How to Care for Your Orchids

Based on cultural instructions originally generated by McBeans Orchids.

Incorporating BMOS Members Suggestions.

MILTONIA

Handsome, often fragrant, round, flat and masked flowers looking rather like our garden pansy hence the common name of Pansy Orchid. They owe their name to Viscount Milton. Hybrids have been developed over the last 90+ years from epiphytic species originating on trees growing in sub tropical to cool conditions from Central and South America. Flowering can occur at any time of the year but Miltonia usually peak flower in late spring or early summer. The number of flowers on each spike depends on the age of the plant and so can vary between two and eight and once in flower last for up to about eight weeks. After flowering has finished cut the flower stem off as low down as you can, certainly to less than about 3 centimetres of the base.

CULTIVATION

TEMPERATURE

Nighttime throughout the year between 13 and 15 degrees C with a daytime temperature of between 18 and 24 degrees C suits these Miltonia Hybrids best.

LIGHT

Miltonia prefer good to bright BUT NOT direct sunlight that may scorch or even burn the leaves and will certainly blotch and mark the flowers.

WATERING

Like most orchids not too wet and not too dry! Water thoroughly and allow to drain through once the compost is almost dry. How often to water is rather dependant on the time of year, your own microclimate and the degree of humidity provided. What is important is that the plant must never be standing in water and that the compost does not retain or remain wet for long periods.

HUMIDITY

Again like most orchids Miltonia likes a moist atmosphere and the usual trick of standing the pot on pebbles or gravel kept wet though with the base of the pot above water level usually does the trick. Sometimes your Miltonia may display new leaves growing in a concertina effect, don’t panic as this condition will usually right itself as the leaf grows (elongates); the condition is caused by humidity fluctuations, so to avoid it keep as constant a degree of high humidity as you can.

FEEDING

There are orchid feeds for every type of condition and need out there in the market and McBean’s produce feeds specific to orchid type requirements BUT such specific feed build is not cheap and the home grower can usually provide all the necessary by using a liquid house plant fertiliser at half to quarter strength. It is good practice to leave out the feed on every fourth water to allow the excess minerals and salts to be flushed out. To encourage flowers to form it will do no harm to use a high potash feed as you would to produce good tomatoes BUT don’t over do the high potash feed and again use it at half to a quarter strength. A general-purpose houseplant fertiliser is usually all that is necessary, for example Baby Bio at 3 to 5 drops per litre instead of the recommended 10.

COMPOST

Miltonia needs well-aerated, free draining compost and many growers have success with a mixture of fine and course bark. Another form would be to make your own by using one part fairly course general-purpose compost such as that found in grow-bags and two parts course bark with a little Perlite added. Some growers use rock wool and foam but rock wool is very difficult to re-wet if it is allowed to become completely dry. Miltonia is not over fussy as to soil acidity but will not be happy in very acidic compost, say below PH 5.8 and probably the best bet is near neutral compost that is just slightly acidic such as PH 6.6 to 6.8.

POTTING

Most Miltonia Hybrids are more tolerant of repotting than many orchids though, like any plant, the less disturbance to growth the better. The plant will not suffer much if it is re-potted every couple of years or so but will probably do better if potted on once it has filled the pot growing space and / or the growing medium has deteriorated (gone off). Like most orchids Miltonia naturally grows in a restricted space and if it has too much room and feed it will be happy to keep growing without producing flowers. Plants produce flowers in order to reproduce, if they are happy, contented plants why bother to reproduce, (annuals excepted of course).

OTHER POINTS

Do not place your Miltonia near to a heat source such as a radiator or heater and if at all possible do NOT subject your plant to draughts.