With a Vanda Royal Blue you can experience your personal blue wonder on the windowsill. This unique rarity from Mother Nature's kingdom is easier to care for than its extravagant appearance suggests. Read here how to water, fertilize and cut the Vanda coerulea and its colorful hybrids.
How do I care for a blue orchid?
The blue orchid (Vanda coerulea) requires substrate-free cultivation, whereby it is immersed in filtered, room temperature water for 30 minutes every 2-3 days. In summer, a special orchid fertilizer is applied at half the concentration every 14 days, while in winter fertilization is reduced to every 4 weeks. Cutting is not recommended, only removing wilted parts.
How is the substrate-free orchid watered?
Since the blue orchid is cultivated without soil, like its counterparts, the watering can is not part of the equipment for care. Rather, the slogan is: Diving instead of pouring. How to do it right:
- Dip a blue vanda into filtered, room temperature rainwater for half an hour every 2-3 days
- Make sure that no water remains in the leaf axils and plant heart for a long time
- Also spray daily with lime-free, lukewarm water
In winter, please adjust the water supply to the reduced light and temperature conditions.
When and how should a blue orchid be fertilized?
During its summer growth and flowering period, your azure flower beauty will happily accept an orchid fertilizer every 14 days. Please only use a special liquid fertilizer, as standard flower fertilizers contain too much s alt. The concentration specified by the manufacturer is also halved. Simply add the nutrients to the immersion water. During the winter dormant period of growth, fertilization every 4 weeks is sufficient.
Is pruning allowed on a Vanda coerulea?
Your blue orchid does not receive a pruning in the actual sense. Rather, cutting green parts of the plant will cause considerable damage to your sensitive Vanda. Only withered, withered leaves and flowers are plucked out. Please only cut off a flower stalk when it is completely dead. The use of meticulously disinfected knives and scissors is mandatory. Dust the cuts with primary rock powder or cinnamon to prevent infections and pest infestation.
Tip
If you come across a rich blue orchid in the supermarket, it is most likely a colored phalaenopsis. A Dutch breeder achieved the stroke of genius of turning a white butterfly orchid blue using a patented method. Unfortunately, the splendor doesn't last long, as the dyed orchid blooms again in pure white the next time it blooms.
