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Orchid
blueberrybundtcake

Miltonia Orchid

9 years ago

Hi all,

I'm relatively new to orchids. I have one Phal. that I've managed not to kill, so I'm trying a second orchid of a different type.

I just found and purchased a Miltonia orchid on sale. It has pretty, buttery yellow flowers that look like they might be finishing up their bloom period. The pot it came in is like a nursery pot with slits in the sides spaced about an inch or so apart and a ring of drainage slits in the bottom about a centimeter apart. I put it into an orchid pot/planter that its pot fit into nicely (with enough room for my fingers but not tons of extra space around the pot). It appears to be planted in dirt, from what I can see peering into the slits, with some sort of green moss growing on the surface and a nest of dark green roots protruding through the top. My questions are:

1) How often should it be watered and how can I tell when I need to water it?

2) Do I water it the same way I water the Phal. (see below)?

I water the Phal. by sticking it in a container, watering through the top around the plant (careful not to get any in the crown) until the water fills the container part way, then letting it sit for about 5 minutes (it's a small Phal.) before extracting it, letting any excess water drain out, and putting it back in its orchid pot/planter.

3) I clipped off some finished flowers. Do I cut back the spikes all the way at the base when their current flowers are done? Should I wait until the spike turns brown to trim it back?

4) Is its current medium correct? How will I know when it needs to be repotted? (Will it start lifting up like a Phal.?)


I can try to take a picture of it a little later ... once I charge my digital camera.

Featured Answer
  • 9 years ago

    I I have a couple I rescued from work after they bloomed. I've read they ought not to dry out as much as a phal. I'm in Georgia and I keep mine indoors in front of east window and 2-3 hrs of CFL lamp light bonus in evening. I repotted with oncidium potting mix from repotme.com and mixed in some sphagnum moss. I use miracle grow orchid fertilizer sometimes, and tap water is ok with mine. One of them is finally starting to rebloom, so I'm happy to see it's possible to grow them indoors with daytime temp no higher than 81, usually lower.

    Comments (10)

    • 9 years ago

      To get fine tuned advice, you need to tell the readers here whether you have a Miltonia or a Miltoniopsis.

      Just do a google and select images and you will see there there is a big difference in flower shape.


    • 9 years ago


      So maybe Mitoniopsis?

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    • 9 years ago

      Certainly a Miltoniopsis, extremely difficult here in the sub tropics. Hopefully you will get good advice.

    • 9 years ago

      We are in the same area. I have killed 2 Miltoniopsis and am trying not to kill my 3rd - luckily after the first one, the rest have been donation plants so I'm not a complete sadist!

      They grow cool - don't let them get over 80F. No direct sun. No tap water - rainwater only (for me, I'm not doing RO or any such thing). They like humidity but not staying wet or soggy. Other than that, their care is a bit mystifying to me. I grow many orchids very successfully, but Miltoniopsis isn't one of them :(

      I wish you better luck than I have had!

    • 9 years ago

      It's going to be a house plant ... I think ... maybe it can take trips outside during summer, though.

    • 9 years ago

      Also, I have orchid bloom booster (3-9-6). Would this be something one would use on a blooming orchid, or only to encourage blooming? Also, is there a waiting period after it finishes blooming before I try to encourage it to bloom again?

    • 9 years ago

      I pointed out the difference because some Miltonia are beginner's orchids here, whereas you would be lucky to see one to two Miltoniopsis at a Local Orchid Society meetings or shows during the year.

      Find some complete culture notes written for Northern USA and see how you go. Beautiful and rewarding if you can grow them, I have tried several times and failed.

      The bloom booster thingo is a marketing term. Most orchids have a cycle of growing, then blooming and "Bloom Booster" is applied once new growths are complete. The Bloom Booster Fertilizer contains less Nitrogen.

      Simple, if you are growing a single type of orchid, you use "Bloom Booster" when the new growths are mature. Not so simple when you have a mixed collection of various types growing together.

      Do some research, read some of the FAQ's on this site and good luck.

    • 9 years ago

      Thank you for your advice, aviolet. How do you know when to water it? Should I repot mine into a clear pot so I can see the medium and roots better?

    • 9 years ago

      Yes, it's too hard to tell otherwise. Plus the mix yours is in has probably broken down by now and would need replacing. The bark for regular orchids may be too large for the Miltoniopsis because the roots are much smaller in diameter but you could try it. I would add some sphagnum moss with it to keep it from drying out as much. You will learn to tell when the roots look dry and also if you wait too long to water the leaves start to look wrinkly. I wouldn't use that as your guide though because once they get crinkly they don't look normal again so you will eventually have a very crinkly looking plant if you didn't water enough! During the winter I was watering mine once a week but now I have them closer to the window and air-conditioner so they dry out faster. So now it's about twice a week I water.

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