Vanda question

[coeruleo]

i'm just really trying to get the hang of vandas myself, they are not easy here, and don't stay so lush and green like in florida or hawaii. in california it is far too dry to not use some sort of potting medium, especially in summer. the best thing to do is watch them. if you water or mist enough, they may not really need it. if you use a medium, make sure it can dry quickly. they do look neater in pots than in hanging baskets, the roots get so unruly. i've also had success in clay pots with little to no medium. i prefer a mix with large bark, large pearlite, fern fiber chunks, and hydro pellets with a little sphagnum moss mixed in. the gaps should be as large as the roots.

[cdayinflorida]

We go through several months of dry conditions here in Florida. But even in the wet part of the summer I still water at least twice a day. When it is really hot I can water three times a day. They are under a roof and not out in the weather.
I'm on my way to eliminating all wooden baskets and hanging just on wire. It works for me as part of thrip control. I still have a several dozen to go to get them all out of baskets. But as the baskets deteriorate I'm happy.
The one thing I've noticed that people talk about are roots and how to control them. They are vandas. If you are going to grow and grow them well then you are going to have to realize that you are always going to have a massive amount of roots hanging down. That is the nature of the plant. You are always going to have to weave yourself around them where you have them situated. My shadehouse is about 8.5 high and the roots of many of mine hang to the ground. There is no controlling that.

[catttan]

I have to concur with you Cathy re the vanda roots. You just have to live with them -

[Roy]

Cathy & Yew are quite correct about the root systems. Not shown in my pic is the roots on some of my plants are 3 feet long & still growing.
Many growers, new & experienced forget that in the main, there are 2 types of Orchids, Terrestrial & Epiphytic. Terrestrial plants you can reasonably control the roots in containers as they are used to collecting their food from the decomposing matter on the ground where they live. Epiphytes are ON a host and food is not readily available if at all so they have to produce excessive root systems to gather norishment & remain attached to the host. It doesn't matter how often these plants are watered & fed, they still have they inbuilt sense to continue this habit. In culture, all we do is encourage the plant to produce more roots as "Vandas" are continuous growers & gross feeders & they keep wanting more.

[Miller]

Non of my Vanda's have made it to that point, (Just got them and they are mostly still very small). I hav no problem with the roots but what do you do when they reach the ground? Just preparing myself for the inevitable.

Thanks

[sand_tiger86]

I have my Vandas in clay pots, so the roots can't hang down. I suppose they can overgrow the sides and cascade down eventually, but it seems as though if you confine them in a pot they're not as free-growing. This, perhaps, is a deterrent to optimal growth of the plants but que sera sera. I can't deal with basket culture and have wet roots all over my apartment.

[cdayinflorida]

Non of my Vanda's have made it to that point, (Just got them and they are mostly still very small). I hav no problem with the roots but what do you do when they reach the ground? Just preparing myself for the inevitable.

Thanks

Miller, I will take a picture of what I do with the roots once they hit the ground. I'll post it in this thread.

[cdayinflorida]

I wrap them into a loose coil as shown in the photos. As they continue to produce more roots I continue to loosely coil them.

[sand_tiger86]

I've always wondered why only Vandas need such a monstrous root system.

[Miller]

Thanks Cathy

Miller, I will take a picture of what I do with the roots once they hit the ground. I'll post it in this thread.