Why is my Miltonia (or is it Miltoniopsis??) always dry?

[Kevstar]

Hi all,

A couple of weeks ago, I bought what was labelled simply as "Miltonia". After doing a bit of research, I decided it was a 'Herr Alexander'. The flowers are huge!

However, I think maybe it is a Miltoniopsis rather than a miltonia? Anyway, sorry that is not my question

My question is, when i water it, the very next day it is bone dry again! I did repot it with new medium and I know that bark doesn't retain much water, but all my other orchids do not dry so quickly.

I'm thinking it may be due to me repotting incorrectly; see this thread: So many roots!!!!!!!

I'm thinking maybe I should repot in a bigger pot to accommodate all of the roots but I don't really want to mess around with it again, should I wait until the blooms all fade and die? Maybe water it a bit more often until I repot again?

Sorry for all the questions!

Thanks.



P.s. Sorry that all of my pics are sideways. I don't know why this keeps happening, they are only pics from my phone.

[jcec1]

It's a Miltoniopsis. These are thirsty plants and will need regular watering. The pot size looks fine for the plant. I have mine in the same set up and I water twice a week by filling the pot inside the cache pot right up to the brim so the roots and bark are completely flooded leave it sitting for an hour and then empty leaving enough water to form a small puddle at the bottom.

[Dollythehun]

I would opt for a bigger pot and/or put a little moss in the mix. Or switch to a moss mix. Almost all my oncidiums are in a moss mix. Otherwise even 3x a week doesn't seem to prevent pleated leaves. And my humidity is good but, I have a lot of air circulation in that room.

As to the pics. There are several answers but I try to take mine landscape. They then post (mostly) correctly.

[Kevstar]

Originally Posted by jcec1

I have mine in the same set up and I water twice a week by filling the pot inside the cache pot right up to the brim so the roots and bark are completely flooded leave it sitting for an hour and then empty leaving enough water to form a small puddle at the bottom.

Interesting... Thanks.

I water the same way but only leave it sitting in the water for about 10 minutes. Maybe I'll try your method and see if it makes any difference.

Regarding the Miltonia/Miltoniopsis thing... It's annoying that so many places use the wrong names for orchids. I know it probably doesn't matter to someone just buying it as a house plant but when it is your hobby, it's so frustrating!

---------- Post added at 12:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:30 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

I would opt for a bigger pot and/or put a little moss in the mix. Or switch to a moss mix. Almost all my oncidiums are in a moss mix. Otherwise even 3x a week doesn't seem to prevent pleated leaves. And my humidity is good but, I have a lot of air circulation in that room.

As to the pics. There are several answers but I try to take mine landscape. They then post (mostly) correctly.

Thank you. I did think about adding some moss to the mix.

[Paphluvr]

I can't help you with your question about the plant, but as to the picture being displayed sideways I think it depends on whether you took the picture in "portrait"(vertical) or "landscape" (horizontal) mode with your camera or whatever device you were using to take the photograph. Any decent photo editing program allows you to reorient the photo either clockwise or counterclockwise in order for them to display correctly. Then save the result.

[WeirdGuySeattle]

Be careful now, miltoniopsis can go through fits and bursts of thirsty-ness... This might not be the case if humidity increases.
sucking up water can be a good thing - until the plant decides it no longer likes the media or wants to take a break
I've had mine suck up a ton of water like yours - especially when they are underpotted. But underpotted roots that are constantly watered will rot within a year, and these things die super fast if you let the media go bad. I try to repot these guys after flowering - once a year.
In the winter time, or after repotting (especially if you pot up), the plant will probably suck up less water, and you will need to cut back on watering.

[Puja]

This is definitely a miltoniopsis, not a miltonia (mine was also mislabeled like this, even though the specific name on the label has miltoniopsis as the first google hit). You can tell due to the pansy-like rounded shape of the upper petals; miltonias have more pointed ones.

You should probably leave it alone now that you've recently repotted it, but next time I would advise picking a more water-retentive medium. They dry absurdly fast during the flowering/growth period. I have mine in coco coir and sometimes I still need to mist it several times between proper waterings. They also like humidity a lot, maybe try to put it next to some large tropical houseplants if you have them?

[Orchid Whisperer]

Don't repot now. It has enough room, you can top-dress with some sphagnum or add into the top part of the bark mix.

If leaves are pleating / accordion style, IME that has more to do with air relative humidity than watering.