Miltoniopsis Lee Harold Fister Compot

[Sharry]

Nice sunny seedlings for the dead of winter! Have you raised up seedlings from compots before this?

[orchidsarefun]

this was the first to deflask.
I have subsequently developed some of my own hybrids:
Nobby's Amy Cross
and there are a lot more to go !

---------- Post added at 07:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:23 PM ----------

couple more photos. The fragrance is special.
You may be able to see the other spike on the l/h side. I don't know if its temp or light related but 1 or 2 of the open blooms are damaged. I am going to bring the new spike upstairs when its starting to open.

[Sharry]

Can't wait to see how the Nobby's bloom out!

[RHF]

It is great to get a sneak peak of this cross. I too am growing out a compot but I think I'm a year behind you. I bought my earlier this year. I presume you purchased yours from Ivan Komoda. He leads the US and likely the world in Miltoniopsis breeding

[orchidsarefun]

mine are growing on well and I have repotted most. Some in 2l coke bottles - the roots go crazy in them !
The only issue I am having is that the blooms are not opening fully, and those that do are browning at the edges. I was told the browning was due to lack of humidity - but I know that is not true because humidity in the basement was almost a constant 60%.
I brought a couple upstairs as I thought that temps may be a factor. Temps are higher, humidity is the same. Result ? Smaller blooms and still that browning. I am working on options to cure this problem. One was to spray the developing buds with a fungicide - still to see that result.
I am really happy with this cross - the compot was from Komoda in Hawaii.

[silken]

Originally Posted by orchidsarefun

mine are growing on well and I have repotted most. Some in 2l coke bottles - the roots go crazy in them !
The only issue I am having is that the blooms are not opening fully, and those that do are browning at the edges. I was told the browning was due to lack of humidity - but I know that is not true because humidity in the basement was almost a constant 60%.
I brought a couple upstairs as I thought that temps may be a factor. Temps are higher, humidity is the same. Result ? Smaller blooms and still that browning. I am working on options to cure this problem. One was to spray the developing buds with a fungicide - still to see that result.
I am really happy with this cross - the compot was from Komoda in Hawaii.

That's great to see them from compot all the way thru to bloom. Congrats! May I ask what yours are potted in with the coke bottles? Are there drainage holes on the side, or just the bottom? They look like very happy plants. Can't see why the flowers would get brown on the edges. Do you have good air movement? Maybe an e-mail to Ivan would be helpful.

[orchidsarefun]

mix consists of- roughly - medium bark ( 33% ), fine seedling bark (33% ), sphagnum (33% ) and sprinkling of oyster shell pieces into the mix. I don't tightly pack this mix into the pots/bottles either.
Photo shows base of bottle and holes - I cut those using a knife - across each "leg" of the Sprite bottle. There are 4-5 holes in total around the sides of the bottle too.
This was done about a month ago - if you look carefully you can see a root already, there are lots of others.

[silken]

Originally Posted by orchidsarefun

mix consists of- roughly - medium bark ( 33% ), fine seedling bark (33% ), sphagnum (33% ) and sprinkling of oyster shell pieces into the mix. I don't tightly pack this mix into the pots/bottles either.
Photo shows base of bottle and holes - I cut those using a knife - across each "leg" of the Sprite bottle. There are 4-5 holes in total around the sides of the bottle too.
This was done about a month ago - if you look carefully you can see a root already, there are lots of others.

Thanks for the detailed info and photo. I hope you figure out the bloom issue. I grow a few Milts and have limited success, but usually don't have the edges turning brown. Could they be getting fed too much while in spike?

[RHF]

I purchased a Mps. rosellii v. xanthana a the same time and it came in bud. The edges of the flowers were also brown when they opened - I just wrote it off as damage during shipping. Now I wonder of the brown edges are a bad habit of this parent. I'll post as soon as I get my first bloom from the compot and let you know if mine also have brown edges. Mine are in the house over humidity trays, so I will not have high humidity around the blooms.

RHF

[orchidsarefun]

Originally Posted by RHF

I purchased a Mps. rosellii v. xanthana a the same time and it came in bud. The edges of the flowers were also brown when they opened - I just wrote it off as damage during shipping. Now I wonder of the brown edges are a bad habit of this parent. I'll post as soon as I get my first bloom from the compot and let you know if mine also have brown edges. Mine are in the house over humidity trays, so I will not have high humidity around the blooms.

RHF

thanks. I will also keep updating this thread.
With mine the edges browned after opening. I thought maybe it was botritis - hence the fungicide. I hope its not a genetic problem. The one thing that is noticeable is that the blooms in the basement ( max temp early 60's ) were much larger than those that flowered in the grow-room. Max temps early 70's.
I was able to get mine to grow significantly quicker by keeping them cooler. Your experience of warmer will be interesting to read about - well we are heading into Summer, so that will have an impact.