Ascocentrum miniatum care and culture

Ascocentrum miniatum is native to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Java and Philippines.In Thailand, this orchid grows throughout the country in dry deciduous forests at an altitude of 200-760 m, and in the northwest it is found in the mountains at an altitude of 300-1000 m. In Java, these plants are also quite widespread in wet teak forests at altitude up to 1200 m.

 Ascocentrum miniatum, also called as The Rust Red Ascocentrum, Gastrochilus miniatus, Saccolabium miniatum, Vanda miniata, is a species of the genus Ascocentrum. This species was described by (Lindley) Schlechter in 1913.

IDENTIFY ASCOCENTRUM MINIATUM

 Ascocentrum miniatum is native to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Java and Philippines. In Thailand, these orchids meet all over the country, from the northern mountainous areas up to the southwestern peninsula. They grow usually in dry deciduous forests at heights of 200-760 m, but they were met in the northwestern mountains at heights of 300-1000 m, and near Loei, in the northeast, at an altitude of 610 m. In Malaysia, plants are found on the island of Langkawi near the north-west coast and in the northwestern state of Peris. In the Philippines, they grow at heights of 180-750 m on the island of Luzon in the province of Rizal, and on the island of Mindanao in the provinces of Agusan, Davao, Cotobato and Lanao. In Java, these orchids are quite common throughout the island, and grow at altitudes from sea level to about 1200 m.

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 It is a miniature monopodial with a thick straight stem covers the bases of two-rowed leaves. The leaves are straight or slightly curved with 5-20 cm long and 1.0-1.5 cm wide. They are rigid, dark green, thick, fleshy, striped, V-shaped cross section and a serrated, uneven spike, two-rowed in the upper part of the shoot and spaced 0.3-0.4 cm apart.

 The Rust Red Ascocentrum blooms in the whole year with a peak in April-June from a sturdy straight flower spike of 10-25 cm long. Each inflorescence produces many flowers. The flowers are bright, from red-orange to yellow-orange color, with 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter and durability of two weeks or longer. Petals and sepals are rounded, narrow at the base. The lip is curved, like a tongue.

ASCOCENTRUM MINIATUM CARE AND CULTURE

 Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.

Light:

 Ascocentrum miniatum needs a light level of 25000-35000 lux. The light must be filtered or diffused. Plants can not be exposed to direct sunlight, especially at noon. A constant ventilation is necessary.

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Temperature:

 The plant is thermophilic. In summer, the average day temperature is 29-31 ° C, at night 22 ° C, which gives a daily difference of 7-9 ° C. The average temperature of such a spring day is 33-34 ° C, the night 15-22 ° C, and the daily span lowers from 18 to 11 ° C. The average winter day temperature is 27-31 ° C, night 12 ° C, which gives a daily amplitude of 15-18 ° C.

Humidity:

 Ascocentrum miniatum needs a humidity level of 80-85% in summer and autumn, and gradually decreases to 60% for 2-3 months at the end of winter and early spring.

Substrate, growing media and repotting:

 This species can be mounted on cork or tree fern rootstock, which require high humidity and at least daily watering in the summer, and it may even be necessary to water several times a day if the weather is dry and very hot. Plants can also grown in pots or baskets using a very loose, fast-drying substrate, such as medium-sized bark pieces with the addition of perlite and charcoal to give the substrate breathability, retain some of the moisture and prevent its acidification.

 Ascocentrum miniatum are particularly susceptible to dense, soggy or spreading soil, so they should be repotted immediately when we notice that the substrate begins to decompose. If repotting is done at the time when new roots begin to appear, the plant will be accepted and rooted in the shortest possible time. The new roots are very fragile and should be handled with care.

Watering:

 Plants in the culture should be watered abundantly from late spring to autumn, but the roots must quickly dry out after watering, and the substrate around them should not be soaked. In autumn, after the maturing of new growths, the amount of water gradually decreases.

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Fertilizer:

 During the active of growth, Ascocentrum miniatum should be fertilized every week 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of fertilizer for orchids. You can use a balanced fertilizer year round, but you can use a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content from spring to mid-summer, and use fertilizer with high phosphorus content in late summer and fall.

Rest period:

 In winter, Ascocentrum miniatum need less water, especially those grown at lower temperatures, with low levels of light or a short day. Between watering the plants should dry a little, but do not dry out completely. Occasional fogging in the early morning between rare watering should provide enough moisture, but also allow for a necessary, dry, winter rest period. Plants grown in the heat and with a higher dose of light require slightly more water than those grown in a cooler and darker environment. Fertilization should be reduced or eliminated until new growths appear and a more abundant spring watering begins.

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