Orchid Vanda Care and Grow
The extraordinary beauty Vanda orchid is a wonderful
choice. Vanda is deservedly considered one of the most luxurious orchid
species. It differs not only in the exquisite beauty of its flowers, but also
in its powerful root system, which practically does not need any soil, since it
can receive moisture and nutrients even from the air. In home content, this
beauty is quite capricious, she requires a lot of attention and love. In this
article, we will tell you in detail about her character, preferences, and teach
how to take care of Vanda at home in order to minimize possible problems. Orchid Vanda Care
Vanda : how to care for indoor
For a long time, flower growers
believed that Vanda was completely unsuitable for home growing. Her character
is capricious! But, modern short-stemmed hybrids with bright cascades of exotic
flowers are well adapted to life in “captivity”. We will tell you in detail
what requirements Vanda makes for her comfortable content, because only by
providing her with proper care, you can count on a spectacular flowering and a
healthy look of the plant.
Lighting:
Vanda loves bright lighting, but not
direct, but slightly diffused, up to 12 hours a day. If there is not enough
light, the orchid will not bloom. Therefore, for her place of residence, choose
the southern directions of the windows. In winter and on cloudy days, we
recommend supplementing Vanda with phytolamp or artificial lighting.
Watch the leaves of the flower
carefully – if they are green, shiny, elastic, then everything is in order with
the lighting. If the leaves become darker and stretch out, there is not enough
light. On the contrary, the fading of the foliage, the appearance of spots of a
yellowish-brown color on it, indicates an excess of sunlight, even about burns.
Temperature:
It is a pleasant necessity to
maintain a special temperature regime for the beautiful Vanda, who grew up in
the tropics. Especially from the moment the buds are set. During the day, she
needs a high temperature, up to 25-30 grams. heat, and at night – by about 10
grams. below. At the same time, the temperature is below 16 gr. heat should not
go down even during the rest period. Vanda will drop its buds or not bloom at
all if you do not provide her with a difference between day and night
temperatures.
Humidity:
It is vital for Vanda to maintain a
comfortable air humidity between 60-80%. Moreover, the humidity indicator at
night should be slightly higher than during the day. Maintain it by spraying
the room, installing a container of water next to the flower, or using a
household humidifier.
It is vital for Vanda to maintain a
comfortable air humidity between 60-80%. Moreover, the humidity indicator at
night should be slightly higher than during the day. Maintain it by spraying
the room, installing a container of water next to the flower, or using a
household humidifier.
Watering:
If Vanda is grown in a glass vase,
watering is done as follows. The vase is filled with soft (warm, filtered,
boiled or settled during the day) water to the brim. Pour water carefully,
along the walls of the vase, so that the jet does not damage the roots of the
plant. After 10 minutes, the water is drained. The procedure is repeated once
more. At the same time, you should not wet the ground part of the flower. If
water gets into the leaf axils, it should be carefully removed with a cotton
swab or paper towel. Watering is carried out as needed: once every 3-4 days –
in the summer and once a week when the room is cool.
If your beauty lives in a hanging
basket, she should be bathed occasionally under a warm shower. The procedure is
carried out in the bathroom. Warm, almost hot water is poured over the roots
until they acquire a pronounced green color. Before returning the flower to its
place, give it time to dry (20-30 minutes), then inspect the flower, if
necessary, blot the remaining moisture from the surface of the leaf
plates.
If Vanda is hanging on a support, its
bare roots should be sprayed with warm water once a day.
If Vanda lives in a pot of potting
medium, water it as needed. In hot weather – every day, in autumn and winter –
every two to three days. Watering is carried out using a special watering can
with a long spout along the sides of the pot. Be sure to use a deep tray. After
watering, immediately drain the water from the pan and water the substrate
again – let it be well saturated with moisture. Then empty the pallet again.
Carry out the next watering only after the substrate is completely dry from the
previous watering. The roots need to dry well between waterings, especially in
the growth stage of the flower arrow.
If the plant is healthy, instead of
watering it can be immersed in a bowl of warm water to the edge of the pot for
30 seconds. Do not lower the pot “headlong” – otherwise, the entire substrate
will float down the drain. Then remove the pot from the basin and wait until
all the water has drained.
Fertilizer:
Vanda is good at feeding. They are
especially necessary during the period of its active growth, the formation of
new processes at the tips of the roots. We recommend adding fertilizers to
water for irrigation, spraying and immersion.
For a young orchid, feeding
should be done once every 2 weeks, and for an adult – once a month is enough.
Use special fertilizer for orchids for feeding. In them, the concentration is
selected as needed, use the dose according to the attached instructions. If you
bought a universal fertilizer for flowering indoor plants, we recommend
reducing the dosage by 2-3 times, so as not to burn the delicate roots of
Vanda. Spray with the same solution as watering.
As a useful supplement, we recommend
using a solution of succinic acid , the tablets of which are sold in pharmacies
for a penny. Dissolve one tablet in half a liter of warm water. This solution
works wonders. If you even occasionally water the orchid with it and wipe its
leaves, flowering will come earlier and Vanda will bloom longer. The action of
succinic acid on orchids is described in detail in our article.
Transfer:
If you are growing your Vanda in a
substrate, she sometimes needs a transplant. Only young Vanda specimens that
live in baskets or pots need to be transplanted. Adult specimens are transplanted
less frequently, as needed. Reasons why an immediate Vanda transplant is
required:
1.
The root system has outgrown its
assigned place. A larger container is required (basket, vase or pot).
2.
The substrate fell into disrepair –
it got dirty, sour, turned into crumbs. In this case, it should be thrown away,
the pot washed, disinfected and filled with a new substrate suitable for
orchids. Any other, even universal, soil will not work, since it will be too
heavy for Vanda, it will prevent air from reaching the roots, it will harden,
dry, poorly conduct water, become saline, and become infected with fungal
infections. The root system of a flower will not stand this and will rot.
Begin the transplant by
examining the root system. If you notice rotten or shriveled roots, remove
them. Next, gently spread Vanda’s roots and cover them with substrate. Cover
the top with moss.
Blooming:
As a rule, Vanda blooms in spring or
summer when it receives a lot of sunlight. And not only. Everything is
important here: a high level of humidity, suitable temperature and light
indicators, suitable fertilizers, spraying, watering, and more. Then flowering
can last from one to three months. The slightest deviation from the necessary
indicators, and the flower loses its healthy appearance and refuses to bloom.
However, experienced and skillful flower growers want Vanda to bloom again or
even year-round.
Diseases and pests:
On Vanda, it is quite rare to find
pests sucking it, but you need to get to know them. It can be spider mites,
mealybugs, aphids, thrips, or scale insects. In the fight against them, at the
initial stage, bathing under a warm shower in the bathroom will help. Some, for
example, the scabbard, can be successfully removed from the leaves with a
napkin moistened with alcohol. But, if the lesion is strong, you will have to
deal with it with chemicals (fungicides). We advise you to take a photo of your
insects with your phone and go to the store. There, the seller will select a
suitable tool for you from a photo and tell you how to use it.
Soil & Pot:
Vanda has a well-developed root
system. In the natural environment, she feels great, just catching her roots on
the bark or branch of a tree – this way she fully receives air, light and
moisture. But, its roots are so sensitive to excess moisture that they can
easily rot in any soil. Given this fact, at home, the soil for Vanda is not
used at all. It is usually grown in a wicker basket or simply suspended from
supports, clinging to the stem.
Some growers still place a flower in
a pot specially designed for such a plant with many holes, not only in the
bottom of the pot, but also on its sides. The substrate in it rather serves not
to feed the orchid, but to fix it in the pot and consists of pieces of pine
bark and charcoal in equal proportions with the addition of perlite or a small
amount of sphagnum moss to maintain moisture.
Vanda may well live in a glass vase shaped like a cylinder
or a tall wine glass. All its roots should be inside this vase, and the ground
part will remain outside so that the flower receives a sufficient amount of
sunlight. Soil with this content is not required, only watering.
Comments
Post a Comment