Ascocentrum miniatum

Ascocentrum is one of the tiny species used to breed with other vanda types. It is very compact and floriferous with bright, bright orange flowers When crossed with a vanda, it produces an Ascocenda and many Ascocendas are also compact, prolific, and orange.Ascocentrum orchids are very difficult to cultivate: their seedlings obtained in European laboratories grow extremely slowly after being transferred to a normal environment , and imported flowers are quite lazy and unwilling to adapt. They experience prolonged light shock ,which causes them to stagnate, grow no roots and oftern not blossom for years. A. miniatum is similar to A. ampullaceum in terms of its habits , but its leaves are narrower and its flowers are yellow, yellow -orange and orange-red.

There is no difference between the cultivation requirement of the two species .Diminutive size and ease of culture make Ascocentrum miniatum a favorite amongst many orchid growers. This species is widely distributed from the Sikkim Himalayas through Burma and Java, into the Phillipines and Thailand. Mature plants produce many keikis, making it an excellent choice for specimen culture. Basket culture with plenty of light, water and regular fertilization will encourage it to live up to its potential; masses of brilliant orange flowers in the early spring. A well-grown miniatum should have thick, rigid leaves liberally sprinkled with purple anthocyanin spots. This species plays prominently in producing the brilliantly colored Ascocendas common in collections. Give the plants maximum warmth and sunlight; the environment does not need to be very moist- the plants are quite happy even when grown out in the open on sunlight apartment windowsills. Make sure to prevent the leaves from being scorched by direct sunlight if grown in a glassed,poorly ventilated environment . Watering must correspond to the state of the roots and season of the year; decrese in winter, along with temperature. Grow the plants in epiphytic baskets filled with a coarse growing mix, or attach them to wooden supports. The plants can be propagated vegetatively by removing sufficiently matured later shoots. A. miniatum blooms in May and June and can be found in Malaysia ,Java and Borneo.