Blue Orchid

Blue Orchid Care

Vanda Coerulea

Other names: Blue Orchid, Blue Vanda

What is the plant

The Blue Vanda is native to Northeast India, Myanmar, Thailand and south-west China. For the first time, plants were discovered on the Khasi hills in north-east India, and then found in the mountainous areas of Burma and northern Thailand. They usually grow high on the rough bark of little-leafed trees, therefore they are exposed to full sun, rain and wind. Their roots grow on a dry, rough bark deprived of mosses and lichens and therefore they dry out very quickly. The most common are at heights of 910-1520 m, but in Thailand grown plants grow well in natural conditions in Chiang Mai at an altitude of 340 m.

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Humidity

High

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

8°C - 24°C

Difficulty

Medium

How to Care for the Plant

Water
During the period of growth, during the hottest, sunny days, the roots of cultivated plants should be constantly moist, which requires several sprays during the day. In the autumn, watering should be gradually reduced.
Fertilizer
During active growth, the plants should be fertilized every week or every two weeks with 1/4-1 / 2 of the recommended dose of fertilizer for orchids. You can use fertilizers with equal proportions of NPK during almost the entire growth period or a fertilizer with a higher nitrogen content, e.g. 30-10-10, for fertilizing young plants or planting in bark. There are some growers who recommend the use of nitrogen-poor fertilizers during the late summer and autumn, and those rich in phosphorus. Low level of nitrogen in relation to phosphorus slows down the growth of new increments, but the plants strengthen before winter and have a chance for better flowering in the next season.
Sunlight
Vanda coerulea orchid needs a light level of 30000-40000 lux. That plants grow well in almost full sun. However, in a natural habitat, a large cloud cover causes a significant reduction in the amount of light reaching. This suggests that cultivated plants should be slightly shaded in the afternoon hours in the summer. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time. Long, dark green leaves indicate too little light. Too much light causes the leaves to be short, pale, yellow-green and not fully unfold.

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Soil
Sometimes plants are grown with only a small amount of airy substrate, such as charcoal, wine corks or large pieces of bark of cork oak, so that only keep the plants in the right position. Roots should be allowed to grow and not be cut to give the plant an orderly appearance. To avoid the accumulation of mineral deposits during the period of strong fertilization, it is recommended to rinse the substrate every few weeks.
Temperature
The Blue Vanda is a plant with moderate thermal requirements. In summer, the average daytime temperatures are 24-25 ° C and the night 18 ° C, with an amplitude of 6-7 ° C. In spring, the average day temperature is 27-29 ° C, night 16-17 ° C, with a daily amplitude of 13-18 ° C. In winter the average day temperature is 22-24 ° C, the night 7-8 ° C, which gives a daily difference of 13-16 ° C. In crops in Chiang Mai (Thailand) plants adapt to winter temperatures around 6 ° C higher than it is due to climatic data.
Container
Plants are usually grown in hanging pots or slatted baskets, filled with loose, coarse-grained, quickly drying ground.