Greek
Royal Vanda
The most beautiful, rarest and most impressive orchid that exists is definitely the Vanda Royal.
They come from tropical regions of Asia and in their natural environment are epiphytes and grow hooked on the upper trunks of trees at a great distance from the ground. In this way, its root system is exposed to the air. This is why it prefers to be grown without a pot with a substrate but in baskets that offer basic support to its rich root system.
It belongs to the monopodial orchids, i.e. it grows its main stem and the leaves grow on it, facing each other. It is a slow growing plant and produces large and impressive flowers with intense colors. Older plants branch if not separated, forming very impressive plant groups.
Temperature:
It is a thermophilic species and does not tolerate low temperatures, which is why the temperature in the place where it is cultivated should not fall below 13 oC.
Watering:
The ideal watering method for this genus is immersion. The frequency of watering depends on many factors, such as the temperature in the cultivated area, the humidity of the area, etc.
When the temperatures are higher or the plant is in the growth phase, then the watering needs increase. Observing the root system always helps us to understand the needs of the plant.
If the roots take on a silver coloration instead of green, then watering is needed.
Tip: A secret for the robustness of your plant is to water it with rainwater or with deionized water, always at room temperature.
Light:
For this species, light is the most important factor for its cultivation. Place it in a spot with indirect strong lighting. It can tolerate partially high light intensities on its foliage for a short time, but prolonged exposure can cause burns.
Flowering:
There is no specific flowering period and they can bloom throughout the year. They produce flowering buds between the leaves, which develop into flowering shoots with numerous flowers that remain in bloom for many weeks.
Humidity/Ventilation:
Vanda is adapted to its natural environment to grow on trees. Therefore it loves good ventilation and it would be good to place it where the air circulates unhindered. However, as it is a tropical species, the ideal humidity of the cultivated area is 70-80%.
**The total height of the plant including (roots+trunk+flowers) reaches from 75 to 130cm