Context: my mum got some keikis of this orchid from a neighbour. She managed to grow them into a full plant, it even flowered (as per pic), but she has no idea on which species of orchid it is.

I am not sure if it’s a native species here (I’m in the subtropical parts of South America), but it seems to be growing just fine indoors in a Cfb climate.

Disregard the vase saying “phal azul” (blue phal), it used to belong to another orchid; it doesn’t seem to be a Phalaenopsis.

If necessary I can provide further pics, but note that it has lost the flowers already.

Any idea?

EDIT: thanks to @jerry@fedia.io’s comment, we could find it - it’s a Miltoniopsis. Likely from Colombia or Ecuador, not from my area.

  • LvxferreOPEnglish
    1·
    9 months ago

    I tried a keeping a few of those over the years without much success.

    I have some tips, if you want:

    • Native species from your area will give you an easier time. If you can’t find one that you like, look for species from the same climate.
    • Most of them hate soil. You’ll need a proper medium to grow them; it’s usually a mix of tree bark, sphagnum, and sometimes charcoal (it helps to keep nutrients for slow release)
    • Light requirements also vary but most of them like indirect light.
    • Typically to water them you need to also water the leaves, so it’s a good idea to use a spray bottle for that.
    • If you’re unsure on when to water them, check when their leaves get slightly wrinkled. For me at least watering is each ~2 days now on summer, ~2 weeks on winter.
    • It’s easier to over-water than under-water them, so do it preferably in the morning (as excess water will evaporate).
    • Once in a while it’s a good idea to add some fertiliser to their water. Keep it really diluted otherwise it “burns” the plant. Usually I do this every 5th watering, so each ~10d on summer and ~2 months on winter.