Advice for watering my new miltoniopsis please

[lexusnexus]

James, what do I do with the blooming spikes now that the blooms have fallen off? Cut them or leave them in place?

Judith, the roots appear fine.

[RosieC]

Fertilising is easy, just add it to the water when you water. You can either do this at a low level with every watering, or less often at a stronger level. I favour every watering.

You can use the calculator at First Rays to work out how much. Take a look at the NPK value on the fertilser (three numbers, something like 10-5-10 or 4-6-3) Use the first number which is the nitrogen percentage in the calculator. The Target ppmN should be something like 50ppN for using at every watering. That tends to be the current advised way.

https://firstrays.com/free-informati...nt-calculator/

If you need help calculating this, just post your N-P-K value from the packet and someone will be able to help.

At these low levels there is no need to water first, in fact you will waste most of the fertiliser if you do as wet roots won't absorbe it.

---------- Post added at 02:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:45 PM ----------

Originally Posted by james mickelso

Pour plain water through the pot, then pour your water with fertilizer (1/4 strength) through. That's all there is to it.

Sorry, to disagree, but 1/4 strength is meaningless. Depends on what the directions are already on the fertiliser and what strength it is not all of them are the same. Many modern fertilisers already have adjusted for lower concentrations and without knowing what the packet says and how strong the fertiliser is you can't know how it is best used.

My fertiliser is already aimed at the 'low concentration every watering' method, as the makers are some of those that have put forward this idea in recent years. If I was to use it 1/4 strength I would be well below the lowest of the recommendations... I use it at the full strength advised with EVERY watering and WITHOUT putting plain water through first. I just add it to my watering water and use.

---------------
Basically, back in history at some point it was advised to fertilise monthly at a quite strong concentration (I don't know what that was). This strong fertliser caused root burn, so the advice to water with plain water first accompanied it as that stopped the roots absorbing so much fertiliser and avoided root burn.

Then advice changed, it was realised by spreading the same amount of fertiliser more evenly over a month you could also avoid root burn and that the plants responded to a more even feeding regime rather than a starve/feast regime. This is where the 1/4 strength advice originated, but along with it the advice to use plain water first was no longer required, however you WERE advised to flush only plain water through the pot monthly and skip the fertiliser that week.

Now the advice has changed again and the idea is to use even lower levels with every watering, so no watering with plain water even if you water several times a week, just fertiliser in every watering.

Unless you know for sure that your fertliser was aimed at the monthly method, and you want to employ the weekly method, then the 1/4 strength is meaningless.

[judith_arquette]

Thanks James...I think I worry too much but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I'd hate to lose any more out of ignorance especially when I have this great resource at my fingertips

Dan, yes, and I'm going on faith that the deeper ones are ok too. They should be since the medium seems to b drying the way that it should and it appears to be doing at least as well as it was when I got it
How's yours doing?

[ndb76]

Hi, we've had a Miltoniopsis, incorrectly labelled Miltonia, since the end of January to add to our 9 Phalaenopsis. At the time it was in flower and remained so for a good 6-8 weeks. We have no trouble with our Phalaenopsis and our very much still learning how not to kill our Miltoniopsis!

After nothing much happening for months, we now have some new shoots emerging from two of the pseudobulbs; the third pseudobulb has all but died. My dad always thinks the leaves look very dry but we do live at sea level close to the sea on the Wirral, England; hardly a natural climate for them! I understand they like humid conditions so perhaps that is why the leaves look dry. I probably haven't watered it as much as it would look. It seems to be potted in some quite coarse bark with some light coloured (and very light weight) pebble like objects. No idea what they are!

So I've been reading about watering and general care from Robert Bedard's site and it seems quite comprehensive and helpfully informative. So back to these exciting new growth shoots. They looked quite healthy up until today when a noticed one of the shoots (less than two inches long) is a bit wrinkly but not crinkled. I only watered it two days ago! I'm thinking about giving it another water now but am also concerned that it isn't now being over watered and that the roots may be rotting. Given my general regime to date and the growing medium and the fact it is the height of UK summer, which seems more likely?

[ndb76]

Here are some pictures of Miltoniopsis. I've been using Growth Technology's Orchid Focus Ultra, Grow and Bloom as per instructions though feeding less often than the fellowship of nine companions lol. Recently,after reading several sources giving advice specifically on Miltoniopsis care, I have started halving the strength of feed given.

[ndb76]

BTW, I just removed some dead leaves from the sides of some of the pseudobulbs and they feel damp so I don't think I will water today. There are some new roots growing too. Is it a good time to repot? If so, does it need a bigger pot yet and what mix would you recommend? Sorry if that's off topic.

[ndb76]

I've just noticed some 'hairs' on one of the roots on the Miltoniopsis. Is this normal or is it some sort of fungal growth? I've attached a photo which shows this. Thanks peeps.

[james mickelso]

I'd say fungal growth but not harmful.

[judith_arquette]

Originally Posted by RosieC

Fertilising is easy, just add it to the water when you water. You can either do this at a low level with every watering, or less often at a stronger level. I favour every watering.

You can use the calculator at First Rays to work out how much. Take a look at the NPK value on the fertilser (three numbers, something like 10-5-10 or 4-6-3) Use the first number which is the nitrogen percentage in the calculator. The Target ppmN should be something like 50ppN for using at every watering. That tends to be the current advised way.

https://firstrays.com/free-informati...nt-calculator/

If you need help calculating this, just post your N-P-K value from the packet and someone will be able to help.

At these low levels there is no need to water first, in fact you will waste most of the fertiliser if you do as wet roots won't absorbe it.

---------- Post added at 02:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:45 PM ----------



Sorry, to disagree, but 1/4 strength is meaningless. Depends on what the directions are already on the fertiliser and what strength it is not all of them are the same. Many modern fertilisers already have adjusted for lower concentrations and without knowing what the packet says and how strong the fertiliser is you can't know how it is best used.

My fertiliser is already aimed at the 'low concentration every watering' method, as the makers are some of those that have put forward this idea in recent years. If I was to use it 1/4 strength I would be well below the lowest of the recommendations... I use it at the full strength advised with EVERY watering and WITHOUT putting plain water through first. I just add it to my watering water and use.

---------------
Basically, back in history at some point it was advised to fertilise monthly at a quite strong concentration (I don't know what that was). This strong fertliser caused root burn, so the advice to water with plain water first accompanied it as that stopped the roots absorbing so much fertiliser and avoided root burn.

Then advice changed, it was realised by spreading the same amount of fertiliser more evenly over a month you could also avoid root burn and that the plants responded to a more even feeding regime rather than a starve/feast regime. This is where the 1/4 strength advice originated, but along with it the advice to use plain water first was no longer required, however you WERE advised to flush only plain water through the pot monthly and skip the fertiliser that week.

Now the advice has changed again and the idea is to use even lower levels with every watering, so no watering with plain water even if you water several times a week, just fertiliser in every watering.

Unless you know for sure that your fertliser was aimed at the monthly method, and you want to employ the weekly method, then the 1/4 strength is meaningless.

Rosie, I am going to try this, just weakly fertilizing without watering first, thanks!

My milt is doing great btw, I've been watering it as suggested and it's roots still look great and it seems to have suffered little ( unlike many of my other orchids) under my "care".