Distinctive characteristics of the wanda, growing rules, orchid reproduction, diseases and pests that affect the flower, interesting facts, species. Many growers are passionate about replenishing their flower collections with unusual orchids. It's always nice to surprise your friends with exotic beautiful flowers, as well as just admire them. After all, representatives of this family are very diverse in their shapes and colors. If we talk about such exotics in the world of orchids, then we will talk about a delicate and beautiful flower, which is rightfully considered the queen of this flower family. Her name is Vanda.
As mentioned earlier, this plant belongs to the Orchid family (Orhidaceae), which includes up to 53 varieties of herbaceous flora specimens with a long life span. Most of them are epiphytes (plants that live on trees), in rare cases, lithophytes (which prefer rock and mountain soils for life) or growing on the soil surface. The native area of distribution is the territories of southwestern Asia in the continental region, Indonesia and the northern lands of the Australian continent, as well as in the southern regions of China and Thailand, it can grow in the north and east of India.
In the same place the plant is called "vanda" in Sanskrit and therefore this name is given to the flower. The first mention of the marvelous orchid was made by the Englishman Sir William Johnson in 1795, who was studying Asia and its vegetation. The price of this representative of the flora is quite high. This orchid gives excellent results in breeding work on crossing and therefore there are already a large number of hybrids based on it.
Wanda is classified as a monopodial plant species (that is, there is only one "leg" available), since the trunk grows directly upward. In height, this formation can reach indicators of several meters (2-3 meters). In the conditions of rooms, its height rarely exceeds a meter. At the same time, the stem has a cylindrical shape. Also, the orchid is the owner of airy (atmospheric) root processes that look powerful enough and are painted in a gray-green hue. With the help of these roots, vanda "extracts" moisture and nutrients from the air. These roots are covered with a porous layer of cells that have already died out and through them, and moisture is absorbed and the plant is protected from sunburn. This is important, since the wanda does not have tuberidia (aerial tubers), which means that it does not have moisture reserves.
The leafy plates of this orchid densely cover the stem and have a fleshy leathery surface with belt-like or roll-shaped outlines. Their arrangement is two-row.
Peduncles grow erect or may lean towards the soil. They originate in the leaf sinuses, and there can be 1-4 pieces at a time. The shape of the inflorescences is racemose, loose, they collect a large or small number of buds (from 2 to 15 units). The sizes of flowers vary from small to large (diameter does not exceed 10 cm). Most often, the color of the petals is bright and variegated, it includes shades: snow-white, yellow, orange, pinkish, red, purple and blue. The surface of the petals in some species is decorated with a mesh pattern of veins, which are painted in a darker color than the entire background.
When the flower is just blooming, then its color is somewhat pale, and the parameters are smallish. But after a few days, the buds increase in size, and the color of the petals will become more saturated. There are aromatic varieties. If you create the necessary conditions for the Wanda orchid, then the process of its flowering can take up to 3 months. Flowers tend not to lose their appearance for a long time after cutting (about 14 days), therefore, it is grown for these purposes.
Recommendations for caring for an orchid at home
- Lighting and location. This orchid loves good, but diffused lighting. It is better to install the vanda pot on the windowsills of windows facing south, southeast or southwest. However, shading will be required at midday so that aggressive ultraviolet light does not cause a leaf burn. In winter, additional lighting will be required so that the daylight hours are at least 12-15 hours. This is also necessary for the northern location of the flower.
- Content temperature. It is better to grow an orchid at 20-25 degrees, but during the winter months the temperature should not drop below 14-16. It is important that the heat readings do not fluctuate very sharply. However, it has been noticed that the decrease at night contributes to the excellent flowering of the orchid. The plant is afraid of the draft.
- Air humidity should be high (60–70%). If it is lower, then the leaves will dry out, and the buds will fall off without opening. Requires daily spraying from a fine atomizer.
- Watering. Most of the varieties of this orchid do not have a pronounced dormant period, so it must be watered regularly. But it is important to avoid waterlogging the soil by letting it dry out between waterings.
- Fertilizers for vandas, they are applied in larger quantities than other orchids. Therefore, during the active growing season, special preparations for orchids are used once a week. In winter, the orchid is fertilized only once every 30 days.
- Vanda orchid transplant and substrate selection. In spring or autumn, you can change the pot and soil, but this operation is performed every 2-3 years. The new container should be 2–3 cm larger than the old pot. A layer of drainage material is laid on the bottom. In tropical conditions, this orchid is planted in soil-free baskets and hung in the open air. But in the rooms, you still need to fill the flowerpots with soil. Side holes are made in the pots, and you can also take plastic baskets with large pieces of bark. When transplanting, it is important not to damage the roots of the orchid. After removing the wanda from the old pot, it is necessary to carefully untwist the root processes, rinse them under warm running streams of water. After inspection, the roots are removed, which have dried, softened and become hollow. Places of cuts of the root system are processed with crushed activated or charcoal. The drainage layer in the pot should reach 1/4 of the total volume of the container, then a plant is installed on it, then the voids and the top are covered with soil. The substrate is not compacted. You can leave a certain number of roots hanging from the pot, and not buried in the substrate. Usually, soil for orchids is used or they compose it independently by mixing: leaf substrate, part of crushed tree bark (preferably pine). Also, chopped fern roots and sphagnum moss, vermiculite, small expanded clay, perlite and crushed charcoal, coconut fiber or pine cones are mixed there.
Orchid propagation tips
You can get a new plant of the Queen of Orchids by sowing seeds, planting apical petioles.
Vanda can be propagated by seeds only in professional greenhouses and laboratories.
In the spring, they are usually propagated by the apical cuttings of the plant. For cutting them, mature shoots of the stem are selected and their tops are cut, which already have atmospheric root processes. When more side branches are needed, the apical bud must be removed from the vanda mother plant, and this will give an impetus to the formation of side shoots, and after a year they are already suitable for grafting. In cuttings, before planting, you need to treat the sections with activated or charcoal powder, and then plant them one by one in pots with a substrate, from chopped sphagnum moss and fern roots. There should be a drain on the bottom of the container. The planted twigs are placed in a warm place with good lighting, but without direct sunlight. In the first 3 days, the cuttings are not watered, you can only sometimes spray the twigs, and then moistening is carried out 1-2 times a month. When confident signs of rooting appear, then the mode of care and watering is normal.
In rare cases, "babies" - daughter young plants can form on an orchid. When on such young formations the root processes reach 5 centimeters in size, the “kids” are carefully separated from the maternal wanda and planted in a suitable soil. These small orchids become full-fledged plants only when 3 years have passed and at the same time flowering begins.
Diseases and pests of the wanda
Due to the fact that the leaf plate of the orchid has a dense surface, the flower is rarely affected by harmful insects. However, if the conditions of detention are violated, infection with spider mites, thrips, scale insects, aphids or mealybugs can occur. If pests are found, then a soap, oil or alcohol solution is applied to a cotton pad and insects and their waste products are manually removed. If the lesion is strong, then they are treated with an insecticide (for example, karbofos or actara).
Also, if there is a substrate gulf, then the orchid can be affected by various rot. The following diseases of the wanda are also distinguished:
- due to overheating and dehydration of the roots, atrophy of the plant can occur;
- cracks often appear on the leaves due to mechanical damage, and an excess of nutrients, including nitrogen compounds or sunburn, can be the cause;
- if the air in the room is very dry and hot, then the orchid can get a thermal burn.
Interesting facts about Wanda
It is curious that this orchid in European countries became known only at the end of the 18th century. And this happened thanks to the work on the study of the plant world by Sir William Jones, who was a philologist and Indologist. In his notes, which he made in the diary "Asian Studies", the Wanda orchid and a detailed description of it were mentioned. He gave the name to the flower based on the name of the plant in Sanskrit by the locals.
Long before the orchid was brought to the lands of the Old World, it had a very high price in its homeland - in Southeast Asia. There, a variety of Wanda checkerboard was used as a medicinal preparation, in which orchid leaves played the main role. But even today, many healers in Asian areas use some varieties of the plant, namely root shoots, flower petals, leaf plates and fruits, in the manufacture of drugs used in the treatment of tuberculosis, asthma, bronchitis and various neuralgias.
Types of wanda
- Vanda tricolor. The plant is large in size with a straight-growing stem reaching up to a meter or more in height. The leaf blades have a belt-like shape and grow up to 25 cm in length, their arrangement is two-row. The flowers have a strong aroma and star-like outlines. The color of the petals is snow-white-cream and their surface is decorated with spots and stripes of red-brown color scheme. The bud in the open form reaches 7 cm in diameter. A multi-flowered inflorescence is collected from them, the number of buds in which varies within 7-10 units. The petals have an ovoid shape with a wavy edge and a wide marigold. The lip is three-lobed and its size is almost the same as that of a flower. The flowering process occurs in mid-autumn and lasts until mid-winter. If the conditions of care are correct and re-flowering may occur in late spring or early summer.
- Vanda Vanda (Vanda teres). A plant with a fairly large size. Its stem can grow up to a height of 3 meters, and it also has multiple powerful root processes. The leaf plates are rounded, their length is measured 20 cm. On flowering stems, inflorescences consist of 3–6 buds with a diameter of about 10 cm when opened. The flower petals are diamond-shaped or rounded, with a wavy edge. The lip is three-lobed and its middle lobe is wider. Its shape is wedge-shaped, with a purple color. The lateral blades are shaded with a yellowish tint with red mottling. The flowering process begins in mid-autumn.
- Vanda Rothschild (Vanda rotschildiana). This variety is a hybrid form that is obtained by crossing the Vanda blue and Sandera orchids. The leaf plates have belt-like outlines. The buds have petals with a light blue color. In diameter, the flowers reach 4–5 cm, and large inflorescences are collected from them. Flowers begin to bloom from October.
- Vanda blue (Vanda coerulea). This variety is considered the most beautiful of the whole genus among florists. The dimensions of the orchid are compact, not exceeding one meter in height, but can reach 1.5 meters. It is often used for breeding work. The sheet plate has a belt-like shape and a serrated edge, with an oblique cut at the top. There is a two-row arrangement of them on the stem, the length of the leaves is measured 20-25 cm. The peduncle can exceed half a meter in height. Flowering stems are crowned with racemose inflorescences, consisting of 6 to 16 buds with a ten-centimeter diameter. Flower petals, as a rule, are painted in a lilac or blue hue, they have an ovoid or clawed shape, with a tapering towards the bottom. A small lip is usually set off with a more intense color than other parts of the bud. The flowers are fragrant. The flowering process continues from mid to late autumn.
- Vanda Sanderiana Large-sized orchid plant. On average, the spread of leaf plates reaches 60–70 cm, but in rare cases it can reach meter indicators. The shape of the leaves is belt-like and in length they can approach the parameters of 40 cm. The flowers have petals painted in pink color with a white border. The lip casts a yellowish-red tone. In diameter, the flower can reach 10-12 cm. From the buds are collected inflorescences, crowning the top of the peduncle. Up to 10 buds are collected in the inflorescence. In its natural environment, flowering occurs in autumn, but in rooms it can bloom in spring.
- Vanda sauris or as it is also called Wanda tender. The stem can reach a height of 60–90 cm and it contains belt-like leaf plates painted in dark green color. Flowering begins in the spring and is very abundant. The inflorescence has a racemose shape, 10-12 buds with a strong aroma are collected in it. The diameter of the flowers can reach 5–7 cm. The edge of the petals and sepals is wavy, they are painted in a snow-white color with purple speckling. The lip has a three-lobed shape, its color is bright pink.
- Vanda cristata (Vanda cristata). This species has very large buds, reaching 5 cm in diameter, they are very fragrant. The color of their petals is yellow or red.
- Vanda great (Vanda insignis). A plant with evergreen foliage, with a thick stem and leaf blades with a hard surface and elongated outlines. The flowering process takes place in the summer. The flower-bearing stem is crowned with a brush-shaped inflorescence, which includes several buds with brown-yellow petals. They can reach 4–5 cm in diameter. The lip is large, rounded, pinkish. This species was used as the basis for breeding multiple hybrids in the 20th century in Thailand. Flowering directly depends on the conditions of detention. Growing in greenhouses or winter gardens.
For more information on watering and fertilizing wanda, see this video:
