Vanda

Vanda orchids are monopodial orchids that grow upwards with one main stem. The genus Vanda consists of around 80 species, growing across East and Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Queensland and some of the West Pacific islands.

Although Vanda orchids like to hang from baskets which makes them a perfect decorative piece in your home, they will also adapt to living wrapped around trees (even better in my opinion). The aerial root system acts like sponges, absorbing plenty of moisture from the air, so you’ll need to take extra care when watering your Vanda orchid in order to prevent oversaturating it. As an epiphytic plant, your Vanda orchid will have organisms growing on it that also help it to access nutrients and moisture. 

 

HUMIDITY:

It is important to note that the Vanda orchid enjoys regular rainfall and excess humidity in their natural environment so are used to staying moist all of the time. Ideally a warm and humid orchid house is the best as this is the closest environment to their natural habitat. As these orchids are becoming more widely grown, more people want to grow them in a home environment which can be a challenge as the typical home can be sometimes too dry for them.

 

WATERING:

We recommend hanging them with their roots exposed so they can be sprayed heavily with water each day in the summer, compared to every 2-3 days in winter. An alternative is placing the orchid in a glass vase with a little water in the base and sprayed regularly which helps to keep a humid environment around the roots at all times. Finally they can be potted in loose bark chippings with the majority of the aerial roots in the bark to help keep them moist and prevent dehydration, spraying and watering is still required 2-3 times a week in summer.

LIGHT:

Vandas require sufficient light to enable them to flower well so keep it in a bright position in winter to give maximum available light and in a shadier position in summer to prevent scorching from the direct sun.

 

FEEDING:

Fertilize 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 during each watering. During cool or cloudy weather, we suggest applying fertilizer once every two to four weeks.

 

FLOWERING:

After flowering, trim off the dead stem and continue to grow as above, with correct culture the plant should bloom again within the next 12 months.

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