Miltonia care

[NTN]

Can i keep My miltonia in the same environment as My phal? And can i water it the same way i'm watering My phal (soak the medium once a week)?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

You sure it's a Miltonia, or is it a Miltoniopsis?

[NTN]

I must admit I haven't bought one yet. My local grocery store has a sale on orchids and the labels read Miltonia. They're only 5 bucks each so I thought I'd buy one if it would be possible to keep it together with my phal and dendrobium.

[RosieC]

Lots of orchids sold with the Miltonia lable are actually miltoniopsis. They used to be one genus, but were split and the conditions are different for each.

Miltoniopsis is also known as the Pansy Orchid because the flowers are remeniscent of large pansies. You can usually tell from the flowers which genus it is part of.

I keep my Miltoniopsis with my Phals and Paphs. It's doing OK as it's rebloomed and is growing new growths.

I keep my miltonia outside in much brighter light than the phals, except in winter when it comes in to my brightest windowledge.

[NTN]

Thanks for the replies. Do you guys have any tips on what to look for or what to avoid when choosing an orchid?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

1. Look for the roots first.

For Miltoniopsis or even Miltonias, when they are sold in places that have them up for discounts like the ones you're mentioning, the root damage can be fairly extensive. As long as there are some living roots on the plant, you're okay.

2. Pseudobulbs.

Are they rotting?

Mtps and Milt tend to be over watered, and commonly come up with soft rot as a result.

3. Leaves.

Are there still any left?

If there aren't any, that's not a good sign.

Are they accordion shaped?

If they are, that's a sign of being under watered or heavy root damage.

Is there any spotting?

Large black spots are of considerable concern.

Are the leaf tips dried up?

Can be a sign of root damage due to high levels of dissolved minerals in the water or over fertilization.

5. Lead growths.

If there are any lead growths, that's excellent.

If not, it's not the end of the world. But check for dormant eyes.

Check if they're rotting too.

6. Buds.

If the buds are prematurely turning yellow, shriveling, or falling off, that's a sign of stress.

7. Flowers.

Is there any discoloration or any kind of mosaic type patterns that are atypical of the flower? This is usually a sign of virus.

Are there any fine spotting?

A sign of fungus.

Is the flower shaped the way that it's supposed to?

Deformities may mean viral infections that have progressed to the point where it is interfering with the genetic coding severely.

Not all deformities are viral. For instance, peloricism is not the result of a viral infection. It is just a genetic defect and may or may not be a permanent condition.



Pretty much in that order.