that would be awesome Elaine!

Yes Ken, you might have a new bloom and good thing is you have a greenhouse to over winter it.

After further reading last night, it seems the trick is to not let our Vanda plants go dormant. If you expose them to any long period (over a couple of hours) of cold, such as a 50deg. night, they'll go dormant and take months to start up growing again.

So this does explain why I'm finally getting blooms on my Vandas, too. Last winter was the first time I brought them indoors when the weather started to get cold, and I kept them indoors for at least 6 weeks until almost the end of February. They were also whisked back and forth a few times when it got cold for one night at a time, but I was careful to keep them warm.

Bringing my Orchids inside in September, I always start with my Vandas/ the warm growers. I didn't realize they go dormant after only a few chilly hours though. So it's a good thing then that I start with them.

That reminds me, their outside vacation will come to an end in about two weeks around here. It certainly doesn't feel like Fall with temp today again in the nineties F, but the chilly nights do loom around the corner.

Yep, my Vanda are the first to come in. They like it hot, hot, hot.

Oh no! Then my Vanda that is attached to the oak tree will never bloom. I will not be able to pry that out of the oak tree because the roots are all around the oak tree.

You never know, Gigi. An oak tree can keep plants warm just by absorbing warmth during the day then releasing it at night. It might protect the Vanda quite a bit. Otherwise, you could buy a chunk of frost cloth and somehow attach it over the Vanda for cold nights.

Hmmm, slightly worried on my blue Vanda. I dumped cinnamon (instead of just applying it lightly) on the stalk that I cut and on some of the lower leaves that are showing stress. Then I left it on the oak tree last night, and of course it rained all night long.

Just before noon I noticed that the leaf that had cinnamon was soo wet and the area on the leaves that had cinnamon turned black/dark brown. It rained all day today so I brought it back in and dried the leaves really good with paper towel.





The pink one on the other hand is still doing good so I put it back in its fancy vase.

I love your Vandas Gigi I also have one Vanda which I am growing in vase culture, my Vanda coerulea. Well, so far it has not bloomed, but it is able to do some new leaves this year compared to previous years. Just trying to help it survive our dry summer heat since it is happier when temps are cooler.

I've used a lot of cinnamon on some plants, Gigi. Never had it burn the leaves at all, in fact I used it on a small black spot that I just cut out of a Catt leaf, dumped it thick on all the cut edges and it healed up really well.

Patty suggested mixing the cinnamon with some Elmer's glue and painting it on the cut areas to keep it in place, and from washing off in the rain.

I do think you need to leave those Vandas outside, not keep bringing them in the house where it's a lot cooler and drier. It's probably ok to do that in the spring and fall when the difference in temperature and humidity isn't so much, but at this time of year, that change is a shock to the plant.

Tarev, yes I've seen your Vanda on the database, I was wondering how it is doing.

Hi Elaine for looking out for my babies. I only noticed the black spot on the leaf that has cinnamon. I applied it so thick that it became soggy and I suspect have started the black spot/rot. I don't see it anywhere else:

I'm slowly acclimating both Vandas outside, (morning and evening) as my free time permits. I don't have a lot of shade, am afraid if I introduce this outside after being inside so long, it will fry and not survive. My garden is in full sun and all I have is a tiny oak tree, we keep it 10 feet tall 5 feet wide since it is so close to the house. Am pretty sure after 2 weeks of being acclimated outside, this will do well outside for good.

After a few Vanda research, it looked like I got a black rot/bacterial infection. It made sense because it was the first time I ever left my Vanda out in the oak tree and it rained all night. The black rot spread rapidly from less than a pea size to over a quarter size within 24 hours.

I guess it was a good thing I brought it back in and kept it dry, since it has been raining agai lately. This type of black rot (which also affects dens and Catts) can spread rapidly if the leaves are kept wet. The advice is to remove the affected leaves and spray with fungicide, which I don't have.


I removed the affected leaf but I might have to remove a couple more leaves as a precaution because the rot touched the adjacent Vanda leaves leaving some some tiny spec/brown spots close to the stem. From what I can see, the rot has stopped spreading and has not travelled down to the other leaves/roots yet, so hopefully I can get this resurrected.



Indoor we keep our temperature 78 degrees, otherwise our airconditioning unit will run non-stop. We have also fans that are constantly on so they hopefully provide good air circulation.

Here is another article that is more official since this is from AOS

http://www.aos.org/Default.asp...

http://www.phelpsfarm.com/Orch...

Remember bacterial brown rot is different from fungal rot. If you don't have access to the expensive chemicals, get regular Pool Time 20% algicide from Home Depot. 1 tsp per gallon of water.

Daconil also works.

Melissa. I will do that this weekend and thank you for the link.

I will spray my blue Vanda wih fungicide tomorrow morning. I removed a few more leaves with the black rot and I was so relieved that the stem was very healthy, no sign of rot and there is a tiny bump that might be an aerial root (or wishful thinking). The top leaves are very healthy and the roots are healthy so I think this one will survive...let's see. I gave the roots a good soaking of rainwater, superthrive and regular orchid food and kept the leaves dry.


My pink Vanda is still looking great but one bloom dried already....so might be on its last week of bloom. I gave it orchid blooming food and superthrive.




I enjoyed reading Martin Motes month by month orchid growing tips and Vanda growing tips bookmarked these for future reference. I really don't understand some of the terms but am getting there.

Melissa, @shadytrake. This is great info, I hope you don't mind I pasted this here, to remind me what not to do and what to do with my 2 Vanda Pacharas:

shadytrake said:

No topping now, Ken! It is too late in the season. Topping should be done no later than July so they can recover and establish new root growth.

Quote
The wise orchidist will have long since finished all of his potting of sympodials and the top working of his vandas, but for the rest of us this is the eleventh hour. Autumn is closer than we think and vandas will need at least three months to settle in to their new baskets or pots before the first chill of October tickles their root tips. Unless you can protect them thoroughly from cold, Vanda top cuttings and keikis should not be made after the end of July. If you do take cuttings remember the "3 root rule." Count down from the crown and make the cutting beneath the third or fourth root. Keep as many leaves as possible on the stump and you will be rewarded with a greater abundance of offshoots. Always slip the sterile knife or shears down between the stem and the leaves and then cut transversely to save as many leaves as possible. Be sure to anchor the cutting firmly in its new lodging. Tie them up and tie them down! There is no time for mistakes in July.
End Quote - Martin Motes, PhD

Our Publix finally got those Vanda Pacharas in the hurricane glasses and I couldn't decided on a color! Pitiful. I went from one to another and back to the first and eventually left the store empty handed. They had the blue, a purple, a deep rosey red and a lighter one, sort of raspberry, and then there was a dark yellow/gold that was interesting. It just didn't make sense for me to buy one now when I would have to keep it alive indoors over the winter.

Oh Alice, they are so easy to keep indoors in Winter! I keep mine, in bloom, or not, in a WSW living room window. Just a spritz everyday, and they hangout with all my others. Phals, Catts, Dens, Oncs....They do very well! Reconsider! They are very adaptable!

edited to add this photo, of last year...I've since added a few more that will hang out here as well...

Rats, I may have to go back to town in the morning. The shelf in the bathroom right under a south facing skylight might give it enough light. My color choice dilemma might be determined by what's left.