Vanda Pachara Delight 'Pachara'

[early]

My two vanda seedling arrived. They look health in bark/charcoal? perhaps. They were moist on arrival and in good shape. two years probably before a stem/blooms.
Is there any reason to, in time, repot them in S/H?

My first thought was to leave in two in pots and let them get use to a dry climate, but keep moist and high humidity. I have room is my bathroom if I move some of the bloomers out to living room and try to keep the humidity up. No problems in the bath room, fan going, cool at night, normal house temp in day, an humidity going several hours adjusted to keep it below 70.

I know nothing about Vandas. I bought them because they when bloom with be close to a true Blue. I have the id tag.
Any help with Vanda, 3 inch seedlings greatly appreciated.

[DirtyCoconuts]

They like wet and air. I keep almost all of mine on just a metal hook. Others in a basket of clay or plastic with no medium

I water them with my garden hose daily, or three times a day if I am luckY enough to be outside that much

[Fairorchids]

Vandas need, in order of importance:

• High humidity (60%+), around the roots.
• High light (as close to full sun as you can manage).
• Intermediate to warm temps (never below 55F).

Can't comment on SH, as I have never grown orchids that way. In my greenhouse, where I water once a week in winter and twice a week spring/summer/fall, I grow all my Vandaceous orchids in net pots (3" & 4") or vanda baskets (6" & 8"). Net pots/baskets are filled with a mix of 80% spaghnum/20% bark, to hold moisture around the roots between waterings.

In NJ, when possible, I bring them outside in summer (Memorial Day through end of Sept). I harden them in light shade for 10 days, and then they go into full sun. BUT, in addition to heavy watering every 2-3 days, I spray them down with a hose twice a day (automatic, with electronic timer on the sprinkler hose).

This is how I do it. You need to figure out how to provide the basic conditions within the framework of how much you can care for your plants.

[early]

Unfortunately, Spag. moss cause me to have asthma. So that is why I have settled on LECA and because it is so dry here, (5000+ feet.) both winter and summer. May be able to put on screened in porch on North and East, but very little morning sun because of a huge Mulberry tree. So I will probably keep them in another East window sill or in a grow room with South and lots of light.

Thanks Kim. Be safe there in NJ. We are two weeks behind you and NY in cases and deaths are still minimal.
However the number of cases are doubling every 3 days. I can not even watch the news.

[SouthPark]

Hi there Early! I agree with Kim about the humidity. If humidity around the roots is adequate, the Vanda can grow excellently.

I grow a couple of relatively small V. Pachara Delight orchids. They were potted straight into scoria. I recall them arriving in wooden baskets through the mail. This was maybe a couple of years ago. I put those orchids into very coarse scoria (lava rock) on the day they arrived, and growing in the same pots ever since.

Maybe same as you, I purchased them due to V. Pachara Delight flowers being very nice in colour!

The two attached photos just show the potting arrangement for one of those orchids.

[early]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Hi there Early! I agree with Kim about the humidity. If humidity around the roots is adequate, the Vanda can grow excellently.

I put those orchids into very coarse scoria (lava rock) on the day they arrived, and growing in the same pots ever since.

Maybe same as you, I purchased them due to V. Pachara Delight flowers being very nice in colour!

The two attached photos just show the potting arrangement for one of those orchids.

Thanks South Park. I think I have read that coarse scoria is very close to LECA, both being inorganic. I have two humidifiers for my living room, which is an open plan, No hallways in entire house, and high ceilings with beam, so the larger top fill humidifier only worked for one day. It is going back to UPS on Monday if I can do that safely. I have gloves and a DIY cloth mask that is washable and fits nice. So far I have not used either. I am going to order the next size down and perhaps in summer get a third one so I can get all my 25 plants out where I can enjoy them.
I have a new NoID phal that is a deep purple, bloom and coloring very similar to a Moralia Phal. (I buy for beauty to my eye, not ID. I am not fond of the pale color pinks or purples. But I have a few phals still in bloom. One has a spike coming out of the top side of a leaf, Is about four inches long with a smaller bloom and one healthy looking bud. I will try to post a photo soon. I have never grown a Keiki and wondering if this is one that came from the grower/seller.

[Fairorchids]

Considering your dry climate, you should consider growing the Vandas in vases. You can find details on my web site:
Fair Orchids

[early]

Thanks Kim for the web site. I will investigate the vase idea. I am a bit scared to try new things until I get my nerve up. My daughter saw growing orchids in a vase and wanted to plant her only phal that needed a repot. I told her NO way. stick to tried and true. So she, in Calif, repotted into bark I think, But I am willing to give it a try now. I have two seedling vandas, so can try both LECA and a vase.

[jpope42]

Interesting to grow them in a dry climate. I'm in central Florida, warm & wet most of the year. My Vandas, about 8 or so, hang in a tree. I spray them for about 30 seconds each (with the group getting the overspray) every other day and soak them for an hour or so in a weak fertilizer on Sat or Sunday. Seems to work so far as I have new spikes forming.

[early]

Originally Posted by Fairorchids

Considering your dry climate, you should consider growing the Vandas in vases. You can find details on my web site:
Fair Orchids

<My Vandas were left in LECA for all these months since I first bought them last Dec, and do not seem to have even doubled in size from 2 inches to perhaps 2 1/2 inchs per leaf. I know they take a LONG long time to bloom, but in a yr should they have grown a bit more. As high humidity as I can in NM dry climate, keep watered, but have not been spraying them. Today read that ES in AZ sprays twice a day especially in summer. I some how missed that when I first got them.
So I pulled them out of LECA and put them in tiny shot glasses with what few roots they have in water.
Any suggestions of what to do from here????-----------