HOW TO WATER VANDA'S IN MIAMI

Everyone always asks, "How should I water my orchid".

The answer to that question is, "It depends."

This article is about how to water Vanda's in Miami.

There are a few general things you should know about watering Vanda's. First about the environment: What time of year is it? How dry is it? How much breeze is blowing? What time of day is it? All of these environmental issues will affect how you should water your Vanda. So a Vanda grower needs to OBSERVE his plants and his environment.

Second, you need to realize that your Vanda wants to get a LOT of moisture, but it does not like to STAY wet. Sounds like a contradiction, doesnt' it? However, it is so true. So water EARLY in the day. Then the plant has a chance to dry before nightfall and does not STAY wet overnight. You want to water when the ROOTS are dry and when they have a "white" looking color. If humidity is low in early spring and the temperature is rising, you may need to water more than once per day. During the summer downpours in Miami, you may not need to water at all; and, you pray that those afternoon rains do not start some kind of fungus to grow because the plants are wet overnight. In the cooler months, you may find that you need to skip a day or two of watering.

Third, what kind of "pot" and "media" are you growing your media in. Generally, the more your "pot" or "media" holds moisture, the less you will need to water. But beware, since Vanda's do not like to STAY wet, in Miami I have found it best to have only a plastic or wooden basket with NO MEDIA. But this is an entirely different topic. Just beware that the "pot" and "media" can affect your watering and how long your plant and roots stay wet.


So how do you water a Vanda? The following are GENERAL guidelines. You should ADJUST your habits based upon the information above and what you OBSERVE about your environment and plants.

In Miami, generally,

1. You will probably need to water most EVERY DAY. This is not a rule. There are exceptions.

2. Apply the water to the plant just long enough to get the water dripping off of the plant and the roots.

3. Now you need to FORGET about the plant and go and do something else. Stroll around your yard, pick up some leaves or palm fronds, pull some weeds, or have a cup of coffee.

4. REMEMBER to come back and water AGAIN just like before. Generally, somewhere after 10 to 20 minutes, you should apply water again just until the water is dripping off of the plant and the roots. Do NOT let the water run continuously on the plant and roots.

5. Do step 2, 3, & 4 over and over again UNTIL your roots are COMPLETELY GREEN. The picture above is how your VANDA roots should look when you get done watering. OBSERVATION is key.


I hope this helps you keep your Vanda's happy and healthy. Good Growing!