You'd have to tag it so they knew what it was

No kidding !!

So I did some shopping at Lowe's today !! I needed a screen repair kit, a new screen door handle and other odds and ends...Of course I found myself in the garden section so I grabbed another plant hanger ,snail bait...Then I noticed all of the Orchids...I saw some really nice Vanda's are they hard to grow? I also saw some Plumeria but no variety I liked...It was a well disciplined shopping adventure..I could have easily gone overboard !!

Jeff, if your misters under the eaves are on timers, Vandas would be a snap for you to grow. They do need misting every day since they don't have any medium at all, just roots waving in the air. If there's a south-facing area with misting system, that would grow you some awesome Vandas.

Thank you Elaine !! Yes the misters are on timers although I have never used them as of yet but they are on both the North and South sides of the house...I saw a Blue Vanda that was exactly like the one Gigi posted a while back..Absolutely beautiful !! I love the way the roots hang in mid air !! So very cool !! I'm almost on my way back to Lowe's !!!

Some of us grow our Vanda differently, Elaine. I don't own a mister.



The moss can award one with unexpected flowers

But since you have so many plants, you do water every day, Ken. Some people (Lindsey comes to mind) find it way too onerous to mist their Vandas every day. In fact, I don't think I'd grow them myself if I didn't have a mist system on a timer. I travel too much.

That's an amazing display on that pretty Vanda with a huge chunk of cork and all that Spanish moss. I guess the Vanda doesn't mind its roots having some company.

Apparently not. That cork with the FL native Tillandsia, is simply hanging on the wire basket. There is media in both of those baskets, and the media and moss fills the baskets. That orchid bark media is now five years old, so there's not going to be much there other than "soil", expanded rock, and horticultural charcoal. I don't guess I will ever re-pot these two Vanda. The Spanish moss started out as only a handful. It has flourished.

You are certainly right, I do water quite a bit. I water all my mounted plants pretty much every day, unless it has been real cloudy or we've had a good rain. The rest of my orchids in mesh-pots get watered every 2-3 days and then the tropical plants in solid plastic get watered every 3-4 days. Some of my Plumeria get watered every day (the ones that are multi-branched, 6-7' tall, and that are in 24" diameter pots), but some only every other day. I have a routine that seems to work but I also look at things and evaluate whether they need watering or not. Heavy clouds and/or rain naturally modifies my schedule.

Naturally, if not retired with time on my hands, I would never and could never do what I do.

It wasn't so much the daily watering needs of the vanda ( and now auto correct wants to insert 'panda' !) I had rigged up a timed watering system for when I was out of town...it was mostly the winter revolving door when it got cold outside...dealing with 9' feet of roots that now had to be watered in the shower and left to drip dry on the carpet in front of a window with less than wonderful light. The Catts were all happy campers on the rolling rack I bought , it was easy to mist them and hang a wet sheet over the whole contraption overnight..I may have to buy another rolling rack though as my collection seems to have grown
Someone had suggested one of the greenhouse kits from Harbor Freight...anyone have any experience with those?

there are lots of discussions about them on the greenhouse forum.

No wonder you didn't like them, Lindsey - you were growing pandas and vandals. Both very demanding.

That's a good point though, Jeff - just as Lindsey did, you'd have to consider some sort of cold weather protection for Vandas if you grow them. But hanging on the south side of your house, my first try would be just hanging up a curtain of frost cloth for cold nights. The overhang itself will afford some cold protection, and the south side of the house, plus the ground under there will act as a heat sink, warming up in the daytime and keeping it warm there at night.

Yes, we do get some nights that dip down into the 40's even down here in paradise . . . and Vandas really don't like night temperatures below about 55. I only have a few (well, 7 or 8 is a few, right?) so I bring them indoors when the temps are slated to be cold. I also don't travel in the winter, it's really cold where my rellies live so they darned well need to come here then! So I am home to fuss over my 'chids all I want.

oh Elaine! ..thanks for the laugh!

Wow Love that Ken !! I caught the whole Vanada ,Vandal, Panda's thread that was hilarious....I do have a Lanai that is fully enclosed with windows that face South and West we keep it open to the rest of the house so it gets cooled or heated if need be....I have plans of running conduit up in the rafters so i can hang the orchids in there along the south side for the cold months of winter..I do have some other plants i will bring in also and probably put on some sort of shelving.. Watch out for those Vandals

Oh, to live in sub-tropical paradise, Jeff.

Wow, your lanai sounds like the perfect spot for growing your orchids in the winter, Jeff.

I think it may be Elaine !! It is all glass except for 2ft up from the foundation on both sides and opens up with sliders from the master bedroom and the living room...

We need an icon for "slapping myself on the forehead" - Jeff if your previous owners were indeed growing orchids, which sure seems likely given the misting system you have, then the lanai was probably also used for the orchids in winter before you were there.

Lucky, lucky you! Now you have no excuse for holding back, and next time we all make an Apopka run, you must plan to join us. We get wonderful orchids in Apopka direct from the growers at tremendous bargain prices.

Meantime, I'm making a run to Lowe's to see if my store has any Vanda Pachara Delights left. None of my other Vandas are making any move to bloom, argh.

Oh that would be fantastic Elaine !! I'm always game for a new adventure...I would love going to Apopka ...I hope your Lowe's excursion was a fun one....

My lowes had a HUGE selection of $29.99 vandas today.