Question
I have a milt. andrea orchid that I have had since Sept.  It has a new bloom but the stem holding the bloom has not unfolded.  It appears to be attached at the base of the plant.  will it open on its own and unfold or do I need to do something.  I can see the yellow of the flowers but they aren't open yet.

Answer
Debbie, thanks for your question.  Miltoniopsis (ie Pansy Orchid) orchid flowers are very delicate and it does require a lot of patience as they take quite a while to open.  The process is similar to the inflation of a butterfly wing after it emerges from the crysalis. The roots need to be in good condition to provide the needed plant sap to help the buds mature and slowly open. There should be a fairly humid environment to prevent loss of moisture from the growing buds.  It is not unusual for a pansy orchid flower spike to take 4 - 6 weeks to produce open flowers. Depending upon where you live, these orchids need to be protected from the summer heat. They like a combination of high humidity and cool temperatures to do well.  I have heard of a person that grew a miltoniopsis well in Atlanta but she had air conditioning and misted the plant in the morning each day.  The person who sold it to her tried to talk her out of it but was unsuccessful and was amazed that it did so well.  Also, try nopt to get the leaves wet as water in contact with the green parts of these plants for several hours can resault in a fungus infection called brown rot.  Let me know things progress and send me a picture once it flowers and I may have other suggestions once I see the plant.