Miltoniopsis not blooming

[hanzy08]

Hello everybody! I have a problem with miltoniopsis.. I can bloom phals, oncidiums, vandas and dendrobiums. I just can't seem to make my miltoniopsis orchids bloom. The new bulbs produce new growths instead of spikes.. I had them outside during the spring when it was a lot cooler and the growths developed faster but still no spikes.. I fertilize once a week with a bloom booster and kelpmax twice a month. The growths look fat and the leaves has nice grassy green to them with some red tinge that indicates it's getting enough light.. any tips or inputs?

[LovePhals]

Hi! How long have you had them? They may be taking some time to adjust to your growing conditions if you got them in the past year. I have a stubborn phal that was a rescue from lowes infested with mealy bugs. I felt bad for it and purchased it. 2 years later it has grown 3 leaves and is very healthy. It still hasn't flowered though. Yours may be in an adjustment period too (although I am sure it didn't have bugs)! It sounds like you are giving it enough light, and in time it will bloom as long as it is a healthy plant with good roots. I have a few miltoniopsis that bloomed for me but I don't think I did anything different from what you are! I know there are several good Miltoniopsis growers on the board that should be able to offer help. Good luck!

[hanzy08]

Originally Posted by LovePhals

Hi! How long have you had them? They may be taking some time to adjust to your growing conditions if you got them in the past year. I have a stubborn phal that was a rescue from lowes infested with mealy bugs. I felt bad for it and purchased it. 2 years later it has grown 3 leaves and is very healthy. It still hasn't flowered though. Yours may be in an adjustment period too (although I am sure it didn't have bugs)! It sounds like you are giving it enough light, and in time it will bloom as long as it is a healthy plant with good roots. I have a few miltoniopsis that bloomed for me but I don't think I did anything different from what you are! I know there are several good Miltoniopsis growers on the board that should be able to offer help. Good luck!

I only had them for a year. they maybe in adjustment mode but one of them has 8 growths total and it would be a really great show to see all of those growths in flower!

[silken]

I do pretty much what you do from the sounds of it and mine bloom fairly reliably in spring or summer. I don't always get a huge flower count tho. One thing I have found is that these take a little more light than some culture sheets say. The leaves are usually a paler greyish green than most orchids. If they are dark rich green, they may not get enough light. Although you say there is a reddish tinge which often does indicate plenty of light. If it is getting a lot, it may be too much and a bit stressful. I have had some success and some failure with these and am not really sure why. I have started keeping them wetter than my own instinct tells me to, based on what a friend does. They are all still alive and some in bloom and bud. So maybe that is the trick??? I know heat stresses them so I try and keep them cool although not always possible when the greenhouse gets warm. They also don't like stale potting media.

[hanzy08]

Originally Posted by silken

I do pretty much what you do from the sounds of it and mine bloom fairly reliably in spring or summer. I don't always get a huge flower count tho. One thing I have found is that these take a little more light than some culture sheets say. The leaves are usually a paler greyish green than most orchids. If they are dark rich green, they may not get enough light. Although you say there is a reddish tinge which often does indicate plenty of light. If it is getting a lot, it may be too much and a bit stressful. I have had some success and some failure with these and am not really sure why. I have started keeping them wetter than my own instinct tells me to, based on what a friend does. They are all still alive and some in bloom and bud. So maybe that is the trick??? I know heat stresses them so I try and keep them cool although not always possible when the greenhouse gets warm. They also don't like stale potting media.

the other one actually has that greyish green color on the leaves and it is noticeable compared to my other plants but no blooms. I might bring them inside cause it is getting too warm over here outside and we'll see if that changes anything.

[NYCorchidman]

From your descriptions, it is very strange that it is not flowering now.

It sounds like it is properly grown, healthy, and definitely flowering size.

While I find these develop reddish tint under high light, the correct leaf color can vary.
Many shorter hybrids that I own have light green (almost like yellow green) while some tall and large hybrids (reaching over 20 inch in plant height without spikes) always had either greyish green or dark green leaves. so the color varies.
Just make mental note of leaf color of each variety when first acquired and maintain that way.

Anyways, it could be one of those troubles that won't bloom, although this happened to me with cattleyas mostly.

[hanzy08]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

From your descriptions, it is very strange that it is not flowering now.

It sounds like it is properly grown, healthy, and definitely flowering size.

While I find these develop reddish tint under high light, the correct leaf color can vary.
Many shorter hybrids that I own have light green (almost like yellow green) while some tall and large hybrids (reaching over 20 inch in plant height without spikes) always had either greyish green or dark green leaves. so the color varies.
Just make mental note of leaf color of each variety when first acquired and maintain that way.

Anyways, it could be one of those troubles that won't bloom, although this happened to me with cattleyas mostly.

One of them has that greyish green and two has the light green color like grass. They just keep producing growths and before i know it i have specimen plants that won't bloom.

[silken]

Originally Posted by hanzy08

One of them has that greyish green and two has the light green color like grass. They just keep producing growths and before i know it i have specimen plants that won't bloom.

I have to wonder if a winter chill would help. Much like the Phals and some cattleyas benefit from. Mine do live in a cool greenhouse in the winter. I know NYC's likely don't get a chill but I think it encourages blooms in many species.

[hanzy08]

Originally Posted by silken

I have to wonder if a winter chill would help. Much like the Phals and some cattleyas benefit from. Mine do live in a cool greenhouse in the winter. I know NYC's likely don't get a chill but I think it encourages blooms in many species.

That's true or keep them cooler day and night cause they thrive in cooler temps and they look better too when the temperature is lower.

[NYCorchidman]

I also think that would help these plants a lot.