Vanda Plants

Distribution

• In addition to growing in cultivation, the vanda plants are also found throughout Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, China, the Himalayas, India and Indonesia. They also grow in northern Australia.

Ideal Growing Conditions

• Since wild vandas grow along rivers and ridges and prefer bright light, place them on a window with southern exposure. You can also grow them outdoors as long as the temperature does not go below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, as they require daylight temperatures in the 70s to 90s and night temperatures in the 60s. Fifty percent humidity is an ideal growing condition, and if the humidity is high enough you can grow vandas without soil. Most homes do not have high enough humidity, so you should pack your vanda plant in a growing medium such as sphagnum moss.

Care

• Avoid watering vandas too much, as they are sensitive to overwatering. Wait until your planting medium has dried completely before watering again (usually every five to seven days), and you should use distilled or rain water. Grow your vanda in a teak basket or pot. If you want your vanda to bloom more than once a year, use a high-nitrogen fertilizer throughout the year. A teaspoon a month is ideal, although you should split it into several servings rather than one large one. Avoid excessive repotting and wait until your vanda is completely mature before doing so.

Varieties

• Three main varieties of vanda are found in cultivation. Strap-leaf vanda is characterized by alternating flat, broad leaves that lend this variety a symmetrical appearance, with a flower stem that also alternates on the right and left sides. Terete-leaf vandas, on the other hand, possess cylindrical leaves that are the size and shape of a pencil, usually growing 4 to 6 inches long. The leaf tips are blunt or sharp-tipped, and the flowers appear on the side opposite the leaf. A hybrid of the two varieties has also been developed. The semi-terete features leaves that exhibit the qualities of both.