Why don't my Miltonopsis flowers open? - Orchid Board

Hedge · #1 02-04-2012, 12:41 PM

Hi I have this Miltonopsis NOID (from a supermarket) it was in flower when I got it, kept it for a year, thought it wasn't going to do anything then September time it put up two stems, and the buds have formed and got to be a good size, but they haven't opened. The first stem actually blasted and the other is hanging on. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong, please?

Picture 1 was taken early December, picture 2 yesterday.

silken · #2 02-04-2012, 01:05 PM

I grow a few miltoniopsis and have some good blooms, but I honestly can't say why yours aren't opening. They look ready to open. I am wondering if the plant's roots are suffering? The picture looks like they are pretty wet and dark. Have you re-potted it since getting it? If not, I have read on this forum how even the milts in the U.K. come with moss in the centre of the root ball and they will usually develop root rot. If that's the case, it may not have enough energy left to open the buds. Since they aren't opening anyway, I would check the roots unless you have done that recently.

Hedge · #3 02-04-2012, 01:16 PM

Thanks, silken, I will inspect them tomorrow - the moss habit is prevalent here and was the death of my Burrg. Nelly Isler

camille1585 · #4 02-04-2012, 02:08 PM

Nex humidity can cause buds to not open, that may be at least part of the problem.

I can nearly guarantee that you will find the sphag ball in the middle, I have yet to have bought one without it. One thin you might want to consider for this one is S/H. My last miltionopsis (I lost 5 others before it) also had the sphag core that I removed as soon as the plant came through the door, but it was already a too late for many roots. So in desperation I chucked it in S/H back in late october, and lo and behold, the bulbs plumped up and 6 new growths started! Still waiting for spikes, but having a thriving plant is already a victory.

silken · #5 02-04-2012, 03:02 PM

Wow, Camille, that will be quite a show as likely every new growth will bloom! I would dearly love to try s/H for mine but not sure if I can in a cool greenhouse. I know they are cool growers, but not sure where the limit is for cold wet roots.

camille1585 · #6 02-04-2012, 03:06 PM

I don't think these growths will bloom. The plant was in such horrible shape that 6 was probably a bit much for it to handle, so the new growths are really small, maybe a quarter of the size of the main growths. Those little growths will probably produce some larger ones, and I'd expect those to be the ones to bloom. Until then, there's a large mature bulb that hasn't spiked yet, so I'm waiting for that one!

silken · #7 02-04-2012, 03:39 PM

Well, I hope you get a good display both Hedge and Camille

camille1585 · #8 02-04-2012, 03:43 PM

Silken, what about bringing yours indoors over the winter so you can do S/H? Or put them on a heatmat in the GH? Also depends how cool you keep your GH in the winter.

silken · #9 02-04-2012, 04:23 PM

I do use heat mats for some other warmer growing orchids that are not in s/H and I could try one for Milts in S/H. The greenhouse is attached t our house and heated to 65F days and 55F nights. I can't really bring them in because I have about 14 and a cat that loves their leaves as well as buds etc!

Sorry if I hijacked this thread Hedge

RosieC · #10 02-07-2012, 07:13 AM

Mine did this this year. It flowered on 3 spikes, then the 4th and 5th blasted, with a couple of flowers part opening but then the rest dying back.

Mine had the sphag ball but I had re-potted about a year before and got rid of that. It had been doing well (hence the 5 spikes and it had lots of new growth) but since then it's been declining and I don't know why. I think I'm going to loose the plant so I hope yours is not the same. I really don't know what the problem is