vandas -root tips in water?

[conjuay]

I've heard of people using "bud vases", (you know the little push-on plastic tubes with water in them) on the very tips of their vanda's roots to keep them watered.
If that is so, why not simply hang the plant over some sort of water basin so that only the tips come in contact with the water?
The reason I'm asking is that I seem to recall seeing a picture from Malaysia where numerous vandas draped a riverbank with their roots.
It seems like an easy 'semi hydroponic' way to grow them... don't you think?

[pavel]

I've heard of people using "bud vases", (you know the little push-on plastic tubes with water in them) on the very tips of their vanda's roots to keep them watered.

Interesting ... never heard of that before.

If that is so, why not simply hang the plant over some sort of water basin so that only the tips come in contact with the water?
The reason I'm asking is that I seem to recall seeing a picture from Malaysia where numerous vandas draped a riverbank with their roots.
It seems like an easy 'semi hydroponic' way to grow them... don't you think?

It can be done and it doesn't have to be "just the root tips". Way back when I was in college, there were a couple vandas in one of the public greenhouse on campus. The vandas were suspended roughly 4 feet (approx 1.3m) above a koi pond. The roots had grown down into the pond and were growing along the pond's bottom. (So something in the neighborhood of 4-5 feet of roots were completely submerged underwater.) The plants were happy, the submerged roots were happy (complete with green growing root tips), and the koi seemed happy.

[Cjcorner]

Hmm....what an interesting idea. I may try it with one of mine.

[cindiras]

One? I'm thinking I can set a dishpan under a few that I can suspend from a wire shelf and let them dip their 'toes' in the water to their hearts content!

[walingwaling]

yeah, why not?
if the plant decides to grow that way and is happy?
i noticed some of my vanda roots even bore into the soil or next to pots where there is almost a steady flow of water rinsing through.

not a vanda, but ive seen wild spathoglottis plicata submerged in river banks, only the leaves sticking out, and looking perfectly healthy.

[conjuay]

Of course I thought of this [B]After[B] investing a couple hundred in a misting system...
...and October might be the wrong time of year to see if they like swimming...

[stefpix]

I wonder about this too. saw a thread here or somewhere else about vandas in glass vases - root tips in water would solve problems regarding going away a week or 2