Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Sander's Vanda bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Waling-Waling, Queen of Philippine Orchids (Vanda sanderiana).

More about sander's vanda

About Sander's Vanda

Vanda sanderiana · also called Waling-Waling, Queen of Philippine Orchids · flowering

Vanda sanderiana, the Waling-Waling of Mindanao, is the regal parent of countless hybrids, bearing large flat blooms of pink and tessellated tan-green. A warm-growing monopodial epiphyte, it needs intense light, daily watering of bare roots, and high humidity with airflow. Reclassified by some botanists as Euanthe sanderiana, it remains the celebrated 'Queen of Philippine Orchids'.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Failure to flower: Light deficiency is the leading cause. This species needs very bright light with direct sun; insufficient light produces leaves but no large blooms.

The reasons sander's vanda isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming sander's vanda traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding sander's vanda a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get sander's vanda to flower

Maximise sun. Give sander's vanda the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for sander's vanda and get the feeding right with the sander's vanda fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Sander's Vanda flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full sander's vanda care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Sander's Vanda blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my sander's vanda flower?

Sander's Vanda blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make sander's vanda bloom?

Give sander's vanda the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does sander's vanda normally bloom?