I just want to document how my Vanda coerulea grows, my growing conditions here are so different from everyone else, so it will help me remember what occurred as years go by, if this plant continues to endure me
I acquired this Vanda last June 2013 during the San Jose Orchid Show. Fell in love with those lovely blue blooms. Knowing it was grown in San Jose, I was thinking it could adapt in my area. For sure it was grown in a greenhouse so it will be awhile for it to truly acclimate here.
Been reading about it endlessly and came to understand it is more of a cool growing orchid. Well that is ironic, my area is a furnace during summer.I also know it will enjoy our mild winters here outdoors, so it will not be a problem keeping it out during the cold season. And knowing vandas are happier with their roots exposed, I unpotted it and hang it, by our fountain, so it can get cooled down a bit, sometimes dunking it and letting it swim a few minutes in water:
Made a slight mistake last Dec 2014, I think I was afraid of the falling tree limbs during a freakish rain event, so I hid it inside my growcamp overnight. The next day the ugly leaf blemishes showed up. So far those leaf blemishes are not spreading. I guess our area is just too dry for it. But I was waiting trying to see if this will rot the plant. So far it has stayed just like that an ugly blemish on some leaf ends and edges.
Our California drought is really terrible this year, and in deference to our drought, I have decided not to run our fountain. I know it will be tough growing for my orchids in the growcamp and all the more for my Vanda coerulea, so I tried using vase culture. Been reading about it at another forum and they did show good results. The only modification I have is that, my vase culture is still kept outdoors. Most of the growers using vase culture have their Vandas indoors. I surmised it will not be too bad to keep my vanda in vase culture outdoors, there is more breeze out and summer is always a good time for any orchids.
So I moved Vanda c to vase culture in June 2015, placing it also under our garden umbrella, to help shield the plant from excessive heat. Typically have to get those roots submerged in water then remove the water so roots are not left there soaking. I did that, and since this plant is outdoors, I leave about an inch or two of water, to help with more moisture:
Observing it further later on, it seems to help, I got two new leaves forming, and roots are not too brittle dry compared to not being in this set-up. I have been spritzing the leaves too more often, as often as I could, since it is just too dry here.
This week, it has been just horrendous dry heat wave. I want to help my Vanda endure a little more. Our humidity levels are so low going down to 7% at times and just blanket dry heat. So I made another change, this time I have doused the plant with water, and kept the level of water higher, some roots are in water, the majority and the end part of the plant is above water. It is still under observation, so far it seems to help, I will maintain this set-up as long as we are in the triple digit heat level, and will continue to observe:
Hoping for our cooler Fall conditions to come in and hopefully that much awaited El Nino this winter..hope it will not be too harsh here. Will update this thread as it goes.
