My new miltoniopsis in bloom

[camille1585]

Last week while I was at the garden center I saw that they were having a valentine's special on miltoniopsis, only 6€ each.

Over here commerical growers have the nasty habit of planting the young plants in bark without removing the tight sphag beforehand, leaving a sphag core that retains way too much water. Result is root rot guaranteed even before they hit the shelves and I have never managed to revive any I have bought. So I was hiding in a corner of the store pulling plants out of their pots until I found one that had SOME live roots. Hope it'll make it.

Not too keen on the colors/pattern, but they were all in bud. Also not a fragrant as the yellow or white ones. Does have 4 spikes though!

[tuvoc]

Very nice, Camille. I really like these, but have absolutely no luck with them.

Kim

[camille1585]

This is my 4th or 5th one, all the others died within a few months from lack of roots. I don't know if it would be the same if I were to get one with good roots to begin with.

[Connie Star]

That is beautiful! I haven't tried miltonias yet- How long do the blooms last? I gather from your post that they are somewhat difficult to grow. True?

[PinkCloud]

I'm loving it Camille! It's a beautiful colour! good luck with the growing!

[camille1585]

Connie- like I said, I have no clue if these are normally hard to grow. Most are sold with varying degrees of root rot so what I'm doing is not so much growing as trying to save them. I'm trying to remember, I think that the blooms last at least a month, probably longer.

[silken]

I love it. I especially like the waterfall milts. 2 of mine that I bought last year have buds and it will be the first time to see them in person and I am so excited. The blooms last quite long. I had one that lasted 4 or 5 weeks looking real good and one that lasted over 9 weeks! that one may be an exception tho.

Camille, could you try using some KLN to get some more roots going? They don't like to dry out completely or the leaves will get krinkly, but also not sit sopping wet. I am getting two more of these next week. I love milts!

Connie, I think they get a bad rap for being difficult. They just don't like to get real hot and to keep them moist but not soggy can sometimes be a bit tricky. they also don't like old potting media.

[RosieC]

It's gorgeous Camille, I really like the colouring and pattening.

Good luck with it, I've seen those horrid moss cores and rotten roots as well, however my last one seemed intent on growing new roots despite it and is now healthy, with masses of new roots grown last year, it's rebloomed and started yet another two lead growths this spring. That one has been easy to grow, I think if you can get one establised in the medium you are happy with they become quite easy.

[camille1585]

Thanks Rosie. What did you do to get it growing roots? What medium is yours in? I really want to get one established, my mom loves these and I would love to give her a happy healthy one.

[RosieC]

This one just seemed keen to grow roots.

It's in a mixture of fine bark and CHC. I would actually like to move it to S/H because this bark/CHC mix is not my favoured medium any more. Seems to have done well in it though. It's in a clear pot, and I can see masses of roots that have grown since putting it in there.

I keep it on an east windowledge, and there is a radiator below the windowledge. I know all the advice is not to put orchids above a radiator but the heat comes up beside it and it seems to love the spot

A tip that Hedge told me, is that these do best if you don't stand the pot in water to water it. Run water through it instead. I've been doing that about 5 months and it seems to work well. I think the idea is that it dries quicker and can then be watered more often (about every 5 days in my case, rather than about 10 days if I soak the pot).