The Soft Vanda is native to Java and Bali. This species is still often found throughout Java, where it grows on bright sites, on exposed branches of trees, at heights of 700-1600 m. One of such locations, where it is easiest to meet these plants, are trees growing near the borders of tea plantations. Some reports that var. tricolor, form in a normal color and darker, are found mainly in western Java, while var. suavis is found mainly in central and eastern Java. Some, however, say that both varieties can also be found growing side by side.
Vanda tricolor orchid, also called as The Soft Vanda, Vanda suavis, Vanda suaveolens, Limodorum suaveolens, is a species of the genus Vanda. This species was described by Lindley in 1847.
IDENTIFY VANDA TRICOLOR ORCHID
The Soft Vanda is native to Java and Bali. This species is still often found throughout Java, where it grows on bright sites, on exposed branches of trees, at heights of 700-1600 m. One of such locations, where it is easiest to meet these plants, are trees growing near the borders of tea plantations. Some reports that var. tricolor, form in a normal color and darker, are found mainly in western Java, while var. suavis is found mainly in central and eastern Java. Some, however, say that both varieties can also be found growing side by side.
This Vanda species is a large sized, hot growing epiphyte, lithophyte or terrrestrial with long, erect stems carrying curved, ligulate, imbricate, unequally bilobed apically leaves. The leaves are about 35-45 cm long and 4 cm wide, and very leathery, striped, nicely arched and overlap at the base.
Vanda tricolor orchid blooms on an axillary, erect to suberect, 2 to 3" (5 to 7 cm) long, shorter than the leaves, 6-9 flowered inflorescence with large, fragrant flowers occurring in the fall and winter. The flowers are 5.0-7.5 cm in diameter, they are waxy, durable, changeable in shapes and colors. The petals of both whorls are white on the outside, the color on the inner surface is variable, they usually have red-brown spots on a white background, but sometimes they are bright yellow spots, or rarely red, which can cover almost the entire surface. The lip is usually lilac, but sometimes it can be yellow with small, white side plots at the base.
The suavis variety has inflorescence with 15 or more flowers, which have narrower, but slightly longer petals of both whorls and the apical lobules of the lip are turned abruptly downwards and are paler than the rest of the midlobe.
GROW AND CARE VANDA TRICOLOR ORCHID
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Vanda tricolor orchid needs a light level of 30000-40000 lux. These plants grow best exposed to almost full sun. In the summer the plants grown should be slightly shaded on sunny summer days. 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, wrinkled and not fully extending.
Temperature:
It is a plant with moderate thermal requirements. Throughout the year, the average day temperature is 23-25 ° C, and the average night temperature is 17-18 ° C, with a daily amplitude of 6-8 ° C.
Humidity:
The plant needs humidity of 80-85% in summer and early autumn, gradually falling to almost 65% for 2-3 months at the end of winter and early spring.
Substrate and growing media:
Plants are usually grown in hanging pots or battens filled with very loose, easily drying ground. 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. The roots should be allowed to grow and hang freely, and they should not be cut to give the plant an orderly appearance.
Watering:
Cultivated plants should be abundantly watered during active growth, but the roots must always dry quickly after watering. The substrate around the roots can never be desiccated or soggy. In late autumn, watering should be gradually reduced.
Fertilizer:
During the active growth of the plants should be fertilized every week 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of fertilizer for orchids. You can also use balanced fertilizer throughout the year, or use fertilizer with increased nitrogen content from spring to mid summer, and then in the late summer and autumn, use a fertilizer with a higher content of phosphorus.
Rest period and repotting:
In winter, watering of cultivated plants should be limited, but they must not be dried too much or allowed to stay dry for a long time. For a period of 1-2 months at the end of winter, however, the amount of water should be limited only to occasional morning fogs. Only when there are signs of stress on the plants, you should resume light watering. Fertilization should be reduced or eliminated until growth begins in spring and resumption of more abundant watering.
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