Vanda bensonii

Also known as: Benson's Vanda or Vanda bensoni In Thailand - Sampoi phae in the subfamily: Epidendroideae

Native to: China Thailand

General Information

Benson's Vanda is a small to medium sized monopodial cool to warm growing epiphytic orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to China and Thailand. It is named after the English officer and Orchid Enthusiast in Burma in the 19th century.

Plant Description

Monopodial. Grows to 30cm. Each new growth has numerous erect leaves that grow to 1.2-25cm long

Flowers

Numerous fragrant blossoms appear

Fragrance

The orchid is fragrant.

Substrate(s)

• Coarse
• Charcoal

Care Notes

This orchid goes into a dormancy phase during winter, during this phase it is best not to provide water unless the plant is starting to look thirsty. The lack of water increases the chance of flowering in spring, and also reduces the likelihood of any rot forming. Do not resume watering until new growth has appeared and is growing strongly.

Often a period of intense growth occurs after dormancy. During this time the amount of light, water and fertiliser the plant receives will directly impact the amount of growth that occurs during this time, and in the case of seedlings, will reduce the time required to reach maturity.

It's recommended to heavily reduce the water amount at the middle to end of autumn to trigger dormancy. Leaves on older bulbs will begin to drop during this time while the newer bulbs continue to mature until terminal leaves appear at the tip of the pseudobulbs.

Repotting can be done any time of the year though it's best to do it in early spring when new growth is appearing as this also means new roots will appear to help the plant anchor into the new media and offset any damage to established roots during the repotting process.

 

Fragrant:

• IsFragrant

Climate

Grows at low to high elevations. Rainfall ranges from 5mm to 251mm per day, heaviest in August and lightest in February. Humidity ranges from 50% to 83%, highest in August and lowest in March. Temperature ranges from 9C to 32C, highest in April (19C to 32C) and lowest in January (9C to 24C).

Watering

These orchids gather most of their water from their aerial roots, which should be sprayed regularly or kept in a humid environment; roots exposed to dry air that receive no water will die back. On that same note, roots that are inside a pot surrounded by media may also die back, with new roots growing from the stem away from the pot.

If outdoors, a misting system aimed at the roots that turns on regularly will help them grow, otherwise if indoors placing the roots inside a vase or pot with no media along with regular spraying should give them the moisture they need.

Fertiliser

dormant-medium-demand-orchid Apply fertiliser regularly at half strength year round. Use a high Nitrogen fertiliser during Spring and Summer. Use a high Phosphorous fertiliser during Summer.

Potting

These plants are quite forgiving and will do well repotted ever 2-3 years. The mix should be coarse, well draining, and allow space for air to move and for roots to grow. 

Alternatively, these plants will also do well mounted to tree fern or cork slabs, or mounted to trees.

Best time for repotting or mounting the orchids is the end of winter when new growths start to appear. Avoid repotting during hot weather,

This plant does very well in baskets or suspended pots