Miltonia new growths

[alexander_TG]

I have a miltonia with about seven new growths, is it normal for them to take a long time to leaf out? It seems like they haven't grown any bigger for a while.

[estación seca]

Bump. I don't have any of these.

[MrHappyRotter]

What do you consider a long time and a while?

What are your growing conditions? How recently was it repotted? Was it repotted before the new growths had started developing roots? How often are you watering it? What are you light levels?

[alexander_TG]

I bought it from the grower in october or november with the growths already on it. I have it in a southeast window with a humidifier and small grow light that I use on cloudy days. I keep it around 55-60% humidity and around 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. I water it once to twice a week and spray it daily.

[MrHappyRotter]

Well, to me the plant looks very healthy. Obviously I can't comment on how fast it's growing without being there to see its progress, but from the photo you took, I wouldn't be too concerned. Just be patient. These grow fastest in warm spring and summer months, then slow down when temperatures and light drop in the fall and winter. The growths can take approximately anywhere from 6 - 9 months to grow to mature size, depending on a lot of factors, so you'll have to take a wait and see approach until you've had the plant long enough to know what's normal under your care.

Several things might be contributing factors here:

1. You recently purchased the plant, so it is still acclimating to your care.
2. The plant looks recently repotted (the bark on top is very fresh looking), and if it was repotted before it was ready, that may cause it to stall a bit.
3. If the plant is not getting strong enough light or the temperatures are too cool, it might have gone into "semi dormancy", where it has reduced its growing metabolism. Maybe you can use the supplemental light every day, unless you're certain the window light alone is bright enough.

M. spectabilis likes lots of bright light, lots of water, and lots of air movement (bright, airy, humid, and warm is ideal). In the warm summer months, and in an airy mix, it's tough to over water them, they can practically sit in water. This time of year, you have to be careful with the watering, but those tiny, wiry roots are an indication that the plant shouldn't be allowed to get too dry.

Do some reading about Miltonia spectabilis online. Since it's a species, and one of the more spectacular (i.e. spectabilis) of the genera, there will be lots of information for you. Just be extremely skeptical about your information resources on this plant. Lots of confusion out there, lots of misinformed people, and lots of incorrect advice because people willfully or otherwise treat Miltonia and Miltoniopsis as being the same thing -- they aren't, and their care can be quite different, especially when it comes to temperatures.

[alexander_TG]

Thanks for the great information. I will definitely keep an eye on it and look forward to all of them maturing.

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

[snowflake3111]

If these plants get stressed due to repotting or splitting the plant the growth slows way down. once the plant adjusts it will grow as normal.

[estación seca]

It turns out I do have this plant. I couldn't read your label on my phone.

The first thing I see is: Your plant is not getting nearly enough light. This particular Miltonia must get so much light it is more yellow than green or it might not bloom. Mine is almost completely dark yellow, with almost no green, during the summer. I have it in a southeast facing window where it gets 4 hours or so of morning sun through the glass, with no shade cloth and no curtains. It is not as yellow now as it will be in the summer because the sun isn't as intense yet.

I have friends in KC and we have discussed growing cactus and succulents there. I suspect you could give your plant 6 hours or more of direct sun through a south window during the summer without any problems. During the winter you should give it as much light as possible. If you put it outside for the summer, give it at least several hours of direct morning sun. Push the light until the plant is yellow. Your afternoon sun might be too much on a hot day - but it might not be. The plant needs to be very well watered when receiving all this light and heat. I don't let my mounted plant dry out once growth begins.

The second thing: It makes fairly long rhizomes between pseudobulbs, and is hard to keep in a pot. Consider mounting it on something like a piece of cedar fence plank (which is what I did with my bare-root plant from Andys in October 2015.)

It has a strongly seasonal growth pattern. In contrast to many hybrid orchids, it produces growths only once per year. It wakes up in late winter or early spring, when temperatures start warming up. The growths grow very slowly, but steadily, and take many months to mature. In late summer or fall, as the growths are close to mature, they flower. Then the plant sits quietly through the winter.

It looks like your plant began this year's growths. It is a slow grower, especially before it gets good and warm.

When happy each growth will produce at least two growths the next year. My Miltonia spectabilis var. bicolor began pushing new growths about a month ago, when the sunroom became regularly warm during the day. It is making 5 new growths now.

[Fernando]

First, your plant looks fine!
I have this plant too and the advice you have got upt to now is correct but for one thing: they need lots of light, and even can put up with some sun, BUT if they get sun, the air movement must be strong and 24/7!

While mine is mostly yellow right now, it grows better - that is: faster - if kept more on the shadowy side.
If you chose to grow it with (some) sun - and behind a window - make sure to adapt it slowly and use some ventilators to give it the air movement which is necessary to cool the leaves and maintain the roots healthy, for it will need more watering this way.

And yes, they are slow. New growths can take months. And the flower spikes begin fast, and than slow down and need months, too. When you think it will abort, then suddenly appears a bud and the next development is fast again.
Luck with your plant!