Vanda Seedlings--bark needed?

[sadie]

Hey there all. Since I now have the greenhouse, I succumbed to temptation and purchased a bunch of little vanda seedlings. Anyway, I potted them up in 4" cedar baskets, but a recent post by Dallasgarden got me wondering if I should have put some bark or lava rock in the baskets with them. I am watering every morning with the hose set to "rain"--misty heavy etc. Do I need something other than the pot or will just the pot do?

[Cjcorner]

I'm not the greatest with vandas, but I am into raising babies.....I find giving seedlings something like peat moss or sphag gives them an easier time growing new roots as tothe increased humidity. They need more watering too.....my nursery (as I call the baby or small section) gets almost daily watering and misting to keep their humidity up. Also, I am much more careful about their temp's and never let them get too chilly for too long. Windy or hot days they will need more moisture and more waterings and protection from direct sun. Go careful with feedings, keep your nutrient mixtures really weak for the little ones. They burn really easy. Good Luck...
Connie

[clintdawley]

If you have the vandas in a greenhouse the ambient humidity should be enough that you don't have to cram anything in the baskets with them.

[Grandma M]

Sadie

I also purchased some vanda seedlings, bare root, and potted them into heavy 4" mesh pots. I placed some lava rock in to help stabilize them and also put very light layer of coconut fiber on top to help keep the moisture in. It works great and they are doing well.

I didn't know what to do with the pots because some already had roots hanging out of the bottom. I found a tomato cage in my garage, cut the lower part off, tipped it up-side down, and now a have a place to hang my small pots. It sits on a tray but I can lift the whole cage up and place it into a bucket to soak them In fert water every few days, They get sprayed every day. I'll post a picture.

I had been growing a couple of vandas in my home under lights for about 3-4 years. Last fall I decided to get more of them. I'm now growing a few seedlings, and have 2 more coming today. I lost a little 6 year old grandson because of a fall. His name was Michael and when I saw Chtra. Ruth Murai 'Michael' I just had to order a couple seedlings. I sure hope they do as well as my other seedlings.

Which varieties do you have?

I also like the Vanda-Neo crosses because they stay small. I have an Ascofinata in bloom now. I'll aslo post that picture.

Grandma

[Brutal_Dreamer]

SO Beautiful!

cheers,
BD

[sadie]

Thanks for the advice all -- I think I'll see how they do with just the baskets as I've got them now, but I'll watch the sun and fertilizer levels. Grandma M --those are lovely vandas and ascf you have. And what a nice memorial for your grandson. (How tragic to lose him.) And I like the ingenuity with the tomato cages. I went to the hardware store and purchased a 10ft length of pipe, plus t-junctions for the end and set it on the ledge on either side of my greenhouse. The vandas just hang--all in a row--from the pipe. It works really well.

[sompohj]

pretty vanda , i like it


happy and enjoy to orchids , for everybody ...