Miltonia spectabilis (Project 9 Int. - Summer 2009)

[nenella]

Originally Posted by flhiker

This is my second blooming as well Roly. Here's all the flowers open.

superb !!!!!! Thanks Dave !, look forward to seeing a bloom on mine.

Good growing Roly!! Twice flowered!!! WOW!!!!!!! Congrats!!! I'm still waiting for my first bloom, although have had Loads of growth...

[Zoi2]

I mounted 1/2 of the original plant the other day, hopefully the silly thing will do better. I was surprised to find decent roots and a couple of small new growths. Maybe it doesn't hate me as much as I thought
Joann

[RosieC]

Look good Joann,

Mine loves being mounted and grows like a weed (no flowers though still). The only thing I would say is mine has far less moss and most of the roots are bare... however your environment may dictate the need for more.

Good luck with it, hope it likes this change as much as mine likes being mounted

[nenella]

Looks good Joann. Good luck!
Mine too grow much better mounted although no flowers yet for me either.

[Zoi2]

Thanks Rosie and Nenella.
I am kind of experimenting with the amount of moss. Originally I couldn't keep it moist enough so now maybe I have gone overboard? It is outside on the west wall of the covered side porch and there is usually always a breeze. How dry should I let it get?
Joann

[nenella]

Mine are in a west window. I have less sphag on the mount too. I tend to water when sphag is very dry...which in my case is, one day on, one day off.. but thinking about answering your question I am asking myself If I should actuallly water everyday?????

But as Rosie pointed out in her case...I too have less sphag than you on my two mounts.... ???????????

Hopefully someone who has had flowers will put their 1 cents worth in this?

The first half I mounted took a good 6 months, if not more? for it's roots to grip onto the mount.

[RosieC]

I remounted my spectabilis last night... except while the new mount is about 3 x the size of the old one I think it's still too small.

Can you see the mount...


Here it is!


I strapped the old mount onto the new one, because I didn't think the old one would come away easily. The new one is a piece of cork bark from the pet section of the local garden center and while it probably aught to be bigger it will help me handle the plant and not be struggling to actually find the mount in the mass of plant.

I had to remove about 6 new growths and 2 p-bulbs from the back of the orchid, where they had grown over and behind the old mount... otherwise it would not have laid anywhere near flat on the new one. I hated having to do it, but I'm confident the plant won't suffer from it as there are so many others. All the cuts were dabbed in cinnamon.

[camille1585]

That plant has gotten gigantic! I remember what it looked like when you bought it, and while it wasn't a runt, it's wasn't big either.

I'm finally caving in and getting one. After my quick trip home I'm going to order some orchids from my favorite dutch grower and he has this one very cheap.

[RosieC]

I really thought this mount would be big enough. I couldn't believe it when I first held the plant against it. I thought it had grown a lot last summer, but it's really taken off this summer and is just covered in growths.

Of course I was talking to Sue and she said hers was growing like this and didn't flower. Once she put it in MUCH higher light and reduced fertiliser the plant didn't look so lush and green... but that's when it rebloomed for her. I think I've got to get the highest light I can next summer.

[camille1585]

Wasn't yours nearly yellow when you got it?