Plantivorus, which grower did you buy it from (what is their real business name, not the one on e-bay). Just a thought for the future, when my Vanda roots grow too long, I soak them in luke warm water for a while so the roots are nice & pliable & tie them into loose balls. Also you said that all the roots are very dry and do not turn green anymore, you are using tap water, do you have a water softener on the water source you are using? Even if it is an outside water valve, they are sometimes tied into the house water with water softener included. If you are interested in getting roots growing quickly (well at least as quickly as orchids like to do things) you can buy K-L-N liquid rooting hormone & soak the plant in the solution for 3 minutes. Since this is a Vanda & they like to have everything in excess, I would make the batch with an extra measure of the rooting hormone. I have used it with great success on all my plants (including vandaceous types). Do not be concerned with messing up the plants hormones, it will not bloom until it is able to get water and nutrients into its system. If you are concerned with the hormone affecting you, then just wear gloves for a day or two while handling the plant so that the residue has time to be washed away & evaporate. Good luck!!! -Ray-

Gary, You said, "One more question Have one pushing 7 feet tall . Is there a way to get them to branch?? Have tried cutting the growing tip but it just moved to the side and resumed growing straight up again. I do have some that are branched but don't know why?? Any suggestions?? " Vandas normally don't "branch". The grow with only one center. When you cut the top off you have made the plant produce another growing center or a keiki. These plants reproduce by creating keikis from the "nodes" on the side of the trunk where you sometimes see roots. If you cut off the top, like you did, you can make another plant from that cutting, just make sure that it has at least 3 roots to take with it. Then the remaining plant will usually sprout a new keiki, as yours did. In order to grow a vanda needs a central trunk, if it is cut it will try to grow a new one, which is what yours did. 7' is quite tall and healthy! You can make several new plants over time fromt that one. Be careful cutting off the top that can kill the original plant, if doesn't create another center. Keikis are how these plants reproduce. There are references on the web about how to propagate vandas this way that will outlined exactly how to do this. In fact, there is a another thread on the this forum called, "Vanda Propagation". Check that out and search on here further.

I highly doubt its renanthera. Those are larger plants. That looks like Neofinetia falcata to me, or a hybrid thereof. It should grow just fine mounted since they are more tolerant of drying out than vandas. If you want to experiment with the vase, good luck to ya. Roots hitting the water shouldn't cause root rot. A trick people sometimes use is putting floral vials on root tips to help keep them hydrated, and I've personally heard stories of peoples vandas growing their roots down into their pool of all places! So yeah, shouldn't rot anything. As for the phal, unfortunately a spike coming from the center usually kills the phal because it originated from the apical meristem where leaves are supposed to come from. If you're lucky the plant will keiki off to the side, if you're willing to wait for it to grow. But it looks like your phal is a (eventual) gonner :(

Hi Here is a pic of what I like to call a Vanda bed . . Was made from leftovers from the shadehouse . Going into its third year . Contains 8 different kinds of vandas both stap and terete. as well as some epis at the base They are growing between two conjoined queen palms. have had great growth but flowering has been disappointing so far. What have you got to lose by trying?? gary