Some tips for the cultivation of Vandas Courtesy Dr.Martin Motes.

Dr. Martin Motes who has been cultivating vanda orchids for the last 50 years in Southern Florida, spoke on Saturday 4th Dec, 2010 to TOSKAK members at length on how to grow these delightful species. According to Dr.Martin Motes, Vandas are the easiest to grow badly and the most difficult to grow well. Vandas are very tough plants but can be likened to Trade Unions when the going is smooth, everything works wonderfully, but the minute there is a small problem, there is a strike. Their plant architecture is very simple: you have the leaves and you have the roots. The plant cannot stand stress it needs lots of water, and it needs to dry up in between the watering. The tip and roots must grow every day, 365 days of the year if not, the plant is under stress. Signs to show that the plant is fine: The root tip should be green and red tipped. The biggest stress, is drought stress all orchids like to dry out and get wet again and the vanda is no exception. The universal law is, under any conditions, no matter what the temperature and humidity, if the roots are white, they are dry; if they are green, they are over saturated. Observation of the roots is the key so keep an eye on the colour of the roots if they are white, water till they turn, overall, a dark green. Sometimes the roots get so dry that they repel water no matter how much you water them, dont let this happen. You might have to soak your plants for a period of time to get them to absorb water again. While soaking, do not use the same water to soak more than one plant. Nature of watering All plants in general, orchids in particular and vandas most particularly, have to get wet. Water the vandas thoroughly to the point of run-off. Wait for a few minutes until you do not hear any falling drops and water again. This should be repeated until the roots turn green. Watering just once for a long time will not help as the roots have to absorb the water on them before they can take up more water. When the weather is very hot, even two applications a day may not be adequate. Dont assume that on hot days, watering in the morning will do keep an eye on how hot the day is, and when the temperature has really gone up thats the time to water the plant will have water to carry it through the day. FERTILIZER: Watering plants before fertilizing is an often heard instruction this is a myth quite incorrect. Apply fertilizer exactly as you would water twice a day till the run off. Dont waste water and dont waste fertilizer.

Use about 4 gm of fertilizer per litre of water. If the solution is too concentrated, and you are afraid of burning the plant, check the tip of the root it will turn brown and dry up the next day. You can reduce the fertilizer concentration the next time. DONT apply fertilizer by dipping the plant into a tub containing the fertilizing solution the disease carried by one plant will be transmitted to the other plants that follow it to the dipping. WHAT NOT TO USE A study conducted by the Michigan State University has shown that currently fertilizing is done with fertilizers containing too much of nitrogen, too much phosphorus and too much potassium and not enough of Calcium and Magnesium. You actually need a fertilizer that contains N/P/K in the ratio of 30:3:13 and additional Calcium and Magnesium it has been established that Phosphorus is a trouble maker and is quite toxic. P toxicity makes the plant turn a very dark green. Blue coloured fertilizers are not good. Additionally, you need to be able to add a bit of Manganese which is called the major minor element. If a plant is moved to a brighter location or sometimes to cold surrounding the leaves turn red, then the plant is stressed out due to shortage of Magnesium. The cure for reddening of foliage is one tablespoon of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) per gallon of water (roughly 4g/L). This should be given weekly until the red disappears. The Epsom salts is ideally applied in conjunction with one tablespoon per gal of potassium nitrate that supplies the proper low level of nitrogen and the additional potassium to alleviate the magnesium deficiency. This combination can be substituted for regular fertilization for the duration of the winter. Most orchids in cultivation have more than enough phosphorus in them already and this formula will also yield long-term benefits in increased bloom. You could add the magnesium by way of Epsom salts Magnesium Sulphate 4g per litre. Instead of using N/P/K in the ratio of 17:17:17, it is best to use Potassium Nitrate KNO3 (13:0:45). Use a solution containing 4g of potassium nitrate (available at Vardhaman Fertilizers) and 4g of magnesium sulphate in one litre of water this way, you completely avoid the use of Phosphorus, and potassium nitrate supplies the potassium and nitrate that you need. Never give micronutrients or magnesium with a high phosphorus fertilizer. Phosphorus is very reactive and can bind micronutrients and make them unavailable to the plant. SPRAY EVERY WEEK. Fertilize exactly as you would do the watering. DISEASES: 1. Leaves falling off: Sometimes from the tip of the plant, sometimes from the middle of the plant this is due to the fungus Fusarium. The best medicine is Thiophanate methyl (Roko. Manufactured by Biostadt India, Ltd. Contact No: 080-26662171,

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26663181, 9845108323). If you make a cut on the plant where you see dead roots, you will be able to see a violet mark in the stem. You have to keep cutting, sterilizing your cutting instrument with each cut, till you reach clean stem tissue. Then treat the plant with Thiophanate methyl. Then again after 2 weeks, apply once more. Then maintain application once every 4-6 weeks. Leaf spotting diseases are also controlled by this. You can apply for prevention 2 weeks before the onset of the monsoons. For soft rot, just use hydrogen peroxide on the crown and put the plant in a dry place. After a few days if the crown comes loose when you pull it, then mix a contact fungicide and pour it into the crown. If it doesnt come loose, another application of hydrogen peroxide should cure the problem. Splashing water from an infected plant is the chief vector of fungal disease, so isolate a diseased plant till it is fully cured. Prevent all diseases by providing for free circulation of air, water and providing light. For scales, move to brighter light get rid of them by using soap solution 2 oz. per gallon (approximately 15ml/L). The best way to ensure that you have controlled it is to use, alternately an oil spray and soap spray. Use cooking oil 20ml/L shake it thoroughly and spray it. Two weeks later, use the soap spray keep doing this. You could also use an insecticide followed by oil after 2 weeks. Never use oil on a hot day, it will burn the leaves. Mites (spotting on underside of leaves) and thrips (disfigured flowers and ring marks on roots) can also be controlled using soap followed by oil after 1 week. Never mix soap and oil. It does not work.

If the plants leaves are too yellow, it means that there is not enough light, water, fertilizer. If the leaves are too dark, then also it isnt good. The colour should be that of Granny Smith apples. Vandas need to be properly fixed if not, the vanda works loose from its container and it will get bruised, as will its roots. The plant must be fixed tightly, even a bare wire is enough to ensure that the plant is properly fixed and doesnt work loose from its pot. IMPORTANT Vandas grow vertically up its weight will cause it to bend dont grow on trees it wont get enough light.