Vanda in Hanging Planter

[cwcervantes]

Has anyone tried this? This poor vanda wasn't doing so hot so it gets experimented with!
The basket is filled with large bark.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Is it free draining? Vandas like to drink water, but need to dry off quickly. Keep an eye on the roots if there is lots of medium around them. Most of my vandas grow in baskets with lava rock and a few pieces of large redwood bark. Water runs right through the pots.

cheers,
BD

[catttan]

Looks very nice.

[123orchids]

I would have recommended to have made a few holes in the bottom part of the basket that the roots can venture out of it freely if they like.

[coeruleo]

i have a few of these baskets. they come lined with plastic. i hope you removed it? otherwise i think these will pool water inside, which will not be good for any orchid. i have had some luck here potting in bark mixes for vandas, but always with really free draining pots. however, without that plastic, the basket will start to fall apart after a while. what i would do, is leave the plastic, but put the orchid into a smaller lightweight plastic pot that fits inside nicely. then you can pull out the plant to water really well, let it drain, and place it back. you can also add a drip pan. that is how i kept 6 small dtps for about 2 years, but i just took them out to pot them into a tree trunk thing i am making. they did well in there because i could take them out and run them under the sink, drain and replace. by the way, beautiful baskets, right?? and your orchid doesn't look too bad really, nice size spread on the leaves. what vanda is it?

[BValdes]

I am not an expert by any means but I would be hesitant to put Vandas inside a basket or pot with any misture or medium, everything I read suggested to leave roots grow freely and drop down they need to dry very quickly as "Bruce" said, instead of having them confined they love to feel the breeze. I can't tell how big or long are your roots but if you are going to put it in that beautiful basket I would make small holes all around it as suggested by "Gabriela" and try to take out some of the roots to let them grow outside, just a suggestion. Oh by the way the Vanda looks excellent I can tell that a new leave has grown from the top of the crown which is a good sign. Good luck and keep us posted.

[cdayinflorida]

I love the hanging basket! But I would hesitate to keep the vanda in it. They like lots of air movement and as Bruce, said...they require loads of water but need to dry off ASAP.
I've been trying to move all my vandas over to wire hangers. I find it removes about 50% of the worries of thrips.

[cwcervantes]

Thanks for all the replies! I've been keeping an eye on this plant and the droopy leaves have perked up! I did remove the plastic from the basket. I can't even see how a terrestrial plant would do well in this basket potted into a plastic bag more or less!
This is a Vanda Kultana Fragrance x Happy Smile (funny names, I know) that I got off the internet a few years ago. Haven't been able to re-bloom it since. I can get mini vandas to bloom but I guess I'm not doing something right with the larger ones. I've tried higher light, more fertiliser, watering everyday, etc ... but to no avail. I guess in my climate there's too many temperature and humidity changes for the plants.

[smurphr]

HOWS YA MAMA N'EM?! love seeing NO folk in the OT!! i do miss my dear sweet city so much! what part of town you in? the humidity should be great for them vandas but my mom keeps tellin me that the winters have been getting colder over the last few years... personally i tend to be bad with vandas... but im getting better... it's that "keep em wet but dry" thing that just annoys the piss out of me! thanks to an automated sprinkler system i rigged last spring mine are doing much better... i just let the timer keep the wet n dry ;-)

[cwcervantes]

The winters have been strange!! It snowed a few years ago but this last winter I don't think there even was a frost. I left a bunch of plumerias outside and they didn't get any damage. Im in uptown right now but not for long. I've got to distance myself from all the university nonsense.
I think an automated sprinkler would make vanda care so much easier! And the weathe here is great for them most of the year. -- it's those few months indoors with low
Light and really dry air from the heater that does them wrong. Maybe I'll be more adventurous and leave them out in the 40's
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