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Vanda care and root issues

Discussion in 'Issues, Disease and Pests' started by Matyas, Aug 22, 2014.

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  1. Matyas

    Matyas New Member

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    I have 2 Vandas, regular ones. One is growing OK, and flowering regularly and growing new roots. The other one I bought in May, and since that time it lost at least half of its roots and has grown smaller flowers than usual. The roots are drying out and die. The two Vandas are hanging in the air and getting enough light, but they are in the house where the air probably kind of dry. So far we soaked them for half an hour every 3-4 days and gave them a shower 1-2 times a day. We use tap water for that. I would be interested to know what should I do to save the one that is loosing its roots. What is the succesfull way to keep Vandas in a normal home? Is it better to soak them every day instead of giving them a shower? Is the tap water the problem? (If that is the problem, then what kind filtering machine could be used? Reverse osmosis type filtering, or some other? For me it is not easy to collect rain water. I could take water from a little lake in the garden, but I don't know if that is enough clean for that. ) Please advise. :)
     
  2. annabanana1987

    annabanana1987 Active Member

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    I hope some one knows ! I have Four baby vanda the biggest is about six inches. The smallest is about an inch .
    At their currant stage im use I tap water
     
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  3. Sean Houtman

    Sean Houtman Active Member

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    Vandas are going to like humidity, mine have mostly perked up after I got a small greenhouse, where humidity has been reliably over 50%. You may want to look into growing the Vandas in vases, which help to increase humidity around the roots.
     
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  4. Bloomseeker

    Bloomseeker New Member

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    I really don't know what I would do in the house, but humidity should be up around 60% which is very hard to control in the house. My situation is of coarse different, I have a conservatory, which I only use reverse osmosis water for humidity control, and a mist system, even with that I drench my vanda roots every morning and feed every 2 weeks but once again you have to remember my conservatory is all glass and very bright
     
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  5. Marni

    Marni Well-Known Member Staff Member Supporting Member

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    One thing you can do for them is when you spritz or mist them, go back a bit later (1/2 to 1 hour) later and spray them again. They can only absorb so much at one time so the 2nd drenching gets more water to the inside of the root. Before you water the roots should be white with just green on the tips. Once you water you will see them start to change to green. The 2nd wetting should get all of the root surface green and fully saturated. You could just soak them daily until they roots are greened up.

    If you can post images of the roots, that might help. Also, the plants.
     
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  6. Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    I will also add that vandas, for the most part, prefer VERY warm temperatures.
     
  7. nora von gerichten

    nora von gerichten New Member

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    I have a couple dozen Vanda both species and hybrid. I do not grow them hot as I live in Canada. The key is the water temp when they get a shower. They flower their heads off for me.

    Water begins to loose oxygen at about 18 degrees Celsius. By 20 degrees there is little oxygen and by 25 degrees (77 Fahrenheit) no oxygen.

    In summer, my Vanda are outside and get watered daily. We only have a week or so of hot weather. They flower wonderfully for me.

    In winter, they get adequate humidity by being in an open closet. There are no humidity trays under. They get regular intermediate house temperatures, nothing special.

    Do not cut your Vanda roots. They can begin growing new tips from dessicated roots.

    If the roots are dying and the leaves are suffering, consider a fungus, mold, or bacteria. I do not want to use strong chemicals in the house, I use baking soda sprays to rapidly change the pH which none of these like. In summer, when they are outside, I do use a strong chemical fungicide that I got from the hydroponic store. My biggest problem is fungus. Always on the hunt for a hint of Fusarium Wilt which I got with a shipment from Thailand. Fusarium will rip through my collection rapidly in winter if I am not vigilant.
     
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  8. Matyas

    Matyas New Member

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    Hi, I am uploading here a photo of the roots and a photo of the plant. There are suspicious small black spots on the dried out root. You can see on the photo. I wander what are those. DSC04996.JPG DSC05008.JPG DSC04996.JPG DSC05008.JPG
     
  9. Matyas

    Matyas New Member

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    Thanks for all this data. See the photo that I am uploading here about the roots. What could be these little black spots? Some kind of fungus? (The leaves look OK, only the small leaves which were amongst the roots fell off). You wrote about the water temperature. What is the ideal water temperature for a Vanda? DSC04996.JPG
     
  10. nora von gerichten

    nora von gerichten New Member

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    Hi Matyas,

    If the black spots are not scale (a sucking insect), then this is likely due to being dried out to the point of very dead. Growing under one of the spotted roots is another root that has dried up at the end. This is the kind of root that will start growing again, not necessarily from the same tip, but along the root itself.

    I grow a lot of orchids hydroponically. The ones, this summer, that are doing best are hung over the flood table. They have a homing devise for water! There are many, many, many growing tips coming from the bottom of roots as well as side branching of the roots. Some plants have light green tips, others white tips, and yet others are brown. The colour of the tips is entirely dependent upon the plant.

    As to your brown spots, I would cut those out.

    What is the black entwined in the mass? If those are roots, I would be worried. That is what Fusarium Wilt looks like in the centre of the root ball. Are you loosing bottom leaves?
     
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  11. Marni

    Marni Well-Known Member Staff Member Supporting Member

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    It is hard to tell from these images. It looks as if you do have a few good roots just below the bottom leaves and maybe one on the right side that is longer than the mass of shriveled roots. Is there any media in the pot/basket? I would suggest dunking the plant daily. If only one of the plants is doing this, it is not so likely a problem with the water. In case there is a disease in the one with the trouble, I wouldn't be dipping it in the same water as the healthy one. Are you fertilizing these at all?
     
  12. Matyas

    Matyas New Member

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    Thanks for the advices. :) Yes, there are still some good roots. I have kept them hanging in the air, but since couple of weeks I am keeping them in a pot, so that the roots don't dry out so fast. There is no media. I use fertilizer (water extract of biohumus) once a week.
     
  13. Matyas

    Matyas New Member

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    Dear Nora, thanks a lot for the advices. :) The black entwined in the mass is a black small plastic basket. When I bought this Vanda in May it soon lost its lowest bottom leaves that were amongst the roots. But since that time it is not loosing any more leaves. I would be happy if you could send me any photos, how you keep your Vandas. My e-mail address is: matyasfacsko @ hotmail.com. Or if you have any website with pictures of them, that could also help. Thanks a lot. :)
     
  14. Marni

    Marni Well-Known Member Staff Member Supporting Member

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    Vanda leaves are usually a lighter green. The dark leaves indicate that it is either not getting enough light or too much fertilizer for the amount of light. I think someone else mentioned giving them more light. Though that can be difficult when growing in the house.
     
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  15. Matyas

    Matyas New Member

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    Thank you. :)