Orchid Wanda - growing and care at home, photo

Orchid Vanda (Vanda) - a perennial epiphytic plant of the orchid family, in nature, living in the crowns of tropical trees and feeding on a substrate that accumulates on their bark and branches. The homeland of Wanda's orchid is Southwest Asia and North Australia. Under natural conditions, the plant can reach 1.5 meters in height, with indoor cultivation, the growth of Vanda usually does not exceed 90 cm.

The leaves of this orchid are long, belt-shaped, light green in color. Inflorescences appear on high peduncles from the leaf sinuses and combine 2-15 large flowers of various colors (blue, red, yellow, with spots and veins, etc.). A distinctive feature of Wanda is a powerful airy root system that can grow in the open and does not need any soil.

Also see the beautiful Paphiopedilum orchid.

Orchid Wanda: home care. Briefly

Wanda orchid care at home. In detail

Blooming Wanda Orchid

With well-organized care, the Vanda orchid at home can bloom up to 4 times a year (with a flowering time of about 1.5 months). The flowers of this species are large (about 10 cm in diameter), showy, collected in racemose inflorescences of 2-15 pieces. Petals can be painted in a variety of shades: blue, pink, orange, red, burgundy, yellow, etc.

In adverse conditions (at elevated temperatures, stresses, diseases), the flowers fall pretty quickly. At the end of flowering, Wanda's flower stalks are pruned, as they are not able to branch and cannot give more flowers.

Temperature mode

During the period of active growth of Wanda, the air temperature in the room should be + 22- + 25 ° С. In summer, the plant can be taken out to fresh air, but be sure to protect it from drafts. At night, a reduction in air temperature to + 12- + 15 ° C is permissible. Such a difference stimulates the laying of flower buds and a faster onset of flowering. In winter, the Vandu orchid is kept in a cool, dry room in which the air temperature is maintained at about + 15 ° C.

Spraying

Wands prefer high humidity, this is especially true for specimens grown with an open root system, consuming moisture very quickly. In summer, plants are sprayed a couple of times a week, in winter - once every 7-10 days.

Lighting

Vanda needs a lot of sunlight for the normal development and laying of flower buds, so the plant should be placed on the south or, in extreme cases, on the west window. Direct sunlight can leave burns on leaf plates to prevent this from happening, you need to shade the orchid in the noon hours of especially hot days.

In autumn and winter, Vande will organize an additional light source (you can use a normal daylight).

Root system

Unlike other orchids, Wanda does not have pseudobulbs, her roots are very long and powerful, densely interwoven with each other. When dry, they are gray-green; after watering and soaking in water, they acquire a bright green hue.

Hygiene

Caring for a Wanda orchid at home must necessarily include hygiene procedures, which include regular showering of the plant from the shower. Thus, the orchid is refreshed, its root system is saturated with moisture, and the leaves are cleaned of dust and pollution.

Watering Wanda's Orchid

The Wanda orchid plant at home requires a careful approach to organizing the irrigation regime: Do not dry the roots and, conversely, prevent stagnation of moisture in the substrate. Watering is carried out in three ways: using a warm shower, spraying or immersing the roots in water.

On hot days, the plant is watered a little daily, during the period of active growth at normal air temperature - once every 2-4 days, during rest - once a week.

Wanda Orchid Pot

The selection of a container for Wanda's orchid depends on the method of its cultivation. Standard transparent pots are suitable for planting plants on a substrate. Instances grown with a free root system look spectacular and unusual in tall glass vases, and large Vand bushes can be placed in special hanging flower pots or on a piece of bark.

Priming

The presence of a substrate is not a prerequisite for the successful cultivation of Vand. Usually this type of orchid is grown with a free root system, but if desired or necessary, the plant can be planted in a regular transparent pot. In this case, crushed pine bark mixed with sphagnum moss fibers is used as soil.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

Orchid Wanda is an unusually “gluttonous” plant, which is why it needs frequent and complete nutrition. Fertilize the flower only during active vegetation (while new buds develop on the roots). For fertilizing take special fertilizers designed for orchids, in their composition should be present the main chemical elements: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, in equal proportions.

The solution prepared for top dressing should be very weak (the recommended dosage should be reduced by 4-6 times). Before fertilizing, the plant is abundantly watered to prevent the roots from getting chemical burns.

It is useful to feed Vanda “according to the sheet”, periodically spraying its ground part with a low concentration fertilizer solution or wiping each sheet with a cloth moistened with a nutrient solution.

Wanda transplant

Vanda's orchid transplant is performed in the following cases:

• if it is a young plant that is actively building up the root system, which no longer fits in its current capacity;
• if the substrate in the pot was caked and stopped passing moisture and air;
• if the soil is contaminated or infected with fungus or pests;
• if signs of decay appear on the roots of the plant.

Before transplanting, the root system of the plant is carefully examined, if necessary, removing damaged, decayed or dried fragments. The plant is placed in a new pot with utmost care so as not to break its fragile roots.

Rest period

Vanda does not have a pronounced resting period, but the plant needs to rest. So that the orchid can regain strength after the next flowering, it should be transferred to a cool room with an air temperature of about + 15 ° C, halve the frequency of watering and stop feeding.

Can I leave without care?

Wanda’s home orchid is capable of experiencing “separation” from the host for up to a crescent month without prejudice to health and appearance, so the plant can be left “alone” on vacation or on a short trip. So that an unattended flower is not damaged by too active sun rays, it should be removed away from the window before leaving.

Reproduction of Wanda's orchid by children

Sometimes adult orchids from sleeping buds do not develop peduncles, but vegetative "babies." Such processes are allowed to grow the root system on the mother plant, after which they are carefully separated with a sharp knife and planted in a suitable container.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

Well-grown Wanda can be divided to get new plants from them. For this, the mother bush is cut into two parts so that each of them has its own roots. The incision site is treated with charcoal or another antiseptic, after which the orchids are placed in the containers selected for them.

Diseases and Pests

Orchid Wanda is a moody and very demanding plant. It grows well and blooms only in ideal conditions for itself. Even small mistakes in caring for a plant can cause quite serious problems with its health and appearance. The most common are listed below.

Most often, Wanda is sick due to insufficient lighting, improper irrigation regimen and the lack of a full rest period. Systematic violations of the rules of care lead to the death of the plant, therefore, errors should be identified and eliminated in a timely manner.

• Wanda rots due to the appearance of pathogenic bacteria, viruses or fungi in the substrate. A favorable environment for their development is low air temperature and excess humidity. It is very difficult to treat diseases, therefore it is better not to allow them, properly caring for the flower.
• Dark spots at the base of the leaves (Fusarium) appear as a result of infection with a fungal infection. Affected leaf plates will not recover, they are removed. You can cure the plant by conducting several treatments with Fundazole. Prevention of the disease is the regular removal of dead roots and leaves.
• Bacterial rot develops in a waterlogged substrate. It manifests itself in the blackening and softening of roots and stems. An emergency transplant can help save the plant: after cutting off all the affected parts and treating the sections with a fungicide, the orchid is transferred to a disinfected container with a fresh substrate. Until the signs of growth appear, the flower is kept in the shade.
• Wanda Orchid Leaves Rot usually due to improper watering. If the irrigation mode is not adjusted, the rot can capture the trunks of the plant and then it will not be saved. Damage must be treated immediately and the cause of the occurrence removed.
• Wanda Orchid Leaves Turn Yellow from too poor watering, lack of nutrients or prolonged exposure to the sun at elevated temperatures.
• Cracks on the leaves of Wanda appear as a result of hypothermia of the plant after watering, due to "overfeeding" with nitrogen fertilizers, after sunburn, or for mechanical reasons. Damaged sheet plates cannot be repaired.
• A heat burn is like a sunburn. It occurs due to exposure to high temperatures and appears in brown spots on leaf blades. Burns are not treated, damaged leaves should be removed.

Among the pests that settle on Wanda, thrips, scale insects, mealybugs and spider mites are the most dangerous for the plant.

Types of Wanda's orchid home with photos and names

Vanda blue (Vanda coerulea)

A popular variety of Vandas with strong erect stems up to 1 meter high and rigid belt-shaped leaves about 15 cm long. Peduncles bear up to 20 large flowers of a pale blue hue with dark blue veins. There are also varieties with bright blue or pink petals, covered with a dark, almost black network of veins.

Vanda bluish (Vanda coerulescens)

A miniature variety with long thin leaves collected in a rosette. On shortened peduncles are medium-sized, but long-lived and very fragrant flowers of a pale blue hue. A distinctive feature of the variety is the lip, colored with blue marks.

Vanda Suarez or Vanda tender (Vanda suaris)

A large, abundantly flowering species with long narrow dark green leaves and very beautiful flowers of an unusual color: wavy milk-white petals and sepals are covered with a network of bright purple dots, spots and stripes, and the lip has a juicy pink hue.

Vanda cristata (Vanda cristata)

Tall variety with very long leaves of a belt-shaped form and spectacular fragrant flowers, which have narrow corrugated petals of a yellow or blood-red hue and a large soft lilac lip.

Vanda Sanderiana

One of the most beautiful and unusual varieties of orchids. Her leaves are stiff, long, with a forked tip. On the peduncles during flowering, large rounded flowers of pale purple or pinkish tint. Petals and lateral sepals are decorated with dark veins and speckled patterns. Wanda Sandera also has an albino form, the flowers of which are greenish-white

Vanda Javierae

A very rare species of Vandas is compact in size (no more than 35 cm in height) and of unusual appearance. Inflorescences combine up to 8 medium-sized white flowers with a white lip, which at the very base is covered with many pale pink or brown marks.

Watch the video: ALL ABOUT THE VANDA ORCHID & FAMILY - Care-Growth-Tips (April 2024).