Miltonia cuneata is endemic to southeastern Brazil. It grows epiphytic on trees in dense, wet montane forests at an altitude of 800 to 1000 meters above sea level...
Miltonia cuneata also called as The Wedge-Shaped Miltonia, Anneliesia cuneata, Miltonia speciosa, Miltonia velloziana, Oncidium speciosum, is a species of the genus Miltonia. This species was described by John Lindley in 1844.
IDENTIFY MILTONIA CUNEATA
Miltonia cuneata is endemic to southeastern Brazil. It grows epiphytic on trees in dense, wet montane forests at an altitude of 800 to 1000 meters above sea level.
It is a robust, medium sized, creeping, warm to cool growing epiphyte with slightly tapered, slightly flattened, 9 cm long pseudobulbs that can be clustered or well spaced and are enveloped basally by 2 to 4 non-foliaceous sheaths and carry 2 to 3, narrow, acute, 20 cm long and 3 cm wide leaves.
The Wedge-Shaped Miltonia blooms on a erect or arching, to 60 cm long, 5 to 8 flowered inflorescence with triangular, acute, papery bracts occuring in the winter and early spring. The flowers are yellowish-brown, about 7 cm in diameter. Tepals lanceolate or elliptical, densely covered with red-brown spots, wavy at the margin. The lip is white, in the form of a trapezoid, in the middle has a double outgrowth. The column is white with a small amount of purple, reaching up to 1.5 cm in length.
MILTONIA CUNEATA 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:
Miltonia cuneata can grow in bright scattered light. Oriental orientation windows are considered to be the ideal location, however, if there are none in the apartment, you can use western or very bright northern windows. If the western or southern windows were chosen for the location of the plant, then during the period from May to early September, the orchid should be protected from the influence of too bright day and evening sun - put behind a curtain (for example, on a table near a window) or into the shade of other plants.
Temperature:
This kind of orchid refers to a moderate temperature regime, however, it can calmly adapt to a colder content. It is recommended that plants be kept under the following temperature conditions throughout the year: Day temperature at 15-25 ° C (ideally 15-18 ° C); Night temperature not below 14 ° C. For the successful cultivation at home, it is necessary that the night temperature of the contents is always at least 4 ° C lower than the daytime temperature.
Humidity:
The Wedge-Shaped Miltonia needs the humidity level that not fall below 55-60% (ideally 70-75%). Too dry air negatively affects the overall development of the plant - its growth is inhibited, leaves turn yellow and various deformations of new shoots appear.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Miltonia cuneata can be grow in pots and hanging baskets, and placed on blocks. As a substrate, a mixture of bark of coniferous trees with charcoal is best. At the bottom of the pot is recommended to lay a thick layer of drainage. When growing orchids on blocks to prevent rapid drying of the root system of the plant, it is recommended to make a small interlayer of moss between it and the block. Above the roots, you can also put live or dry sphagnum.
Watering:
Watering this kind of orchids directly depends on the total temperature of the content, the higher it is, the more often and abundant it will be necessary to water. Plants growing on blocks should be watered daily in the morning, so that by evening the roots of the orchids could dry out relatively well. When watering orchids in pots, it is necessary to remember that excess water during watering should flow freely out of the pot, as the stagnation of water both inside the pot and in its pallet can very quickly lead to rotting of the roots and the lower part of the plant. Especially sensitive in this regard are new shoots. The substrate between watering should dry well, but in no case is more than two days completely dry.
Fertilizer:
During the new growth period, this type of orchid is fertilized every 2 weeks in 1/2 of the fertilizer concentration indicated on the package. In addition to the usual root top dressing, it is also recommended to produce a foliar dressing, when a very much diluted fertilizer is sprayed on the outer part of the plant. It is best to feed the orchid, alternating both these methods. At the beginning of the growing season (the appearance of new shoots) it is recommended to use fertilizer with a high nitrogen content, and by the time the code, new shoots have reached 1/2 of their normal size - fertilizer with a high content of phosphorus.
Rest period:
To stimulate flowering Miltonia cuneata needs a clearly defined period of rest. It begins immediately after the maturing of new shoots (late September - early October), i.e. when new young shoots reach the size of old ones and begin to turn into full-fledged pseudobulbs (rounded), and consists in the fact that orchids contain somewhat drier and colder than usual and do not fertilize. The total temperature of the contents can vary between 16-18 ° C in the daytime and 14-15 ° C at night. Watering the orchids should be stopped completely, while increasing the humidity of the air to 75-90%, as an alternative, it is also possible to spray the outside of the plant (leaves) daily (in the morning), avoiding water entering the substrate. The signal for the resumption of irrigation is the appearance of peduncles, the appearance of new shoots or extremely wrinkled pseudobulbs. An increase in the total temperature of the content for the flowering period is not recommended. Refusal to flowering orchids can be caused by non-observance of the rest period, its improper conduct or stressful plant condition (poor root system, insufficient lighting, too hot content, etc.).
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