How would you repot this?

[momokev]

I found this Miltassia Dennis Kleinback 'Crowhurst' on a bargain table tangled with lots of others. The poor thing had no choice but to grow straight up! It does have some good roots, as well as a bloom spike. Anyone wanta throw out some ideas about what to do with it now? My thought is to cut it off at the third growth down and just pot it, hoping the new groths in the future will grow better.

Lisa

[PhalPhreak]

Hi Lisa,
Wow!! That is bizarre! I think your idea about cutting it off at the 3rd growth makes sense. You could also try to mount it on a piece of driftwood or something.

Good Luck!
Martha

[Aerides]

It's a lovely plant - I wonder if it was grown in a greenhouse before it came to you?

In the best of all possible worlds, I would mount it. Miltonias tend to wander anyway. If you pot it, you might consider using a "pan" type of pot, rather than an azalea. That way, you maximize surface area, and since it's a shallower pot, you might be able to get away with partially burying the backbulb without fear of rot, to get it a little more upright.

My two cents, and that's probably about what it's worth! Good luck though.

John

[momokev]

It was in a greenhouse when I bought it. I got a good price on it, and just couldn't walk away

I had thought about mounting it, but I don't have any experience with it. Cork mount do you think? Would you put sphag moss on top of the mount? Would you still cut the rhizone, or just do the whole thing?

Thanks guys!

Lisa

[Aerides]

Those pieces of natural cork are so beautiful, I think. And all those nooks and crannies would hold moisture well for the roots. I've had miltonas do the accordian thing on me and have had to keep them quite moist. That's my main reservation about mounting. But if you tie on some sphagnum around the roots that would probably help too, don't you think? My "expertise" is exhausted here. I've only ever mounted a B.nodosa and usually steer clear of miltonias until I get my GH some day. Some have the touch with them, though.

[momokev]

Yeah, the moisture thing was my main reservation. I've never seen a milt mounted, but now that doen't mean it can't be done. And it would be pretty, I think. Do you think daily watering would be enough to offset the moisture needs? I work, so I can't give it more than that (And I grow under lights).

Lisa

[Gilda]

Lisa, I would cut it behind the 3rd growth and pot it. I don't think you can give it enough moisture mounted(JMHO).

It will pot ok with the other bulbs off....plus you can stick them in the pot ,too. You might get a growth off the back bulbs. You might have to place the growths in at an angle to get the new roots touching and also to keep from burying the bulbs. Take a pot clip and secure them,so they don't wobble.

[Ki_in_NoVa]

I don't have the best growing conditions, so I always hesistate to cut off good old growths. I would also suggest mounting, or....if you don't mind an ugly looking pot, you could try this.

Take a tallish plastic pot and either diagonally cut the top so one side is shorter than the other, or cut a U out of one side. Pot the plant so the old pbulbs are dangling out of the shorter side, and the new pbulbs are nicely inside the pot. This assumes that the old growths don't really have good roots, and that most of the roots are on the newer pbulbs. Use a potting mix that can be sort of mounded and water carefully so it doesn't all spill out.

Alternatively, use two pots of different heights and hope you don't have to move it much - this is good if there are lots of good roots on the old growths. Or, use a bulb pan and mound the mix (but I think it's climbing too steeply for this method).

If all this sounds bizarre, try the mounting thing.

I have mtssas that climb so the new growths might not be much better behaved.

[OrchidTraci]

Mount it to a long piece of bark? Mounting is my cure all answer to what to do when all else fails lol!

[Tanya]

I agree with Traci. Get a good size tree branch, get your hubby to attach a base to it so it can stand on its own, then "decorate" the branch with your orchids of unruly nature, and wallah, your potting problems are solved, and the dead branch seems to come back to life...lol. You can tie some sphagnum moss around the roots for moisture retention if needed. Try it... its fun...

Tanya