack" that I bought mostly for the Sanderiana), and a Vandachostylis Colmarie 'Carmela.'

Could someone please tell me which of these plants likes the most sun, and which might need to be moved back from the window? I don't want to risk the "trial and error" approach, since my poor Mikasa looks like it's been vacationing in my oven.

I REALLY want that Sanderiana to do well...I've been hankering after that plant or a long time, and I've read that even a slight problem can set the plant back by 2-3 YEARS. Do you think I could put it next to my Vanda Pachera Delight (on another sunny windowsill)? The Pachera Delight seems happy.

Anyway, please, please help me figure out where to place these plants. I don't understand why my Mokara and Aranda are absolutely flourishing in the punishing sun, while just a couple of days in the sun practically destroyed my Asco.

Thanks, friends! Vanda experts, I really need you on this one!!

[WhiteRabbit]

I've had Neos do that - continued to show more burn damage for some time after the exposure.

When I move plants to stronger light this time of year, I do it when there is overcast weather hopefully for a few days.

I'm sure others will have more advice and suggestions.

[escualida]

Yep that happened to me to with an Ascocenda where it got worse after a few days. It was much worse than yours I think, here is the thread where you can see pics http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ease-help.html

Needless to say mine did not survive.

[Orchidreamer]

It could be that the ascocenda had been growing in lower light before you acquired it, and it hasn't "hardened" off to the bright sunlight. I burned my Renanthera (a true sun lover) because it never received any direct sunlight while growing in the previous owner's greenhouse.

Usually sunburn will stop spreading and dry out into an unsightly, but benign, scar. Sometimes, a secondary infection may occur in the damaged tissues, so you should keep an eye out for that, and treat with fungicide, or "plant surgery", if needed.

Don't give up hope! Here is my favorite rhynchostylis gigantic, a Vanda relative, that suffered from cold damage (with similar symptoms to sunburn). Its damaged tissue developed a secondary infection. Every time I had a cut a piece of the leaf off, I could literally feel the plant's pain (haha, maybe I'm being over-dramatic). It looked so terrible I nearly pitched it. But this summer, it recovered and grew two nice leaves, even though the old leaves still look frightful.



Your plant may look damaged, but as long as it has the will to survive, it will!

[GirlGoneWild]

Originally Posted by escualida

Yep that happened to me to with an Ascocenda where it got worse after a few days. It was much worse than yours I think, here is the thread where you can see pics http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ease-help.html

Needless to say mine did not survive.

OH, that's so sad!!! I love the pretty green bow you had tied around your vase, too. It looked like such a cozy little home! My damage is actually continuing to spread...the leaves are turning black closer to the base of the plant. I'm hoping it stops before the whole thing turns into a charred hunk of deadness.

Although there are a couple of things that give me hope here. The center-most leaf does not appear to be damaged, so the crown of the plant appears to be intact yet. That's good news. My plant has also not "gone yellow" like yours did...it's still green, so I still have hope. Thanks for sharing your thread...sad photos...did you ever replace it?

Originally Posted by Zootrophion

It could be that the ascocenda had been growing in lower light before you acquired it, and it hasn't "hardened" off to the bright sunlight. I burned my Renanthera (a true sun lover) because it never received any direct sunlight while growing in the previous owner's greenhouse.

Usually sunburn will stop spreading and dry out into an unsightly, but benign, scar. Sometimes, a secondary infection may occur in the damaged tissues, so you should keep an eye out for that, and treat with fungicide, or "plant surgery", if needed.

Don't give up hope! Here is my favorite rhynchostylis gigantic, a Vanda relative, that suffered from cold damage (with similar symptoms to sunburn). Its damaged tissue developed a secondary infection. Every time I had a cut a piece of the leaf off, I could literally feel the plant's pain (haha, maybe I'm being over-dramatic). It looked so terrible I nearly pitched it. But this summer, it recovered and grew two nice leaves, even though the old leaves still look frightful.

Your plant may look damaged, but as long as it has the will to survive, it will!

Thank you for the pep talk...I really needed it! You weren't being overly dramatic...I nearly cried when I saw my plant, and even if I didn't say "I'm sorry...I'm SO sorry..." out loud, I certainly tried to psychically communicate my compassion for the poor plant. LOL (Nuts...me? Nah...)

I've never burned a plant this badly...I've accidentally charred the edges on some phal leaves before, but it was nothing a little nip and tuck wouldn't fix.

I've been looking forward to getting this plant for a while, too. I think you are right; that the plant was not receiving any direct sun in the greenhouse.

Here's why....

I actually received a second one in the mail from the seller a few days after the first one arrived. I thought the first plant had gotten lost in the mail, so I emailed the company and I guess they sent me a replacement, because I was surprised to see a new one show up two nights ago! Anyway, I think you're correct because after burning the first one, I didn't put the second one on the windowsill at all...I put it on a shelf next to some phals, where it would still get some indirect sun, but was far enough back from the window to be in the "safe zone."

Wouldn't you know, this morning I saw a small purple spot developing on one of the leaves closest to the window. My PHALS like that spot...and my Asco is getting burned? What?

Well, I'm erring on the side of caution from now on. These plants aren't getting anywhere near the sun for another month at least!

I'll keep everyone updated on my badly burnt baby. Thanks for the help and the pep talks!

[Bud]

Mokaras love direct sunlight. Vandas need to be weaned slowly to brighter light especially the seedlings (your instincts are correct to give it the Phal lights at the moment=next week slowly put them nearer but behind the Mokaras; I usually assume they came from green houses so it will have light coming several feet above the ceilings; whereas we windowsill growers can produce brighter light and heat because the glass in our winterized double windowpanes can serve as a magnifyer a few inches away from the leaves that can burn any orchid from 11am to 3pm.... I am lucky that the taller buildings of my neighborhood cover the intensity of the sun on those time periods....you too got the hard way in discovering that winter sun is brighter than the summer sun in the east coast....
make sure to spray the leaves with anti bacterial and fungal mix(maybe hydrogen peroxide or the original listerine mouthwasy will do)....those burnt leaves are a magnet for infestations. Those burnt leaves will stay that way until the plant sheds it off....
The plant is not dead, thanks to your prescence of mind and keen observation.....another couple of days of direct sun magnified ten times and those Vandas will definitely die.

[escualida]

Originally Posted by GirlGoneWild

Thanks for sharing your thread...sad photos...did you ever replace it?

Nah I realized I'm not really set up for that kind of plant, takes up way too much room and time and I wouldn't do it justice. Maybe if/when I move into a bigger apartment I'll give it another try.

Originally Posted by GirlGoneWild

I actually received a second one in the mail from the seller a few days after the first one arrived. I thought the first plant had gotten lost in the mail, so I emailed the company and I guess they sent me a replacement, because I was surprised to see a new one show up two nights ago!

How awesome is that? Now you've got a free backup which is great because even though I'm sure the other will survive, it might not want to bloom for a while so now you have another to enjoy while this one heals.

Where did you buy it from?