General Care Guidelines:
1. Light and Placement
Intensity: These orchids thrive in bright, indirect light. Unlike most Vandas, they should be protected from harsh, direct midday sun, which can easily scorch their thick, fleshy leaves.
Indoor Positioning: An east or west-facing window is typically ideal.
Growth Indicator: If your orchid fails to bloom, it is most likely not receiving enough light.
2. Watering and Humidity
Watering Frequency: As epiphytes, their roots must dry out quickly after being watered.
Summer/Growth Phase: Water daily (or even twice a day in dry regions) if they are grown bare-root or mounted.
Winter/Rest Phase: Reduce watering significantly, allowing the medium to dry out completely between sessions.
High Humidity: They require high humidity, ideally between 60% and 80%. You can maintain this using a room humidifier or a humidity tray filled with water and pebbles.
Air Circulation: Constant air movement is critical to prevent fungal and bacterial infections in high-humidity environments.
3. Temperature Requirements
Ideal Range: They are "warm-to-hot" growers, preferring daytime temperatures between 21–33°C (70–91°F).
Blooming Trigger: A slight drop in nighttime temperatures (to roughly 15–18°C or 60–65°F) during the autumn can help trigger winter blooming.
Cold Sensitivity: They cannot survive frost; protect them if temperatures drop below 10–13°C (50–55°F).
4. Potting and Medium
Growing Style: They are best grown in slatted wooden baskets without any medium or mounted on cork/wood slabs. This allows their large, brittle roots to hang freely.
Potting Mix: If using a pot, use a very coarse, fast-draining medium like chunky fir bark, charcoal, or lava rock.
Minimal Disturbance: Rhynchostylis intensely dislike root disturbance. Only repot when the medium has broken down or the plant has completely outgrown its container.
5. Fertilization
Active Season: Use a balanced orchid fertilizer (like 20-20-20) at 1/4 to 1/2 strength once a week during spring and summer.
Specialized Mixes: Some growers use high-nitrogen formulas in early spring and switch to high-phosphorus "bloom boosters" in late summer to promote flowering.
