Quote:
Originally Posted by RHF
I would say I started with an article (I think I may even have a booklet) by Woody Carlson. Robert Bedard Horticulture : Miltoniopsis Culture - a few statements are out of date, but still the best comprehensive guide to their culture.
These plants are the Goldielocks of the orchid world - not too cold, not too hot, not too wet, not too dry, not too bright etc.
I have a greenhouse but have recently given up on growing Miltoniopsis in it - I cannot get the cooling I need at night during the summer - so I grow in a west facing sliding glass door that is shaded by oaks - bright in the winter but protected in the summer. Flowers are definitely flatter in the spring prior to having the air conditioning come on. Plants sit on humidity trays. I grow mainly in air cone pots with a small bark mix (3:2:1 bark, course sponge rock, charcoal). Water is 2 to 3 times a week. I feed very weak (~10 ppm nitrogen) weakly. Potting mix is top dressed with chicken grit (crushed oyster shells - local independent hardware store). I have been experimenting with promix (1:1 promix plus fine sponge rock) in clay pots (I drill holes - 8 to 12 depending on pot size around the sides) top dressed with sphagnum moss - results have been very positive.
My biggest challenge is Phytophthora root rot - I have St. Augustine grass and the fungus is resident in the lawn - my discovery of Fosphite has turned that tide. I have one other cultural problem that I will post about when I can get the correct picture - a fungal attach (I think) - i'll put that in the pest section.
I'll attach a picture of my growing stand, however, I'm not sure it will be of much quality, as the light is not good today.
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Thank you for all of that!
I'll check out that article. I've not had mine more than a month and when I repotted I discovered "wrap-around" roots and lots of dead ones. I'll keep this information in mind and try to make it happier and maybe spike sooner than later off the new growth!!
And that is a NICE growing area, well done! Seems you've got Goldilocks figured out.