Miltoniopsis orchid is native to Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. They grow in locations that range from hot, humid lowlands to relatively cool, humid cloudforests and also in humid forests about halfway between these extremes from 500 to 2000 meters above sea level.. The operative word in all cases is humid, as moisture is available most of the year from rainfall, mist, or heavy deposits of dew.
Miltoniopsis orchid also called as Pansy Orchid, is a genus of the Orchidaceae family. This genus was described by Alexandre Godefroy-Lebeuf in 1889.
There are 5-6 Miltoniopsis species and about 2000 hybrids with this species. Once grouped with Miltonias, they are more closely related to Odontoglossums. Three species are responsible for most of the hybrids, Miltoniopsis vexillaria, Miltoniopsis roezlii, and Miltoniopsis phalaenopsis. Several outstanding hybrids have been developed are primarily grown by orchid hobbyists.
IDENTIFY MILTONIOPSIS ORCHID PLANT
Miltoniopsis orchid is native to Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. They grow in locations that range from hot, humid lowlands to relatively cool, humid cloud forests and also in humid forests about halfway between these extremes from 500 to 2000 meters above sea level.. The operative word in all cases is humid, as moisture is available most of the year from rainfall, mist, or heavy deposits of dew.
Pansy Orchid are epiphyte and lithophyte and are distinguished from Miltonia by the presence of a single leaf at the apex of the pseudobulb, which is surrounded by distinct leaf like sheaths. The attractive plants are of moderate size, of sympodial growth, with thin, light green leaves, one of which crowns each growing pseudobulb. The lanceolate leaves fan up from the base of the narrow edges of the mature pseudobulbs.
The major blooming season extends from spring to autumn. However, some species and hybrids may flower at other times of the year. They produces inflorescences with 3-7 flat and large (7-8 cm), fragrant and showy flowers, which range from white and yellow to shades of red and purple. The flowers are long lasting and will last for up to 5 weeks or more but are very short lived if cut.
MILTONIOPSIS ORCHID PLANT 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:
Miltoniopsis orchid like medium to low levels of light (9000-15000 lux) similar to mottled-leaf Paphiopedilums but slightly higher than Phalaenopsis and no direct sunlight. They can tolerate more light in winter up to 18000 lux. Because the light requirement is low, Miltoniopsis are easy to grow under artificial lights if humidity is moderately high. Flower quality often improves if plants are moved to lower light after the buds develop.
Light green leaves indicate plants are receiving sufficient light, but pale or yellow leaves indicate too much light and dark green lush eaves insufficient light. The leaves will burn if light is too intense and they may require more shading in mid summer. Normally 50-60% shade-cloth is best for cooler months.
If leaves are dark green they most likely require more light but if they are reddish or yellowish-green they may require less light. A slight pinkish tinge to the leaves indicate they are receiving the correct amount of light. It can be difficult to give them the right amount of bright light to encourage flowering without producing yellow leaves.
Temperature:
The day temperature in their native forest canopy rarely exceed 27 °C, and the night temperature may drop to 10 °C or lower. They prefer cooler temperatures similar to Odontoglossums within the range of 6-25°C but will tolerate a much wider range of temperature for short periods. The ideal temperature for growth and flowering is 23-25°C at days, and nights should average 16-18°C, with a diurnal range of about 7-8 °C. They should be kept drier if temperatures are at the low end of the range. They do not like higher temperatures above 25°C and humidity should be increased and light reduced to help them tolerate higher temperatures and prevent them becoming over stressed. The higher the humidity the greater their heat tolerance.
Humidity:
They require high humidity and prefer to be grown in close proximity to other plants to provide humid conditions. The optimum humidity is 70-80%, with late night maximums of 80-90% and afternoon minimums of 50-60%, but they will tolerate humidity as low as 20% for short periods providing they are kept moist. In very hot weather misting and standing plants on gravel filled trays containing water assists in maintaining humidity. The higher the temperature the higher the humidity needs to be. They are used to growing in treetops so need good air movement which helps prevent fungal diseases.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Miltoniopsis orchid are cultivated in many ways using a wide variety of potting composts and containers. Whatever medium is chosen, it should retain some moisture and at the same time permit water to drain away quickly. They have relatively fine roots and therefore like a fine bark growing well-drained and open medium. A mix of 70% bark and 30% perlite is suggested with some growers suggesting the addition of charcoal. Some sphagnum moss can be added to the mix to retain moisture but the pots should still drain freely.
Pots should not be too large, just sufficient to contain the roots and potting-on to the the next size pot is best. Larger plants perform best. Smaller pots in relation to the plant size helps prevent over watering. If root rot is a problem this is usually a result of insufficient drainage and lack of openness of the potting medium.
Pansy Orchid are healthiest when repotted every year. When repotting, all old medium should be removed, any damaged or diseased roots trimmed off, and the plant repotted using all fresh medium and a clean pot. All cuts and damage should be dusted with sulphur to lessen the risk of fungal disease. Don’t water for 1 day after repotting to allow the sulphur to dry. Repotting is best done in autumn when new root growth begins, usually when the newest growths are about half mature. Repotting by early winter allows the plant time to become reestablished before the stress of hot, summer weather.
Watering:
All Miltoniopsis species and their hybrids need to be kept evenly moist. Inadequate water will cause leaves on new growths to crinkle in accordion-pleated fashion. However, do not let the containers stand in water. During warm weather, and bright winter days in the greenhouse, pansy orchids may require watering daily. When the humidity falls below 30%, mist the foliage so that leaves will dry before sunset. They should never be allowed to dry out completely.
The only time Miltoniopsis should be slightly drier is immediately after potting, especially if they are repotted before new roots are growing. Regular watering should be resumed as soon as new roots begin to enter the fresh medium.
Fertilizer:
Miltoniopsis orchid should be fertilized from spring to early autumn when growing but not over winter. They need a dilute soluble fertilizer about every 1-2 months. Leach pots regularly with water to remove excess salts. High phosphorus, low nitrogen fertilizers (10-20-10 or 10-30- 20) prior to flower initiation helps promote flowering. Epson salts every two months (half teaspoon per 4 liters) is beneficial if the fertilizer does not have a high Mg content to increase flowering and improve cold tolerance.
Rest period:
Growing conditions should be maintained year-round. It is important to provide a 6-11°C range between daily high and low temperatures. Water should be reduced slightly in winter, especially for plants grown in the dark, short-day conditions common in temperate latitudes, or if night temperatures in the growing area are cooler than 16°C. The plants simply do use as much water when light is low, days are short, or temperatures are cool. However, plants should never be allowed to dry out completely. If water is reduced, fertilizer should also be reduced until plants begin growing the next spring.
BUY MILTONIOPSIS ORCHID PLANT AND RELATED PRODUCTS
SOME SPECIES AND HYBRIDS OF MILTONIOPSIS WITH CARE TIP AND CULTURE SHEET:
- Miltoniopsis Andrea West - Miltoniopsis hybrid
- Miltoniopsis Augres "Trinity" - Miltoniopsis hybrid
- Miltoniopsis Bert Field - Miltoniopsis hybrid
- Miltoniopsis bismarckii - Bismark's Miltoniopsis
- Miltoniopsis Breathless - Miltoniopsis hybrid
- Miltoniopsis Herralexandre - Miltoniopsis hybrid
- Miltoniopsis phalaenopsis - The Phalaenopsis-Like Miltoniopsis
- Miltoniopsis roezlii - Roezl's Miltoniopsis
- Miltoniopsis santanaei - Santana's Miltoniopsis
- Miltoniopsis vexillaria - The Flag-Like Miltoniopsis
- Miltoniopsis warscewiczii - Warscewiczii's Miltoniopsis
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