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Miltoniopsis experiment

blutayle
9 years ago

Hola all,

After seeing Tanie's beautiful specimens and her success growing them, I decided to take the plunge or torture, however you look at it. I bought two plants on Ebay, one is an Andrea West HOF and the other a red noid that looks exactly like Tanie's flowers. I will keep them indoors all year round in a west facing slider with verticals to help diffuse the scorching late afternoon sun. The Andrea is in a bark, charcoal, sphag mix and the red noid is in promix. The noid is throwing out three new growths without any pleating and I am only watering when the promix feels slightly damp. The bark mixture should be more of a challenge and I will learn the hard way I am sure once new growth commences on that plant. I have done as much research as I could find on this forum and the Board. It seems temperature differential is not nearly as important as proper watering and min/max temps as well as lighting. With the air running I make sure they take a sink side seat in the kitchen with the warm water spray making a humidity bath in the air as the AC can be very drying. I like that both are in different mediums so I can compare with identical growing conditions. It seems promix may be better suited for this orchid but I will see. SInce my cats really don't use their kitty condo it came in handy in front of the slider until I can get a better cart setup. If anyone had any other advice or comments it would be welcome as it seems this orchid doesn't come with much discussion and usually not found locally in the Tampa area as one would expect.

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Comments (36)

  • arthurm
    9 years ago

    Well worth a try, they died when I tried growing them in a glass-house where plants of Encyclia tampensis are happy and bloom every year.
    I believe a narrow temperature range is the requirement. Not too hot and not too cold.

  • Darlene (GreenCurls)
    9 years ago

    I think they are known to be very particular about the temperature. This issue contributes to their reputation for being fincky and such little discussion on them in this forum. I am glad you are giving it a try. Hopefully they will thrive and you can give us an update on what works.

    What is your humdity like?

  • blutayle
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Arthurm and Greencurls....I am definitely interested to see how this goes. Since house is central air...temps stay a constant 72-73 degrees but with radiant heat during the day from the glass doors I am sure the peak day temp will go a bit higher but never top 80 degrees. Humidity is on the low side due to the drying effects of the AC but I give some supplemental increased humidity. The AC vent is about 8 feet away directly in line with the stand so there is plenty of air movement. Should be interesting...and I am still leaning towards Promix success with this type of orchid...we shall see....

  • shavedmonkey (Harvey in South Fl.)Z10b
    9 years ago

    If you are trying to increase the humidity for the orchid move it away from the AC vent. The AC air is very dry and will defeat any attempt to add humidity. Air circulation is important but not from AC vents. A small fan can do the trick. The air movement can be modest. Just so you barely feel it. Good luck!

  • orchidnick
    9 years ago

    After killing them for a long time, I'm finally having some success. I have a cold and a warm greenhouse. Dracula and Bulbophyllum are the typical inhabitants. I house the Miltoniopsis in the cold Gh in the summer and move them to the warm GH in the winter giving them the even temp they seem to crave. Finally, for the last few years, they are not only living but blooming.

    I'm still not too impressed with the flowers, one or two spikes where there should be 5 or 6 but such it is.

    Nick

  • tanie51
    9 years ago

    Good luck Blu! The plants look healthy!

    Tanie

  • janartmuse
    9 years ago

    I think they are supposed to be fairly cool at night in the winter, hovering around 58ú. Hard for folks with furnaces who don't want to get chilly at night (my thermostat is set at 58 at night so I am in good shape). I have only one of these and it is thriving at the moment, but the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. Will it bloom for me? Your plants look great and I love the cat sculpture for the plants! Best of luck, janine

  • karen451
    9 years ago

    I have managed to rebloom 4 different Milts grown on a South-east facing window sill in an apartment with central air in Zone 7. However, since the window sill gets >90ÃÂF in the morning I actually have them behind honeycomb blinds that cut most of the heat but not all of the light. I then supplement the light with one LED grow light/window (7 Watt, 25ÃÂ). Two plants flowered spectacularly, putting up multiple spikes that bloomed all summer (see photo and try to ignore the crinkled leaf) One put out 2 spikes but I am hopeful of a better show next year. One however did not do great. It bloomed early in the spring and the flowers did not open fully. Not sure if it was a problem with the humidity.

  • tanie51
    9 years ago

    Beautiful Karen! Isn't wonderful to have them rebloom for you, especially the so called hard one?

    Tanie

  • dbarron
    9 years ago

    I could always rebloom them...but I was very discouraged by the pleated leaves (sigh)...maybe I should have tried promix vs bark (lol) and wouldn't have ended up throwing them away, because the new growth continually reproached me!

    This post was edited by dbarron on Sun, Sep 21, 14 at 17:07

  • karen451
    9 years ago

    Thanks Tanie!

    In my case I think that the pleated leaves happened early on when I transitioned the plant to Leca. New leaves seem to be doing fine. Roots too.

  • ginger9899
    9 years ago

    I recognize those pots Karen, how great it is working for you! With your success and Blutayle's courage to try I might just give it a shot. I admire them so but have never bothered because I am in sweltering summer SW Florida. But, if you guys have success indoors maybe I could make it work. You both have such nice looking plants.

    -Heather

  • blutayle
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks all for the input...this truly is a collaborative effort. Karen....wow!!! Let me ask you, are you using supplemental humidity or just proper watering? I have read among so much yet so little info out there that humidity is not nearly as important as correct watering. Now if you have central heat in the winter, that could be detrimental, spider mites and all. Down here in Tampa, that is not an issue. How are you watering your potting medium? I am curious to see if the difficulty lies in the belief that these are outdoors orchids when in reality they would grow much better as indoor plants with A/C. Obviously, there are those areas of the country that provide proper outdoor temps but in most places not. Nick and Tanie seem to have perfected their methods, and now Karen. Is this flower very fragrant Karen? My other worry is getting varieties that are not fragrant as I grow for fragrance. I know some are more fragrant then others just wondering how this one is. I really am curious to see if I can get mine to spike. The red noid similar to Tanie's is full of new shoots so I have hope, however, the Andrea West HOF has not shown any new growth yet although plant is healthy. I did hear yellows were not as vigorous?

  • janartmuse
    9 years ago

    GORGEOUS flowers! I hope mine does as well! Lots of pleating of the leaves at first until i upped the water. it seems to like more than most. Blutayle - do you have any lycastes? The one I have is amazingly fragrant when it blooms - cinnamon, mostly. A tiny bit medicinal, but wonderful. The new pseudobulb this time around is really big, so i am hoping for loads of flowers. Might stink me out of the house, ha ha! Wonderful to see people having such spectacular success. That red miltoniopsis is stunning! J

  • karen451
    9 years ago

    Blutayle, I only use supplemental humidity in the winter since both I and my orchids find it a bit on the dry side then (Humidity

  • blutayle
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Karen,
    Amazing growing!! You definitely have some beautiful specimens without a doubt. I have not even had one bloom yet and already I am wanting to pull the trigger on a few beauties on EBay and through Select Orchids and Ivan Komoda...restraint....restraint...lol. I have not had any experience with S/H and that is something I might investigate more in the future. I have seen so many amazing results with S/H growing. Do you buy your plants locally or have a favorite vendor?

  • karen451
    9 years ago

    I have got most of mine from a vendor at my local farmer's market or from Trader Joe's ! At least it makes grocery shopping fun. I have had mixed results with Ebay (and at least one nightmare). But, as an orchid addict myself, I totally understand the urge to splurge on "just one more".

  • janartmuse
    9 years ago

    I'd be careful getting orchids on ebay, or if you do, isolate them. The ones from Trader Joes and other local pro growers should be bug free, but I'd be concerned about "regular" folks and hobbyists. I made the colossal mistake of babysitting an orchid for a friend, unaware that it had scale hidden under the leaves. When my back was turned the scale got on EVERYTHING and took a couple years to eradicate. i am super careful now. J

  • blutayle
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    OK...here is an update to my Florida Miltoniopsis. After speaking with Sal at Select Orchids in Upstate NY it seems there are no issues with Miltoniopsis being grown Florida. He regularly sends divisions down to his mother-in-law in Fort Myers and they thrive. I have left mine out all Fall, Winter, and Spring in high light. They get watered by the irrigation system twice a week. Sun in the morning and some direct afternoon sun in winter. I am taking them in just about now as nights are staying in the mid to high 70's and we are getting an early dose of daily summer rains which increases rot pressures. They will go back out in October when the nights drop down below 70 and the rains stop. This is a picture of the Andrea West HOF and it has a spike of 5 about to pop and the other pseudo has two baby spikes starting now. Can't wait to smell it and hope it is fragrant. The Maui Mist Golden Gate I spend a fortune on last Fall on ebay, as beautiful as it was...zero fragrance. So...guess the bottom line is....Milts CAN be grown successfully in Florida with the exception of the Death Star Summers down here where they must be brought in to avoid rot from high humidity and very high night temps.

    Just throwing in a noid oncidium which is a workhorse down here. Totally ignored and flowers amazingly. Love the exotic pattern in this as it is just beginning to open. Very sweetly fragrant and for those who have not had the pleasure of removing them after flowering...they absolute decimate the furniture they are on as it drops a mist of nectar it seems like a foot on all sides of the plant. Took a lot of elbow grease to remove it off my wood table. Now a towel will be put down to protect.

  • tanie51
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Hi Blu,

    Your plants are beautiful!

    I am still not knowing how to keep the leaves straight like yours. However I water or air or anything, the leaves are always pleated but the good thing is doesn't matter leaves are all pleated, the same plant rebloomed for me last year, now is budding and will be open in a couple of weeks. Because of that one rebloomed for me, last Fall I went and bought 3 more, 1 is like waterfall Karen has posted, 1 is lighter purple and white in the centre and 1 is yellow with pink in the centre and has strong fragrant. The yellow one if spiking like crazy right now, the odd thing is that every day I looked and looked, I saw nothing but expecting, then after I divided the plant because since it finished the bloom, it keep giving out new shoots and the pot got too tight. Well, after a day, I saw spikes, they don't come in the same place as the milt I already have, instead, the spikes come from top of the bulbs, can be 2 spikes at once, then another spike come right next to it. So, right now I have about 11 or 12 spikes all together from the same plant but in 3 pots. Then, the waterfall Milt I just found out last night is also giving spikes.... Now I am expecting the purple one.....

    Tanie

  • vtandrea
    8 years ago

    My 2 miltoniopses grow on the windowsill above the kitchen sink. This is for 2 reasons: the exposure is east and the humidity level is optimal. I also remember to water them every other day because I see them all the time. Both are in spike for the 2nd time, which I consider a triumph. The newer one has 6 spikes (so far). The leaves on the older one are totally pleated and the newer one just partially. I have them potted up in sphagnum moss.


  • blutayle
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Hi Tanie,

    Wow, that sounds fantastic! I was really wondering how they would do in Florida. Guess it is humid enough outside all year round and I leave them were the irrigation system hits them twice a week and just ignore them. I was shocked to finally see 3 spikes coming up. This orchid in particular did not seem to grow at all but bam...there it is. It is in a medium orchid bark mix due to all the moisture here in Florida..wanted to make sure it was quick draining. The red noid I have maybe Bert Fields? Looks very much like your red...it threw out like 8 new shoots but no buds yet. That one is in Pro Mix from grower but not happy with how wet it stays so will be repotting shortly. Guess the combination of higher outdoor humidity and sprinkler system hitting it the leaves don't pleat much. Now that it is getting VERY humid and and early start to rainy season I just brought it in today. I am anxiously looking for a few more but am trying to show some restraint. Vtandrea, that is also fantastic. When you can bring a supposedly very difficult plant into bloom it feels great. I am thinking recent hybridizing is making these plants less fickle and maybe their reputation needs to be rewritten. Karen's are always amazing. Janartmuse, I may have to venture into Lycastes eventually as my fave fragrance is a clove cinnamon base. Happy growing all!!! This can be grown outdoors in Florida...it can!! So far...days have been in high 80's and lows in the high 60's low 70's. Summer will of course be indoors to protect against excessive rain and high night temps. So, all those Florida gardeners afraid of trying...it can be done...woohoooo!!! Thanks again to Sal at Select Orchids for giving me that confidence as he had advised they do fine in Ft. Myers.

  • bea (zone 9a -Jax area)
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Hi blutayle, i was about to give up on mine which I bought as a miltonia when I realized it was a miltoniopsis and read up on the temp thing. I keep mine in my plant room with my phals and we keep the AC at 78 but the daytime temps are about 80 because of the lights. My humidity is high in the 60-80% range and I water it when it's just dry.

    Maybe since you can grow yours in north FL so can I. You give me hope.

  • blutayle
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Hi Bea,

    Being in Central West Coast Florida...I am definitely much warmer than you on winter nights. I am sure your Milt. will flourish outdoors in morning sun all Winter, Fall, and Spring. I moved mine into the garage on nights it hit the low 40's but it endured blustery sunny winter days in the 50's. Our humidity stays up relatively speaking outdoors even in winter. Up North you deal with very dry indoor heated conditions. Down here we never seem to take with humidity except after severe cold fronts but plants would not be out in those exceptional conditions anyway. You can do it...heck I neglected mine all year with the exception of the cold night and now bringing them indoors to avoid extreme wet and heat stress...you can do it!!!!

  • blutayle
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    OK...so the Andrea West is fully opened on one spike and two more growing. Finally brought it in permanently for the summer as the nights are just too hot and the early constant rains are not good. It absolutely loves the outdoors here though in Fall, Winter, and Spring. A little disappointed in the fragrance though as I hear online of all these rose like scents or violet like scents. I can only describe this as very sweet in mid to late morning with almost a pungent or slightly sour note to it. I am hoping as it matures that scent may change. Zyg. Adelaide Meadows is keeping her company. Now...if Trader Joe's would just carry some Miltoniopsis here in the Tampa area.




  • blutayle
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    HI Tani...I am thinking as long as humidity goes up and light intensity goes down and air circulation stays up during times of high heat stress...it should be ok. Anything more long term in those conditions I would think they would begin to shut down or decline. And if nights could drop quite a bit I am sure that would be the saving grace. That is why, after they loved the outdoors for the past 3 seasons...the 4th (summer) will not be spent outdoors. They will have to wait til October to cavort with Mother Nature again lol. At least outdoors I just hosed them all down in a few minutes. This back and forth with indoor watering is not that enjoyable. LOL. Keep us up to date on the spike situation.

  • tanie51
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Hello Orchid Friends,

    Here up date on my first time rebloom Miltoniposis I got last year. They are doing very well.



    But unfortunately the milt I had it re bloomed for me last year for the first time and it was very beautiful. This year, it gave me 3 spikes with good buds but never opened. Buds grew to be mature but though they were trying to open but couldn't. I am thinking it might be too hot for it in the sun room? If some of you'd remembered, I just have this sun room for first summer and it is a very hot summer. Some days, it goes up to 36 degrees in there. But my yellow and pink milts buds opened nicely and the heat doesn't seem to bother them. Even that, I brought all my milts back in my living room. Here's the picture of my poor other milt. Do you have any suggestion for me to keep it alive and doing well again for me? Thank you!


    As today, these (yellow & Pink) are fully opened. Very healthy looking.

    Tanie

  • blutayle
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Beautiful Tanie....I was excited when my Andrea West opened....but very disappointed in the smell. Thought it would be a fresh floral or rosey scent or even like violets. It was very heavy like pollen and honey and stunk up the whole house. At times it even took on the tone of unpleasantness around noon because it was so strong. Like night blooming jasmine....far away smells nice up close is rancid. I am trying a few others...have a red like yours spiking right now and bought a Herr Alexander I will have to wait til Fall or next spring for blooms and hoping that gives me the fragrance I am looking for. Heck, I am just glad they grow great in Florida. Yours are B you ti ful.

  • blutayle
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    For the damaged Milty...I would probably keep it cooler and don't overwater as it is stressed and may have lost some roots. One of mine when stressed really seemed to throw out a lot of babies.

  • tanie51
    8 years ago

    Thank you Blu,

    I'll try your advice with my poor thing (damaged milt) to see if I can make it happy again. If you don't like heavy fragrant, I think the yellow one has that but the white and pink has light floral fragrant you're looking for. It's really refreshing when you smell it.

    Tanie

  • blutayle
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Good luck Tanie...and actually I LOVE strong cloying fragrances like hyacinth, roses, ect and love that the Andrea West is soooo powerful just the smell is something else. I am hoping its second blooming next spring may smell different....I hope. In the meantime the red one like u have will be opening in a few weeks and hoping that will have a more pleasant smell.

  • tanie51
    8 years ago

    I am quite sure it will. Again, do you know the names of my milts? Otherwise, I just have to call them "yellow" and P&W milts... Thank you, Tanie.

  • blutayle
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    The yellow looks like it could be Andrea West wild west...but there are so many cultivars now. Not sure of the other two beauts...

  • suzabanana (6b Boston/N. Shore)
    8 years ago

    Tanie, I'm no Milt expert but the only Milt I have is a yellow one and I put it in my sunroom when I first got it. In 1 sunny day, 2 spikes completely blasted. It is now in my coolest room in the house where the other 2 spikes bloomed nicely and is now growing lovely roots and leaves. It seems they cannot tolerate anything over about 80F - especially with lots of sun.

    I do love the fragrance, though...

  • tanie51
    8 years ago

    Thank you Blu for the name of the milt. Suza, I keep my all my milts in my living room now but the "pansy" probably was too late. I just hope that it will come back being happy for me again.

    Tanie

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