Vanda is an epiphytic plant from the Orchid family. The hot tropical territories of the Philippines, India, China, Indonesia and Northern Australia are considered to be the place of origin of the wanda.
Wanda is a monopoidal epiphyte that has a powerful root system. Vanda roots are gray-green in color. Each root is covered with a thick layer of dead cells that create the porous surface needed to absorb water from both the substrate and the air. In addition, this layer of dead cells protects the roots well from the effects of the scorching rays of the sun. The stem of a vanda can reach about 1 m in height. The leaves are elongated, belt-shaped, leathery and dense to the touch. The color of the leaves varies from green to green with a bluish tinge.
Leaves alternately opposite each other. The plant forms long stalks that grow from the leaf sinuses. Each peduncle contains up to 15 flowers. One plant can form one to four peduncles at a time. The variety of forms and shades of wanda is amazing. These fragrant flowers can be white, yellow, purple, red, orange, blue-blue and various combinations thereof. Vanda flowers have a characteristic feature: immediately after they open, you can see that they are pale and small in size. But over time, the flowers become larger and can reach quite large sizes, and also gain brightness in color. Vanda orchid blooms for 3 months. The frequency of flowering is several times a year (depending on the conditions of detention).
Vanda orchid care at home
Location and lighting
Vanda orchid is a very light-loving plant. In addition to the fact that the place where the wanda will be located must be well lit, it must also have a constant flow of fresh air. Southwest or south windows are best suited for the location of the wanda. In spring and summer, wanda leaves in the middle of the day need shading from the scalding sun's rays. The duration of daylight hours for a wanda should be at least 12-15 hours, only in this case the plant will grow well and please with flowering all year round. In winter, with short daylight hours, it is important to use additional artificial lighting.
Temperature
The temperature of the content during the daytime in spring and summer should be about 20-25 degrees, at night - no higher than 17 degrees. In winter and autumn, the daytime temperature should not be 20-22 degrees, and at night - about 14 degrees. If the plant is kept in conditions where the difference between day and night temperatures is of the order of 8-10 degrees, then the vanda will bloom very soon. Conditions of detention are selected individually for each type of wanda. So blue varieties need a winter temperature of about 14 degrees.
Air humidity
Air humidity for keeping wanda must be at least 60-70%.The drier air will cause the roots and leaves of the plant to dry out, and the buds may fall off without blooming. It is necessary to spray the orchid leaves every day with warm, settled water.
In winter, when the air from heating devices is too dry, in addition to spraying, additional methods of air humidification must be used (decorative fountains, containers with wet sand or expanded clay). But high air humidity must go along with good ventilation of the room, otherwise the plant may undergo fungal diseases.
Watering
In spring and summer, the vanda needs careful regular watering, but the roots must have time to dry out. The method of watering depends on the container in which the vanda is grown. If the plant is mounted in trellised baskets or on the bark of a tree, then water it by soaking the substrate in warm water for 20-30 minutes. You can also use warm rain. It is important to remember that water should not get on the leaves, otherwise they can quickly rot. The substrate must have time to dry out between waterings, otherwise the roots will begin to rot, which will lead to the death of the flower.
In winter, the wanda is dormant, so it can do without watering for 5-7 days without problems. During this period, all metabolic processes in the plant are slowed down, so it does not need frequent watering. The water temperature for irrigation should be warm (30-50 degrees).
Top dressing and fertilizers
You need to fertilize the vanda with every watering throughout the year. To do this, use a universal fertilizer for orchids and dilute it in 1/8 of the concentration indicated in the instructions on the package. Root dressing can be alternated with foliar dressing by spraying the leaves. This will help to avoid salinization of the plant's root system.
Content methods
At home, the optimal condition for keeping a wanda will be her suspended state. In this case, the roots should not be in the substrate. Both plastic pots and wicker baskets are used to attach the wanda.
Today, it is increasingly common to see the content of vanda in glass vases. In a vase, the vanda must be attached to a support, and the roots must hang freely. The bottom of the vase should contain a layer of wet sand or expanded clay, which will feed the plant with moisture. Almost half of the roots should be above the vase.
Vanda can also be successfully grown in a plastic pot with a substrate for other orchids, consisting of a mixture of pine bark, sphagnum moss and charcoal.
Breeding wanda
Vanda orchid reproduces by lateral processes - children. Each baby at the time of separation must have its own root system and be at least 5 cm in height. Places of cuts are processed with charcoal. In order for the baby to take root well, it is kept at high air humidity (at least 85%) in a home mini-greenhouse.
After the baby is rooted and reaches a height of about 15 cm, it can be transplanted into a large container as an independent adult plant.
The growth of children on a wand is a rare phenomenon, especially in indoor conditions. Therefore, there is another way to successfully reproduce a plant - with the help of apical cuttings. To do this, use the tops of the lateral shoots of the stem, which have aerial roots. The cuttings are germinated in a substrate consisting of a mixture of sphagnum moss and fern or coniferous roots. The first three days, the cuttings are watered abundantly, and then the watering is practically stopped and brought to a frequency of 1-2 times a month.
Diseases and pests
Most often, vanda is affected by such a fungal disease as fusarium. It appears as brown spots at the base of the leaf. The reason for its appearance is the untimely removal of old dead roots and leaves. It is possible to treat Vanda from fusarium with a solution of foundationol.
Another disease that can lead to death is bacterial rot.You can fight it with the antibiotic tetracycline, dissolved in water. Also, fungicidal preparations help against all types of bacterial diseases.
Insect pests rarely infect a vanda, but nevertheless, aphids, thrips, ticks, mealybugs can be found on the plant.
Growing problems
- With an excess of moisture, the roots and leaves of the wanda rot.
- With too much moisture in the soil, wanda leaves can become lethargic and wrinkled.
- With an insufficient amount of moisture, as well as too high temperatures of the content or exposure to direct sunlight, the leaves of the plant turn yellow.
- If a wanda does not bloom for a long time, then this means that it lacks bright diffused light or there are no differences in night and day temperatures.
- When flowers fall, it is important to adjust the watering and check the plant for pests.
