Reintroducing Our Vanda Orchid

Pachara Delight

Picking up where I left off yesterday .. I really haven't written much about this particular Orchid of ours. It is a Vanda Orchid - Sometimes referred to as Vandaceous Orchids - And she hangs bare root. I have seen them planted in media, but it is highly recommended that this type of Orchid be kept bare root. They like their roots to dry out well between watering's. They are very susceptible to root fungus and rot so keeping their roots exposed to the air is best practice.

The Vanda Orchids are monopodial growers .. Meaning growth is upward along a single main stem or axis which produces leaves and flowers. Each new leaf will grow to be about the same size as the last after the plant is mature. Our Vanda is approximately 6 to 7 years old per the farmer that sold her to us. The cooler the climate the slower they grow.. about 2 or 3 leaves per year for our climate.

The Vanda, in the following photo, is hanging at the far right near the bucket.

It would be ideal if we lived in a warmer, more humid climate, but we do not. As long as we keep our Vanda orchid hanging in the brightest, direct sunlight possibly, and can keeping her nice and warm, she will be happy and treat us well. Vandas like bright light and warmth, but will also do okay in sub-ideal conditions. We have her hanging on an outdoor plant hanger I bought a few years ago for our front porch. It was meant to be temporary, but has become a more permanent solution at this point.

I also placed the orchid away from the door because the fluctuations in temperature are quite less the further away from the glass sliding doors that separating the interior from the exterior of the home. We tend to keep the interior of our home near a consistent 70F (21C). All of our Orchids seem to like that range just fine.

Today I moved the plant toward the door, and into the sun simply to get better photos.

A Change In Watering Habits

This is a topic I have written about several times .. In many of my past blog posts. I'm sure you remember reading it here and there. I realized that my orchids needed a different watering cycle. I think their needs weren't being met so I decided to change how I water all of our orchids. I primarily made the changes for our Phalaenopsis Orchids, which needed a more thorough watering than was being given. And as a side note, they have been doing amazingly well on this new watering schedule and technique.
(In case you missed that post, I'll post the link to it below)

Link To Blog Post about Phalaenopsis Watering Changes

I did some light research on the watering requirements for Vanda orchids .. And determined that they needed to be watered every day. I tried spritzing the orchid and that really didn't suffice. At one point I was using the sink, but it became very evident early on that filling up the sink with water every day was both unpractical and any inefficient. Also, emptying the water every day made me realize I was being wasteful. I NEEDED to come up with a different way of doing this.

Introducing The Bucket ...

I came up with an idea .. To use a shallow, yet wide, bucket instead of the sink. The bucket is more unsightly than the sink, that's for sure, but it gets the job done. I don't remember what the bucket was originally used for other than wine making. It is a clean bucket, that was practically unused. I sanitized it with a bleach water solution and filled it with clean water. It makes the perfect receptacle for dunking my Vanda every day.

((( NOTE ))) It is most important to know that one should never submerge the entire plant. It is best to keep the leaves -- Especially the crown (top of the plant) -- above water. Vanda orchids are highly susceptible to crown rot. If water does get in between the leaves at that spot it is best practice to take a paper towel or napkin and remove the water.

Here she is getting her daily bath

Since the Vanda orchids roots are exposed .. Their water requirements need to be met on a daily basis, in our climate here in New Jersey USA. In other more tropical, more humid climates, maybe every 2 or 3 days would be okay. In hotter and dryer climates quite possibly twice a day may be required.

Now that I figured out the best way to water this orchid .. My next problem to tackle is remembering to do it. (Yes.. A sign of old age as well .. lol) Every morning when I wake up I find it the best time to soak the orchid in the bucket. I made it part of my morning routine. As soon as I come downstairs, and before I start any other chore, I make sure I put her in the bucket. She soaks there for approximately 15 to 30 minutes depending on what I'm doing in the meantime. That's the perfect amount of time from what I have observed.

Out She Comes...

To give you an idea of what the roots look like before and after they soak, check out the picture below.

Before the roots are soaked in the water, they appear gray and slightly shriveled. After they are removed, they appear more swollen and green. This is a good sign that she got enough water for the day. By the end of the day the roots will turn back to that original gray color, and by the following morning she is ready for another soaking.

The orchid also needs nutrients.. Like any other plant, the Vanda orchid needs an occasional supply of nutrients. Through my research on this type of orchid, I found that it's best to do the feedings on a daily basis, while watering. We purchased Miracle Gro Orchid Food a while back, and it works well because the salt dissolves in the water and can remain there for about a week before I change the water out.

If I let the water go for longer than a week the edges of the bucket start to turn green and slimy. It's much easier and more efficient to change out the water once a week rather than daily. Again, the bucket is working great.

I am going to include another before and after picture. This is of the plant leaves and how they responded over a 30 day period of time, to this type of watering and to a consistent supply of nutrients.

The Results After 30 Days ..
In the first picture to the left, you might be able to see that the leaves are a pale or yellow color, shriveled slightly, and spotted. In the picture to the right approximately one month later, the leaves appear greener, less spotted, and hardly a wrinkle to be found. The plant is much more hydrated and it's seen in the results above. I can also see the results on the daily basis when I am watering the plant. I noticed that the plant is more rigid and greener. The roots also have more rigidity to them and are harder and harder to put into the bucket. I take my time and gently turn the roots into the bucket so as not to break them.

New Growth BUT No Blooms ..

I observed a new leaf forming the other day.. It's the third new leaf this plant has put on since we brought her home almost a year ago. The only thing she hasn't done is bloomed for us. I have learned that this variety/hybrid of Vanda orchid, the 'Pachara Delight', is a prolific bloomer. Our unfortunately is not. But why? That was the question I had that sent me down the rabbit hole of research.

Watering, or consistent watering was a big one.
Giving the plant the nutrients it needs was also high on the list.
Bright light and warmth were important as well.

I am trying my best to adjust these things .. As to find out what it is in particular that she is requiring (that I am not giving her), so that she can start blooming for us. The plant is supposed to bloom 3 to 4 times between spring and fall. That would be awesome since the blooms are absolutely beautiful.
For example...

The Pachara Delight blooms are majestic, palm sized flowers.. Yes you read that right, blooms the size of my palm. That's quite large that's the reason I use the word "Majestic". They are as close to blue as you can easily get in an orchid flower; I would say the color that most represent this bloom is indigo. The pattern, that appears spotted, is also fantastic. Similar to the Phalaenopsis Orchids, the bloom stems on the Vanda Orchids will appear from between the leaves. We had a bloom stem when we originally brought this plant home, but it dried up and fell off probably due to the lack of water. Hopefully we won't make that mistake again.

In the above photo, one can see how the plant is very linear. The leaves grow in a staggered linear pattern that's very flat. This type of growing pattern is unique and is one thing I really like about the Vanda orchids.

Every day when I place the plant into the bucket of water, I give it a good look over in hopes that I find a new flower bud starting to emerge. No luck yet but deep down I know she will bloom for us one day. It's going to take more than a months time, but I know that this new watering ritual and nutrients supply, will give this orchid what it needs to start blooming on a regular basis.

Fingers Crossed

Or In This Case...

Roots Crossed!

What's Next ..

For now, I'll move her back to her spot where the sun shines the brightest. She's quite happy there for now. Who knows, maybe this summer we will change things up a bit. Currently I'm researching the best ways to take care of our orchids outdoors (Or at least this Vanda Orchid). It does get quite warm here in the summer and the humidity can be brutal. But maybe that's what my orchids need during the summer months to aid in their growth and overall health.

Before I do something like that I just want to make sure that I do all my research and have what I need in place in order to protect the orchids from things such as pests, wind, and direct hot sunlight that could burn their foliage. If I can figure something out before summer arrives, when the temperatures are more steady outdoors, then we may move them.

But for now status quo.

“Half of me is filled with bursting words and half of me is painfully shy. I crave solitude yet also crave people. I want to pour life and love into everything yet also nurture my self-care and go gently. I want to live within the rush of primal, intuitive decision, yet also wish to sit and contemplate. This is the messiness of life - ... We are complicated creatures, and ultimately, the balance comes from this understanding. Be water. Flowing, flexible and soft. Subtly powerful and open. Wild and serene. Able to accept all changes, yet still led by the pull of steady tides. It is enough.”
― Victoria Erickson

Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!

All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.