Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Tricolor Vanda (Vanda tricolor).

More about three-coloured vanda

About Three-Coloured Vanda

Vanda tricolor · also called Tricolor Vanda · flowering

Vanda tricolor is a robust, fragrant monopodial orchid from Java and Bali, named for its cream petals spotted maroon over a violet lip. Like all strap-leaf Vandas it craves intense light, daily root soaking, and brisk airflow. Grown bare-root in a basket, it forms a tall, leafy specimen that blooms in waves through the warm season.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Refusal to bloom: Light is the usual limiter. Without bright light and some direct sun the plant grows leaves but skips flower spikes; move it brighter and harden it gradually.

The reasons three-coloured vanda isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming three-coloured 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 three-coloured 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 three-coloured vanda to flower

Maximise sun. Give three-coloured 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 three-coloured vanda and get the feeding right with the three-coloured 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

Three-Coloured 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 three-coloured vanda care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Three-Coloured Vanda blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my three-coloured vanda flower?

Three-Coloured 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 three-coloured vanda bloom?

Give three-coloured 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 three-coloured vanda normally bloom?