Please help me with a rootless rescue Vanda

[Lilac]

The Vanda stem has produced a tiny little nub of a root! It's bright green and I'm just thrilled.

I want to see this Vanda healthy and perhaps maybe even flower again!

As for the seaweed extract, I can't seem to find a company that will ship liquids to PR, and I just have not found it here!

But I saw a video on YouTube where you can put seaweed sushi wrappers in a blender with water let it ferment a bit then use the water on the orchids.

Dunno how good this is but in case I cant get it, I guess it's worth a try?

[hanzy08]

Firstrays.com ships internationally but im not sure about PR customs. If you see roots popping out it should be good and will flower in 6 months to a year. I have dealt with rootless vandas. In my experience, the hybrids tend to root faster than the pure species.

[LovePhals]

Lilac, glad to hear yours is growing a root! My Vandas didn't like vase culture, but yours might. I use clay pots with wine corks and it works great for me (my healthy ones). I keep them in their basket so I can hang in summer if I like. I put some sphagnum moss over the bare roots in winter to keep moisture.

[Lilac]

Hanzy thanks for the info and I will look into Firstrays

Thanks LovePhals!

[mtorchid]

Originally Posted by DrLego

Orchids are funny, the more people seem to fret and baby them the worse they seem to grow. It's like they have performance anxiety or something

Performance anxiety- good one! Actually there is some science re coddled (couch-potato) orchid growing and I'm sure it's not just for Phals:

http://www.aos.org/images/img_conten...alaenopsis.pdf

[Lilac]

Thanks mtorchid I enjoyed the article.

[Jenn4a]

I have a tiny V. Coerulea that I'm growing in a cup, like vase culture. It came in a 2.5" net pot and I went to GW and bought some containers. right now, it's only big enough to sit into a small glass... So cute!
Apparently I wasn't feeding it enough until 2 weeks ago. The leaf was slowly growing, but I adjusted my fertilized water to 80-100ppm TDS. The leaf is growing much faster, and I have new root tips now. I also use a spray bottle with 100ppm on my two mounted orchids, daily; my Hygrochillus has a new leaf coming out! I guess I really underestimated how much vandaceous orchids eat.
I am rather forgetful.. Even before the new roots showed up, the vanda sat in water until I turned off the lights. I've been filling it half way up, and then add more gradually until all the roots are saturated...Probably not optimal, but it doesn't seem to hurt it. I personally don't want to see how much longer I can leave it in water though. I'm not that daring

[Lilac]

Hi Jenn4a! That sounds really interesting.

What I have been doing, since I'm home most of the time, is I filled two buckets with water to which I've added some 20-20-20- a very tiny bit, maybe 1/4 tsp to 3-4 gallons of water,which is more or less what the buckets hold. The buckets are directly under where they are hanging. When I get up I just unhook them from the fence where they are hanging and submerge their roots so that the little baskets are sitting,floating on top of the bucket.

I do this, or try to do it at least several times during the day. I don't worry so much about the other two established ones, but more so the rescue.

After about 1/2 hour or so I take them out and hang them back up on the fence. So far the rescue one is sprouting a little root. and the other two seem to be doing fine, at least they don't seem to be protesting

So I guess I will continue this and see how it goes. It's very windy here and this is the driest time of the year, with very little to no rainfall so the roots dry out super quick.

I def will take pics and post progress, but I must say I am anxiously awaiting the rainy season in May. Then I can just let nature take care of them more or less. XD

Thanks so much for the input. If it wasn't for this board I know I would have lost my Phals by now as well as prolly the Catts too! I've learned so much from all here!

Love you! Orchid hugs!