Vanda

LI GHT is a crucial factor in blooming
most vandaceous plants. There are three

types of vandas: strap-leaved, semi-terete
and terete. The first type has broader, flat
leaves, while terete types have round,
pencil-shaped leaves. The semi-teretes are
hybrids between the two, with an interme-
diate leaf shape. Terete types need full sun,
and are best grown in high-light climates.
In a greenhouse, give the plants about 25
to 35 percent shade, less in winter if over-
cast. Leaves should be a medium green,
not dark green. In warm, bright climates,
you can grow any type of vanda outside
(if warm) with partial shade for strap-
leaved types and semi-teretes (especially in
midday in summer) or inside (when cold)
in a bright, south window. In climates
where winters are overcast, try ascocendas.
Grow them outside in summer and in full
sun inside during the winter. Be careful to
aclimatize plants to avoid burn.
TEMPERATURES for most vandas
should be warm; a minimum winter night
temperature of 55 F is recommended.
Colder spells can be tolerated for a short
time if it is not windy. Optimum tempera-
tures are 60 to 70 F at night, and a maxi-
mum of 95 F during the day. Warmer tem-
peratures mean faster growth, which must
be balanced with higher humidity, air
movement, and increased water and fertil-
izer. Days should be warm and humid for
optimum plant growth.
WATER should be applied copiously
when the plants are growing, but the roots
must dry quickly. Because of this, and
their extensive root system, they are most-
ly grown in slatted-wood baskets, or in
pots with a coarse potting medium. If their
situation is warm and sunny, they may
need daily watering. Water sparingly in the
winter or during cloudy weather.
HUMI DI TY of 80 percent is ideal. In
tropical climates this may be easy to obtain.
In a greenhouse, this is easier to provide by
using an evaporative cooler. In the home,
place the plants on trays of gravel partially
filled with water. Air movement must be
strong.
FERTI LI ZE with a balanced (such as
20-20-20) fertilizer applied full strength
once a week during warm weather or use
a one-quarter-strength solution at every
watering. During cool or cloudy weather,
apply fertilizer once every two to four
weeks. Use a high-phosphorus fertilizer
(such as 10-30-20) every third application
to promote flowering.
POTTI NG should be done in the spring.
Plants in baskets do not need to be repot-
ted often. Leave them unless the potting
medium breaks down. Set the plant, with
the old basket intact, into a container of
water to make the aerial roots more pliable,
and then set plant and basket into a larger
basket. For plants in pots, repot in a slight-
ly larger pot, positioning the plant in the
center. Use a coarse medium, whether fir
bar, tree fern or charcoal, and work it
around the roots. Keep shaded, humid, but
drier at the roots until new root tips grow.
Do not overpot.
The American Orchid Society is the worlds
leading provider of information about and relat-
ed to orchids. We invite you to join us and learn
about the worlds most fascinating flowers and
plants. Your membership entitles you to our
monthly award-winning magazine Orchids, a
free copy of our cultural guide Your First
Orchidand the AOS Orchid Source Directory, a
10 percent discount on items purchased through
The AOS BookShop and Orchid Emporium,
and free admission to the International Orchid
Center in Delray Beach, Florida.
American Orchid Society
16700 AOS Lane
Delray Beach, Florida 33446-4351
Tel 561-404-2000 Fax 561-404-2100
E-mail [email protected]
Web site orchidweb.org
Vanda
The VandaAlliance is made up mostly of warm- and full-sun-growing orchids
with colorful flowers. Originating in tropical Asia, they are easily grown in
warm climates, where plants are cultivated outside in light shade, such as in a
lath house. In climates where winters are cold, they are often summered outside,
and grown inside during the winter in a sunny window, or year round in a green-
house. Smaller growing ascocendas are best outside tropical conditions.
VAN-dah
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LI GHT is a crucial factor in blooming

most vandaceous plants. There are three

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