Does my Vanda have a virus?

[coeruleo]

i always read online where people say v. coerulea likes full sun. it makes me wonder where they heck these people live? maybe full sun on pluto, but not on this planet.

[Susie11]

I get what you mean Coeruleo but when it was receiving less than it gets now the leaves were not growing as long as the previous ones so it was suggested that it needed more light - which I have now done only now it seems that it is getting too much! I only have it under a daylight bulb for about 14 hours a day so I don't know why it would be too much exposure for it. It shares the space with a Den. spectabile and a Bc. I'll have to keep an eye on it and see what happens.

[zainal abidin]

Hi Susie for your information I kept my wild coerulea at the edge of the net it seem very happy getting more than 50 % of light and blooms about 4 to 5 times a year, the different clone of wild coerulea I put under the Rambutan tree( < 30% light) the outcome is not encouraging, the growth pattern is not vigorous as compared to those received more light, another aspect that I always observed the more light they received the inflorescence can progress become a beautiful flowers, under the shade always blasted or in case they progress the flower is not in good shape.

[Susie11]

Thanks Zain. I shall keep it where it is then and just keep an eye on it. I hope that one day it will bloom for me....
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[OrchidAddict]

I only have it under a daylight bulb for about 14 hours a day so I don't know why it would be too much exposure for it. It shares the space with a Den. spectabile and a Bc. I'll have to keep an eye on it and see what happens.

Your problem might have come from the rapid switch from a lower light situation to a higher light one. Any orchid that's going from shadier conditions to sunnier conditions needs to be introduced to the sunnier conditions gradually...if your coerulea was in much lower light before, and it went straight from that lighting to 14 hours a day under a lamp, it's bound to show some signs of shock. Most plants need a few weeks to slowly acclimate to the higher light levels, or they will burn.

Your spectabile is an exception, however. That's one of those plants that you can blast with high light and it will just happily bake in the sun all day. I have a dendrobium of a similar type that takes more sun than my Mokaras (which are supposedly bred to tolerate maximum sun of all vandaceous types). I've never seen that plant burn. And some of my catts are more tolerant of higher light, too...so even if the other plants you have under the lights aren't showing signs of having difficulty adjusting, the coerulea seems to be a more sensitive variety.

You will probably ultimately be fine with this lighting situation...I would just advise phasing your coerulea into the new light over a period of 3-4 weeks. That should eliminate any scorching. I forgot the rule of the "gradual sun-in" when I received an ascocenda recently, and it ended up completely charred. I should post a pic...it will make it, but three of its leaves are completely black. I'm just waiting for them to drop off. If your coerulea is taking damage from the light, it may eventually adjust, but it will have a harder time doing so and may be set back a bit in growth. It couldn't hurt to ease it into the new lighting situation. Yes, it takes longer, but you will ultimately be rewarded in the end.

Just my two cents, since you mentioned that you were confused about how this could be too much exposure for it. I wish you luck! Hope you see your beauty bloom!

[Susie11]

Your problem might have come from the rapid switch from a lower light situation to a higher light one. Any orchid that's going from shadier conditions to sunnier conditions needs to be introduced to the sunnier conditions gradually...if your coerulea was in much lower light before, and it went straight from that lighting to 14 hours a day under a lamp, it's bound to show some signs of shock. Most plants need a few weeks to slowly acclimate to the higher light levels, or they will burn.

Your spectabile is an exception, however. That's one of those plants that you can blast with high light and it will just happily bake in the sun all day. I have a dendrobium of a similar type that takes more sun than my Mokaras (which are supposedly bred to tolerate maximum sun of all vandaceous types). I've never seen that plant burn. And some of my catts are more tolerant of higher light, too...so even if the other plants you have under the lights aren't showing signs of having difficulty adjusting, the coerulea seems to be a more sensitive variety.

You will probably ultimately be fine with this lighting situation...I would just advise phasing your coerulea into the new light over a period of 3-4 weeks. That should eliminate any scorching. I forgot the rule of the "gradual sun-in" when I received an ascocenda recently, and it ended up completely charred. I should post a pic...it will make it, but three of its leaves are completely black. I'm just waiting for them to drop off. If your coerulea is taking damage from the light, it may eventually adjust, but it will have a harder time doing so and may be set back a bit in growth. It couldn't hurt to ease it into the new lighting situation. Yes, it takes longer, but you will ultimately be rewarded in the end.

Just my two cents, since you mentioned that you were confused about how this could be too much exposure for it. I wish you luck! Hope you see your beauty bloom!

Thanks for the info. That is something I have read about but never applied to my situation. It didn't occur to me that it could burn under a lamp - I thought that was only in sunlight. This makes sense to me now. I shall have to introduce it slowly to the bright light although I feel that it may be too difficult as I have only the lamp or the windowsill to offer it at the moment. The weather here in London is appalling. Maybe give it light for less hours of the daylight bulb then build up to full tolerance?

[Susie11]

Just out of curiosity, do you fertilize your coerulea regularly? Vandas are heavy feeders. I fertilize mine daily...I drop a couple of crystals of water-soluble orchid fertilizer in each vase before I fill them up with water. The plants soak up the fertilizer as they sit in the water during the hottest part of the day. I empty the water out in the afternoon after the sun has hit its peak.

I started seeing a HUGE difference in the rate of growth of my plants once I started dropping a couple of crystals of fertilizer in there each day. Before I started fertilizing, they just sort of sat there doing nothing. I'm wondering if your coerulea wasn't growing because it wasn't getting enough nutrients? Just something to think about.

Either way, grow lights are always beneficial...in this case, though, I think the plant is just too close to the light.

I hope it perks up when you move it away from the light a little! These are so stunning when they bloom...I'm watching my spike like a kid waiting for Christmas morning!

Sorry for he late reply - I didn't see it. Um no I stopped feeding it when the black started to appear on the leaves. I though that it was becoming dormant and therefore I stopped feeding it. I haven't fed it for at least two months now. Most of the roots had by then stopped growing anyway, there is only two active roots on her at the moment. I was giving it feed at a quarter strength twice a week but when the black started to appear on the leaf tip and the roots began to stop growing I stopped that.