Miltonopsis advice PLEASE! I'm trapped!
 

Ok, laugh all you like. I have managed to talk myself into a corner. One of the garden centres I go to here has always been Phals, phals, phals, and for a change, phals. I can't blame the guy, the crisis has been bad and he can onle afford to stock what he can sell.

Now, I have been saying to him what a pity it is that he isn't able to stock other varieties... not quite fluttering my eyelashes at him, but..... so. Friday I wander in there to get some fine bark, and he comes up to me all wreathed in smiles and announces that this coming Friday there will be some new varieties in. Miltonopsis.

Now I'm screwed. I have always assumed these are way too delicate for the near thermonuclear temps here in full summer, but I can't get out of buying a couple as a) he will think I'm some sort of ingrate, and b) if I do he may order in some other types more suitable.

OK guys, I now need someone to make some suggestions as how I can (hopefully) keep them alive - maybe even thriving!

For the longest time I too stayed away from them, then 3 years ago I dug a nasty one out of the trash--someone donated it to my orchid society auction. I cleaned it up and discarded a bunch, ending up with 3 decent pbulbs with semi decent roots. I potted it in s/h, kept it moist on top put it in an East window and a room that did not get higher temps in the summer than 78 degrees.
Last year it grew 2 pbulbs and both bloomed. This year 2 pbulbs and is blooming now. The plant is still a bit ugly as some of the leaves are pretty wrinkled due to poor roots but the new growth looks really good.
I think the main thing is the temp. They do not tolerate hot.
Good luck.
Joann

I also have my first Miltoniopsis on S/H that is thriving well.
I like the festive colors and shape of the flowers. It is easy to care for.
I use the Baker culture as my guide:
Miltoniopsis Culture

You know, the heat thing is totally bs unless you have species or certain hybrids.

Most likely you would get hybrids, most of which are quite sturdy.

Main thing that kept me away from having these beautiful (and often very fragrant!) plants was the wrong information I read about their hate for heat.
Sure, they don't like heat, but most hybrids tolerate it quite well as long as it is not super hot, in which case, no other orchids will like it anyway.

So, I recommend just keep them as cool as you can during the hottest time of the year.
Perhaps indoor with AC or fans nearby, or in the bright shade outside? is it breezy where you are? Then it should be fine.
Make sure they are watered good at all times.

I find them very easy. Most of them grow like weeds shooting up many new growths after flowers are gone.

Speaking of flowers, if you keep them under 20C if possible, then the fragrance will definitely be there.

Happy shopping! :)

I guess you don't know until you try right!?

I have one and it's still alive, got it to rebloom this year but certainly wouldn't say it's thriving as their weren't as many blooms, they weren't as big, and they weren't as fragrant as when I got them from Hausermann's. At present my latest new growth is growing rather slowly and I'm convinced it's because of my under-watering. SO I do believe it is important, as with most Oncidiums, to keep the watering with these guys consistent and probably best to keep them wherever it is coolest and/or near a fan.

Good luck! At least, whatever happens, you'll gain some experience with these plants & hopefully get some more variety coming in through the greenhouse. ;)

I live in a cold place, so mine did quite well for me. I'm moving to a warm place (thankfully) and when I try to grow one there I will grow it in S/H in a clay pot. It will need a lot of water, but I expect the evaporation might keep the plant cool enough.

I live in a cooler and temperate climate with good humidity. However, miltoniopsis orchids have a bad rap for being really impossible to grow and they'll die and on and on...

I find them to be VERY easy. They are doing better than my other oncidiums, and they throw out new growths like nobody's business! I have one with about 5-6 pbulbs now throwing out 7 new growths and it is probably nothing to do with my care.

If it gets extremely hot, they might like a fan, but otherwise they'll be fine.

Consider adding more sphagnum moss to their potting mix if they dry out quickly. The new growths will tell you if they are too dry, and you can adjust from there. :)

I don't think you should be scared as long as you can stay on top of watering them. Buy just one plant and see how it goes.

I know in my area, the ones that stores tend to get have a problem with brown soft rot all the time. Sometimes a whole shipment of them have it! If you avoid the illnesses, though, they grow really well.
Again, my climate is cooler and wetter than yours, but I am sure they're not so bad as a masdevallia !!

I may be the only one here that began growing orchids with a Miltoniaopsis. My husband gave it to me as a gift and when I had my doubts about keeping is alive, he simply said that he had known me forever and I could grow anything. Oh boy, now I've really got to work on this plant!

That was last July and my Milt has grown like a weed but no reblooms as yet. It is a Bert Fields, smells wonderful. I repotted it into fresh bark with a bit of moss when it finished blooming. Blooms lasted for weeks. It gets bright, indirect light and indoor temps. I feed weakly weekly. It never gets dry. Fingers crossed it will bloom this year. If not, I will give it more light.

Not long ago I found an Andrea West on line and just loved the bloom pictures so I added that to my collection. It came in moss, I repotted into bark & moss. It also had four spikes just beginning to show! Those spikes are very close to opening and I'm so excited. This bloom is a beautiful buttery yellow with a pink center. I will post pics in a few days of the blooms.

In my opinion, Miltoniopsis are easy to grow and easy to keep happy. Most of my orchids are miniatures but I do love the blooms of the Miltoniaopsis. I'll never understand why they are thought to be so difficult.

Thanks for the link. Very informative. I have 3 Miltoniopsis that have not yet rebloomed for me. I hope this will help me.

---------- Post added at 12:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:36 AM ----------

I found all of these posts to be very timely for me. I got my 3 Miltoniopsis last summer in bloom, and would love to rebloom them. I do keep them moist, humidity between 50 and 60% . I have them under lights now but I don't know if that's the right thing to do. The leaves are a very pale green and I'm not sure if that's what they are naturally, or if that's too much light. Please jump in and advise me, thanks

Their leaves are naturally quite pale.

Well, thanks to everyone who commented.

What about light levels? I see figures quoted that are about the same as phals, 1-1.5 thousand foot candles, or as with heat, do hybrids tolerate more?

Well, it's more like their leaves look like they are covered with some kind of white powder like substance making them look sort of greyish, but not all of them.

Almost all miltoniopsis I have bought so far came with dark green leaves (again with some white powdery stuff on them).
I have had miltonipsis with nearly yellow leaves. These were from the local growers who grow everything in the brightest light possible, so it's possible that the leaves were bleached sort of.

---------- Post added at 12:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:43 PM ----------

Fairly bright.
If you do well with your phals, then I would say go with the same light level.

You will find that they will flower much better under bright condition.

Yes, modern hybrids tolerate heat well, but it depends on how hot we're talking about.
Try to keep them as cool as possible though.
Keep up with watering.

For reference, here are some of my orchids. One miltoniopsis has very pale leaves while the other has "normal" oncidium leaves. A Sherry Baby is included in there for comparison.

Hmmm. I find it quite hard to give phals a safe place with good light. I was hoping the Miltonopsis would tolerate a higher level.

Heat? Well it can hit 40 quite easily. (that's about 110). I am investing in a misting system to keep the greenhouse cooler.

I place my plants exactly next to the window. This way, they will always be next to a bright source of light, but it is impossible for the sun to hit them. If you're not growing indoors, I don't know what to say!

I'm in a Spanish, traditional house. They are not well supplied with natural light!

My Milts are all about the same color as your lightest one at the top of your picture. they never had leaves as dark as your darkest one. I just wonder if they will bloom if I am doing something wrong.

Thanks I was just thinking about asking that too.

I have one about 2 1/2 years old, more or less, it now has a few more bulbs, but has never bloomed. I've really just given up on it :yawn:

I have it with my phals,and the leaves are a yellowy green, it does have a lot of leaves though:) and they're pretty so I guess it's something right...:_(

Miltoniopsis Culture Guide
 

During this Corona Virus lock down, I did something that I have never done before: I bought orchids on the internet! The problem now is that two of the orchids are Miltoniopsis's. I had no idea they were difficult to grow until I researched them on Orchid bBard (after I hit the 'Place Order' button). So I am facing a huge challenge. I printed the Baker culture guide (thanks Bud), and will try my best to adhere to it. Any advice from Orchid Board participants is most welcomed. As always, thanks Orchid Board! Stay well everyone.

My Miltoniopsis did fine outdoors in NJ (where we get summer temps up to 40-42C).

I built a shade table, which was placed in full sun, but I covered it with a white sheet (now my wife will find out what happened to that sheet). Thus, they were in fairly deep shade.

Plants did fine there for several years (late May till early Oct, indoors in greenhouse the rest of the year).

If you have AC they may do fine as house plants. I think the big thing is to keep them between 50 and 75ish. If you think it’ll be on the warm side, pot in clay for better evaporative cooling. They also don’t like to completely dry out or stay soggy. I’m fortunate that I can grow them mostly outdoors. I’m going on two years now with some of mine.