Miltonia orchid: options for transplanting and caring for a flower at home
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One of the most famous and widespread orchid species in indoor floriculture - Miltonia (Miltonia) - appeared in Russia from the forests of Brazil and Colombia, where it grows freely in natural conditions. The flower, which is not very difficult to maintain, resembles an elegant exotic butterfly.
Miltonia: popular varieties
A large assortment of varieties and hybrids of miltonia is on sale. The shape of the flower is a bit like pansies, only much larger. Color variations of velvety petals are of all kinds: white, beige, yellow, pink, purple. The aroma is palpable and pleasant. The diversity is based on 20 main species, from which more than 40 hybrids have been obtained.
Miltonia morris chestnut
The epiphytic orchid has elongated rhizomes and single-membered pseudobulbs, flattened on both sides. Leaves grow in two types - rhizome and apical. Inflorescences are lateral on long stems.
Miltonia mix
Planting material is sold under this trade name, in which the shade of future flowers is not known in advance. These are various variations of pink, purple, white and reddish colors. You need to take care of them in the same way as for other species, observing high humidity and diffused dim lighting.
Miltonia mix
Miltonia yellowish
The plant stretches up to 50 cm in height. The flowering period is from September to January and from April to June. A peduncle up to 1 m long usually has 7-15 buds, blooming into star-shaped corollas of a white-yellowish hue up to 8 cm wide. A lip with a wavy edge has 4-6 reddish-purple stripes.
The variety needs a large difference in daily temperatures (15-17 ° C at night, 25 ° C during the day). For a short time, it can tolerate a more serious drop in air temperature. Oval yellow-green pseudobulbs are located on the creeping rhizome at a distance of 3 cm from each other. Narrow belt-shaped leaves are up to 30 cm long. During the period of active growth, it needs weekly feeding. The optimum humidity is 80%.
Miltonia flavescens
Miltonia Morel
For a long time it was believed that this is a brilliant variation of miltonia, but today it is considered an independent species. The flowers are brighter than those of the brilliant, and larger. Pseudobulbs are even more flattened. The rhizome part of the shoot is covered with scaly leaves. The size of the flowers is plum-purple with a light spot at the base up to 10 cm in diameter. Lip length 5 cm, its color is lighter - pink-purple with dark longitudinal veins. The flowering period of each bud is six weeks.
Miltonia Moreliana Henfr
Miltonia brilliant
This species is characterized by ovoid-elongated pseudobulbs up to 10 cm long. Their shade is greenish-yellow. The shape is flattened from the sides. Rhizome areas of shoots are well developed. The length of the roots is up to 10 cm. The leaf is linear-belt-shaped with a rounded tip of a greenish-yellow hue, up to 15 cm long. The length of the inflorescences is up to 25 cm, on which there are up to 20 buds.
There are different shades: from rich plum purple to white.The lip is large (up to 5 cm long and 4 cm wide), elongated slightly narrowed at the base, has dark longitudinal stripes and a bleached wavy edge. The flowering period is spring and the second half of summer. Each flower lasts up to four weeks.
Miltonia Spectabilis
Miltonia Varshevich
The orchid is native to Central America. Leaves with rounded ends are up to 14 cm long. Forms a multi-flowered inflorescence, sometimes branching, with flowers up to 4 cm in diameter. Sepals and petals are similar, oblong in shape with an extension at the end. Painted in red-brown, white and yellowish colors. The purple-purple lip is wide, bilobed with a white edge. In the center is a reddish brown disc. The duration of flowering is from August to April. The most active buds bloom from February to March.
Miltonia Warczewiczii
Miltonia orchid: home care
This perennial epiphyte prefers coolness and high humidity ranging from 50 to 90%. Do not place pots near heating appliances. During the day, you need to maintain a temperature of 24-26 ° C, and at night - lower it to 15-17 ° C. A more severe cold snap leads to freezing of the foliage, which can even dry out from the pseudobulb.
Humidity
Usually the orchid is watered every other day or once every 3 days. The mode is selected based on the humidity in the room. The ideal state of the soil in the pot is constantly wet, but air passes freely through it. For watering, it is best to use a distillate, in which top dressing is periodically introduced. But filtered, boiled and warmed to room temperature water is also suitable. The watering process looks like this: the pot is immersed half the height in a container with prepared water, and the moss spread out on top is sprayed. Then they put the pot on a tray and wait until all excess water drains. Then it is placed on a dry pallet.
An indicator of the health of a plant is its leaves. If they suddenly acquire an accordion relief, this indicates waterlogging. To help the roots recover, you need to move the pot to a warm, dry place for a day or two.
The optimum air humidity for miltonia is 60-80%. However, the room must be well ventilated. If the humidity is too low, the leaves begin to curl. You cannot spray them, you can only humidify the air around. For this, the pot is placed on a pallet with wet expanded clay. With overmoistening with hypothermia, decay processes begin. At the first sign, all damaged areas are immediately removed, and the orchid is transplanted into fresh soil.
Lighting Tips
In the wild, miltonia is found in Argentina, Paraguay, northeastern Brazil, Peru and Central America. In the jungle, it grows at an altitude of 200-1500 m, but most of it occupies a height of 600-900 m. Flowers bloom in shady areas of the forest and in illuminated areas, but never in direct sunlight.
Sunlight should be diffused, while the brightest light is enough for only 2-4 hours. The rest of the time, partial shade is enough. The more illumination, the lighter the leaves, and with a lack of sun, they acquire a dark green color. Redness and yellowing indicate that the pot needs to be moved away from the window, as the leaves are burned.
Top dressing and soil
The soil for miltonia is the most important thing. The usual substrates are not suitable for it. It is best to prepare the mixture yourself. To do this, take large pieces of pine bark, coconut fiber, moss and peat. All in equal proportions. The result is a loose mixture through which air passes unhindered. The pot is filled by placing the bark on the bottom and the moss on top. In extreme cases, you can buy ready-made soil.
During the period of distillation of peduncles, fertilizing is carried out with special fertilizers for orchids. Some species only need one feeding every 2 weeks, but others need them every week. It is better to check with the seller of the planting material. The concentration of the solution is four times less than the manufacturers recommend. An overabundance of nutrients is extremely detrimental to miltonia. She needs a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium complex with the formula 18-18-18, or 20-20-20. Towards the end of the new growth, feeding is stopped, allowing the orchid to go into a dormant state.
How to transplant miltonia
Experts insist: the transplant should be done immediately, as soon as the purchased orchid pot is delivered to the house. The best time to buy is spring. Almost all orchids do not like very much when their roots are disturbed, but it is impossible to do without it. It is important not only to remove the flower from the substrate, but also to check all its parts in order to detect and remove rotten areas in time. If the disease has settled, and the root has rotted, then it becomes soft to the touch and acquires a dark brown color instead of a healthy greenish-whitish.
Old soil can only be used for mulching in the garden, not reused. You can only transplant adult plants that have completely completed flowering (the peduncles have dried up). It is important to carefully treat the tools used in the work with alcohol or sprinkle with sulfur powder. Orchids are very easy to become infected, so care must be taken to protect them from bacteria.
It is advisable to buy a new pot with a transparent one in order to track the condition of the roots and give them the opportunity not to stop the process of photosynthesis. There should be large holes at the bottom for water drainage. Each subsequent pot is selected deeper and wider by at least 2 cm, but guided by the volume of the root mass. It is recommended to replant every 2 years.
Transplanting process in stages:
- Remove the orchid from the pot.
- The roots are washed in a bowl of clean water. If they have entangled pieces of bark, then they are left as is.
- Dead or withered leaves, as well as dried inflorescences are removed.
- Reproduction is carried out by separating sections of the rhizome with three healthy pseudobulbs.
- The soil is poured slightly moist, but it is not compacted. Sphagnum is laid on top, creating an optimal microclimate.
Miltonia flower in care is a little more difficult than phalaenopsis, as it is more demanding on temperature and humidity. It takes patience and some experience. If the orchid grower has the opportunity to provide a difference in air temperature between day and night of about 8-10 ° C, then its flowering will not be long in coming and will delight you with splendor and bright colors.
