Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Checkered Vanda (Vanda tessellata).

More about tessellated vanda

About Tessellated Vanda

Vanda tessellata · also called Checkered Vanda · flowering

Vanda tessellata is a warmth-loving monopodial orchid across the Indian subcontinent, valued for fragrant, waxy flowers patterned in a tessellated network of greenish-brown over a violet lip. A vigorous, sun-hardy strap-leaf Vanda, it wants intense light, daily watering of bare roots, and constant airflow to thrive and bloom.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Sparse or absent flowers: Insufficient light is the prime cause. This species needs strong, partly direct sun; increase light and it flowers far more freely.

The reasons tessellated vanda isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming tessellated 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 tessellated 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 tessellated vanda to flower

Maximise sun. Give tessellated 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 tessellated vanda and get the feeding right with the tessellated 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

Tessellated 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 tessellated vanda care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Tessellated Vanda blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my tessellated vanda flower?

Tessellated 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 tessellated vanda bloom?

Give tessellated 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 tessellated vanda normally bloom?