Vanda wine cork question

[Traci]

Hi everyone,
I recently purchased a rescue NOID vanda. It is quite small maybe 12 cm. It doesn't really fit in the vanda basket. I don't have charcoal at the moment. And I can't find my box of packing peanuts. Would it be okay to use wine corks I have been saving to fill the basket? Without it the vanda looks pathetic like a 2 year old wearing their parents' clothing.

[ksriramkumar]

I think you can use anything to fill the vanda basket. Wine corks should be ok. Many times I just put some shards of clay pot or ceramic. do share a picture when you are done

[wolf71758]

A couple of vandas I've purchased arrived with most of the void filled with wine corks... needed something to hold the plant in place. Over the next two years, several of the new roots just grew around them and the plants are fine.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Traci]

Thank you Sriram and Bob for your responses.
I only used the white wine corks because the reds are stained. Not that it would matter but just being careful.
I'm horrible at taking photos and the light was better hanging it off of this ladder for the pictures.
Since this is my first Vanda and it's a scraggly little rescue at that, I would love any critiques or pointers that people may have about how I have the plant in the pot or anything else. My plan is to remove corks as the Vanda grows.

[wolf71758]

Looks fine Traci. Be sure to keep it watered and it should do well with this set up.
Posted via Mobile Device

[srq-orchidjim]

That looks great...Watch the corks for breakdown over time. They can get crumbly...

[zainal abidin]

Well done Traci make sure water regularly especially during summer.

[ksriramkumar]

Well done Traci. couple of suggestions.

1. dont remove the corks when the vanda grows. leave it as is. it would look very nice.
2. I have read people using corks of red wine as well. They say the roots love them.

[raybark]

Yep, wine corks (assuming they're really cork) make a good medium. Do not break them up though.

About 30 years ago, ground cork was a new medium that became "all the rage". it was light, airy - the products were really well graded by size - held moisture, was easy to work with, and was cheap.

What we didn't realize was that the cellular microstructure of the cork was an excellent substrate for microorganisms, so once their populations got to some "critical mass", the cork turned to a "gooey mush" almost overnight.

I don't know how well thought-out it was at the time, but I imagine that temperature, watering frequency, and amount of applied nitrogen all contributed to the finite life span of the stuff.

[Traci]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and reassurances. Hopefully the cork won't break down, but I will keep an eye on it. I'm hoping it will fall through the slats in the baskets. Next time I will use red or I might even switch some out today since I was saving the white wine corks to make a cork bulletin board. I also used mostly the newer looking Argentina corks and not the coarser looking German or California ones.
Today when I went to soak the plant in a bucket of course some of the corks floated. I may get some rhizome clips to stretch across the basket to keep the corks from floating until the roots hold them down.