Vanda leaf size?

[sand_tiger86]

I see a lot of sites talking about "leaf span" in regards to a blooming sized Vanda. I read 14-18" in a lot of cases, but I never know if that means each individual leaf or the span of one leaf tip to the opposite side's leaf tip. Both of my Vandas have individual leaves of about 10-12 inches and the overall span from one side to the other is about 20 inches to 2 feet (this is with leaf curvature in mind). They both have about 6 rows of leaves with a new row starting on each. I'm just trying to get a grasp on how far away mine are from "blooming size".

[tucker85]

I've always assumed that leaf span mean from the tip of one leaf to the tip of the opposite leaf. But I could be wrong. Vanda size can vary a great deal. Some can get huge and others are more compact, with a much narrower leaf span. Blooming size can vary also. Some of the ascocendas and vascostylis are frequent bloomers that can bloom on very small plants. Some of the bigger vandas need to get quite large before they start blooming.

[Gage]

Kelly, I have a hard time believing that Vandas of the size you are describing are not blooming size. In my humble opinion, if you can provide the right conditions for them, I think they should bloom whenever their next blooming season comes. If it's a fall bloomer, then this fall. If it's a spring bloomer, then next spring. If it's a multiple times a year bloomer, then within 6 months or so. But that's depending on conditions being right. Give those things as much light as you possibly can without burning them!

[sand_tiger86]

Thanks, Tucker and Gage! I'll try to post pictures of them as soon as I can get around to it so you can really see...the funny thing is, they're not incredibly tall. The width is that of a full grown Vanda, but height is about 6-7". I'm not sure if I just have compact Vandas or if the leaves become full-size before the height does. Neither have ever bloomed before, so when they do it'll be their first time. I suspect that even if they're not quite there yet, they're getting very close.

[Gage]

It's true that the leaf span is the real indicator of maturity, rather than the height. A good way to know when to expect blooms from a previously bloomed Vanda of any size is this: if it blooms regardless of the time of year, just note how many leaves are above the emerging spike to determine when it will potentially spike again. If you have a Vanda that blooms below the fourth from the top leaf, then once you get one mature leaf you have 3 more leaves to go before it will potentially spike. If I had to make a generalization for vandaceous hybrids, I would say 4 or more mature leaves on both sides should be large enough to bloom. Does that make sense?

[sand_tiger86]

Well, they've never had their first blooming...but at the rate they grow, 4 leaves on each side could be 2 years. o_O Slow buggers. (Which is odd, because they're almost unanimously praised as being "fast growers" on internet culture sites.)

[Gage]

Nah, if they have 1 set of mature leaves then maybe 1 year in good light with lots of fert.

[Michael Saar]

Don't I remember from previous posts that you grow indoors in windows? Light could well be your problem.

[sand_tiger86]

Who knows. I don't think I've encountered a "problem" just yet...I've only had them for about 2 months and they were bag babies (albeit with huge roots systems and growing well out of the largest sized bags the company provides) so it's understandable that they haven't bloomed yet. I'll just have to wait and see. I find it hard to believe that I couldn't bloom a Vanda in my windows in Texas, when I've read several online postings about people in Canada and the UK being able to bloom theirs with no additional lighting.

[sand_tiger86]

Alright, picture time! These are both of my Vandas (minus my Mokara, which is really just an experiment thing that I'm not too bothered with). They're in 7 inch pots, and I've used my hand for size. My hand is very long and E.T.-like if it helps at all. lmao A few of the smaller leaves aren't visible are they're within the pots.