I just want to document how my Vanda coerulea grows, my growing conditions here are so different from everyone else, so it will help me remember what occurred as years go by, if this plant continues to endure me

I acquired this Vanda last June 2013 during the San Jose Orchid Show. Fell in love with those lovely blue blooms. Knowing it was grown in San Jose, I was thinking it could adapt in my area. For sure it was grown in a greenhouse so it will be awhile for it to truly acclimate here.




Been reading about it endlessly and came to understand it is more of a cool growing orchid. Well that is ironic, my area is a furnace during summer.I also know it will enjoy our mild winters here outdoors, so it will not be a problem keeping it out during the cold season. And knowing vandas are happier with their roots exposed, I unpotted it and hang it, by our fountain, so it can get cooled down a bit, sometimes dunking it and letting it swim a few minutes in water:



Made a slight mistake last Dec 2014, I think I was afraid of the falling tree limbs during a freakish rain event, so I hid it inside my growcamp overnight. The next day the ugly leaf blemishes showed up. So far those leaf blemishes are not spreading. I guess our area is just too dry for it. But I was waiting trying to see if this will rot the plant. So far it has stayed just like that an ugly blemish on some leaf ends and edges.

Our California drought is really terrible this year, and in deference to our drought, I have decided not to run our fountain. I know it will be tough growing for my orchids in the growcamp and all the more for my Vanda coerulea, so I tried using vase culture. Been reading about it at another forum and they did show good results. The only modification I have is that, my vase culture is still kept outdoors. Most of the growers using vase culture have their Vandas indoors. I surmised it will not be too bad to keep my vanda in vase culture outdoors, there is more breeze out and summer is always a good time for any orchids.

So I moved Vanda c to vase culture in June 2015, placing it also under our garden umbrella, to help shield the plant from excessive heat. Typically have to get those roots submerged in water then remove the water so roots are not left there soaking. I did that, and since this plant is outdoors, I leave about an inch or two of water, to help with more moisture:



Observing it further later on, it seems to help, I got two new leaves forming, and roots are not too brittle dry compared to not being in this set-up. I have been spritzing the leaves too more often, as often as I could, since it is just too dry here.


This week, it has been just horrendous dry heat wave. I want to help my Vanda endure a little more. Our humidity levels are so low going down to 7% at times and just blanket dry heat. So I made another change, this time I have doused the plant with water, and kept the level of water higher, some roots are in water, the majority and the end part of the plant is above water. It is still under observation, so far it seems to help, I will maintain this set-up as long as we are in the triple digit heat level, and will continue to observe:




Hoping for our cooler Fall conditions to come in and hopefully that much awaited El Nino this winter..hope it will not be too harsh here. Will update this thread as it goes.

I cannot even imagine a 7% relative humidity here. When we get down to 30%, it feels so much cooler. We don't see 30% very often.

Tarev, How often do you dunk it?

Great info Tarev, that's why I have a thread of my Vanda Pachara too. This is awesome for tracking its progress, so you have a 2-year old Vanda now and still alive and healthy looking!

Hi Carol, to be honest sometimes just once a week, trying to be prudent with water, so I spray it most of the time, and just keeping a low level of water below, so something evaporates to the roots at least. My container is rather big, it feels wasteful to put a lot of water in it.
But just changed the water level higher now, and keeping it like that till these super hot temps moves away.

Hi Gigi, I read your Vanda Pachara thread, and mentioned this too. So I thought might as well start my own thread, don't want to hijack yours I knew I wrote about this before, and found my old posting in another forum..took me awhile to locate it , so might as well write it here in the Orchid forum on its own thread..it might be useful info to some, who knows

drdawg said:I cannot even imagine a 7% relative humidity here. When we get down to 30%, it feels so much cooler. We don't see 30% very often.

Our norm here for humidity is 40% and lower in summer..there are days when it even registers 0..just so bone dry. It is so dry, my yard is a mess everyday, from the fallen leaves from our city trees.

you can hijack my thread anytime Tarev

GigiPlumeria said: you can hijack my thread anytime Tarev

Thanks Gigi! But i try to behave

I have just now put two vanda's in the vase ( mine are soft drink bottles cut about at widest part) they were undistrubed in that they still have the old osmunda fern instead of the basket. Let's see if I get enough air movement and really need root production! Wish me luck, I was about to give up on them!

I have one growing on my oak tree for almost a couple years now but I bought this as a baby Vanda. I just bought 2 blooming ones this year so I'm learning more about it. Here is a link that might help a littl bit.

http://www.orchidsgardencentre...

That's a good link, Gigi. Interesting to know that the blue Vandas want cooler night temperatures to set flower spikes. I have a young plant of V. Tokyo Blue that is looking big and healthy enough that it might think about blooming this fall~ C'mon cold front!

Perhaps it is simply not that simple?
.....as Ursula mutters, thinking about the numerous Sansai Blues and Pakchong Blue she managed to enjoy Winter and Summer in all sorts of spiking temperatures ......smily:

It was surprising to me too Elaine because the blue Vanda 'that got away' from me 3 years ago was called Philippine Vanda, which is a tropical area.

So, I will be feeding the Vanda the "bloom booster" just before it gets cold or right after. It is supposed to bring some spikes....

Ursula, you are right of course, sometimes I follow everything by the book and nothing blooms. Then I neglect them, especially the Catts and they bloom like crazy.

I agree, it's never just one thing but a whole combination of things that come together right to make these crazy plants bloom. If a weather change can give me more hope of blooms, well, I'll take it.

I did see a beautiful specimen of Tokyo Blue in bloom at the Sarasota orchid show last year in January. That would be a good time of year to see temperature spikes down into the 50's on a regular basis.

Just updating condition of my Vanda coerulea: it enjoyed our past winter, a taste of nice rainfall, and cold temps, glad still alive

But it is once again getting warmer and drier, nice to see it has been making a new root, and in the past year it managed some new leaves. Our Spring this year is quite gentle, daytime temps are good, not in the onerous high 90's yet.

Photo as of 29Mar2016:

I love the fact that you are experimenting and learning. We all have unique growing conditions and we experiment. It is called experience. One day soon you will find the magic formula and be able to grow Vandas with ease and help others do the same. You are on the path to success.

Jim

Thanks Jim! It has been teaching me very well the effect of humidity and temps.

Nice fat root Tarev. I am a believer of super thrive for my vandas, have you tried it Tarev?

Hi Gigi, I have used Super Thrive before for one of my other plants, but not really sure it has substantial effect.
Yes, I am happy with that fat root, and there is another growth poking on the other side too:smily: