Growing Vandas, the Barrita way

The big blue ones

We have been growing Vanda since 2001, but it wasn’t until we moved to Kulnura that we really got into them. We chose to grow hybrids derived from V. coerulea, as this species comes from higher elevations and don’t mind the cooler winter temperatures.

If you look at how Vandas are grown best in Thailand, they are often grown without media of any sort, or even a pot! As we are growing them as “pot plants” for us the pot is quite relevant. If you are going to grow in the Thai way, you need to be able to keep the roots moist in warmer weather. If you have them in a pot (the obvious way to keep a plant’s roots moist), you will not get the root development that you get with higher air access to the roots. Our solution to this is a basket pot of styrene, the same shape as a pot but with much better air penetration. This media holds a little moisture and allows excellent root growth without the need to repot, as Vandas hate being repotted.

Our plants are located at the northern end of the greenhouse to maximize light, as Vandas love bright light. In Summer they are watered at two-day intervals, which is extended to three to four days in Winter. In our experience Vanda’s enjoy weak liquid fertilizing as often as possible.

Our plants have been sourced from Thailand in the flask, as this is our preferred method for buying plants. We believe you get a better feel for a plant when you grow it from the flask. This also means that our plants are acclimatised for our customers to grow on.

To view our Vanda clones and seedlings click here.