Cultural Notes for a Milt.

[FLaCo]

Hey guys I just bought a Mitasia Royal Robe (Mtssa. Erachne x Milt. Seminole Blood). I want to repot the plant but I notice the roots look like regular soil plants' roots. It isn't that thick light green/white roots I am used to seeing in Phal, Catts, Vanda etc.

The medium used by the nursery is pure white Spag moss. The roots seem to love it...the root is wrapped all around this.

What should I repot it in? Pure moss again? Can anyone help?

[FLaCo]

Some pics of the roots, flowers, etc....

[fred]

the roots look very good right now I would not disturb the the roots while you have flowers.

when you do change the Sphagnum moss you may wish to go with a fine to medium orchid mix.
just be very careful with the roots when removing the old sphagnum moss.

[jerrymeola]

The abbreviation for Mitassia is Mtssa not Milt which is the abbreviation for Miltonia.

Royal Robe is a plant that can take a lot of abuse. The plant does not need to be re-potted. I have them three times that size in 4 inch pots. Given some more time the roots will make it impossible to see the sphag.

You can re-pot Oncidium Intergeneric while in bloom. The flower draws its strength from the pseudobulbs not the roots. You can actually cut the roots and divide the plant without losing flowers.

It can be grown in bark, but like most commercial growers in Florida I prefer the sphag.

Try to keep the plant cool in July August. Our summer heat tends to reduce the size of the plant. The ones I buy that are grown on a mountain side in Hawaii are 50% larger than Florida plants. The ones I re-flowered here in Florida tend to stay 12-18 inches.