Vanda limbata

[ferdi]

Lovely. I do regret that Vanda species are almost impossible to obtain here in UK. All we get is hybrids, strap-leaved hybrids only . But that is an improvement - when I first tried to grow Vandas seriously, about 20 years ago, there was only one available from anywhere - V.Rothschildianum. We have moved on a a little bit from there, but it wants the bigger breeders and exporters e.g. in Thailand, to do some seed-raising of the species before they ever could be available - in the meantime I can only hope and admire ones that you and others show.

I guess the reason why seedling for vanda species ( or any other species ) is not widely available is due to its demand. Not many people like orchid species because the species is only blooming in certain period within a year (and sometimes the flowers only have a very short lifetime - e.g. Dendrobium crumenatum and Dendrobium amboinensis), while the hybrids essentially could produce spikes anytime if the environment is suitable for them.

[Dorsetman]

[QUOTE=ferdi;234220]I guess the reason why seedling for vanda species ( or any other species ) is not widely available is due to its demand.

True

(and sometimes the flowers only have a very short lifetime -

My Vanda lamellata v.boxallii has flowers which last an incredible time - 3 months - and by the end of that time the next spikes are well advanced....

Sometimes. things are not done ( like raising Vanda species from seed) becauise no one has done them... when some-one starts, others will catch on and copy . But how to get things started ! There's the rub !
Talking about it here is one way. Some-one somwhere will be talking to their favourite orchid nursery and saying, why are .... and then maybe the nursery owner may think - well why not ... ?