Orchid care is a crucial aspect of maintaining the health and strength of plants. Fertilizer is not just plant food, but a balanced fertilizer that includes all necessary trace elements. The NYBG Senior Curator of Orchids recommends using a balanced fertilizer like 20-20-20 in powder form to supply all the primary nutrients needed for flowering plants. For optimal water quality, MSU Orchid Fertilizer (RO/Rain/Tap) is the best choice.
To ensure proper fertilization, choose a fertilizer with equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. For phallus plants planted in bark mix, use a higher nitrogen fertilizer (30-10-10) and a balanced fertilizer (20-20-20) for those planted in other types. In general, a standard 20-20-20 fertilizer at 1/4 strength and a 10-10-10 fertilizer at 1/2 strength are safe choices.
In summary, orchid care involves regular feeding, using a balanced fertilizer, and checking the pH and TDS of the water. Choosing the right fertilizer is essential for maintaining the health and strength of your orchids.
📹 Stop Fertilizing Orchids Like This! Use These Other 4 Methods Instead
Have you ever heard the term orchid food? What’s the difference between orchid food and fertilizer? Orchid fertilizer is not orchid …
Do orchids like coffee grounds for fertilizer?
While coffee grounds are beneficial as a compost addition, their decomposition is not effective for most orchids. Furthermore, the rapid decomposition of orchid potting bark caused by coffee grounds results in root rot. It is therefore recommended that these grounds be reserved for use with other plants.
How often should I water an orchid?
Watering your orchid every 7 to 11 days, especially when the mix is dry, is essential to prevent damage and prevent overwatering, which can lead to crown rot, root rot, and other infestations. Watering in the morning is recommended as nighttime watering can leave water sitting for a period. Additionally, consider the temperature of your house, as high thermostats may cause the orchid to grow in summer. Visit our shop to see beautiful phalaenopsis orchids grown in the south coast of England, and sign up for our newsletter to access our orchids at discounted prices when we have grown a few too many.
What is the best fertilizer for orchids?
Orchids require regular feeding with a balanced fertilizer like 20-20-20, which includes all necessary trace elements. Orchid care, also known as orchid culture, involves a balance of water, fertilizer, light, temperature, air movement, and humidity. Mastering these basics makes growing orchids easy. Orchid care tips and tricks can be found in the A-Z guide, which covers various orchid genera and their care.
Do orchids like eggshells?
Orchids can benefit from powdered eggshell fertilizer, which can be saved and crushed. This can be added to orchid growth medium or boiled in water after cooling. Rotten or bad eggs can also be used to fertilize plants, but they need to be beaten thoroughly and added in small amounts. This method works best for ground orchids growing in soil. For porous growth mediums, dilution with water is recommended, and even after dilution, use only a small amount.
Eggs have strong smells, especially if they are rotten or have turned bad. Incorrectly crushed eggshells can invite birds and pets to plunder the growth medium. To avoid this, crush the eggshells into a fine powder and dig a small trench around the orchid to cover it with the soil removed. This will hide the egg’s smell. If added to a porous growth medium, the smell is more likely to attract ravagers like birds and pets, so adding in small quantities is recommended.
What should you not do with an orchid?
Orchids are the largest and most diverse flowering plant family, with over 880 genera and 22, 000 species. They are typically tropical plants, living as epiphytes or “air plants” hanging on trees for support. Some are lithophytes or “rock plants” growing on or among rocks, while the remaining orchids are terrestrials growing in the loamy detritus of the jungle floor.
To give general guidelines on orchid care, there are only several dozen species widely produced and even fewer available at local nursery. Hybrids, created by crossing different species and genera, are often sold at nurseries, florists, hardware chain stores, and groceries. These hybrids have desirable characteristics such as color, fragrance, flower size, and ease of care, outperforming the challenges of pure orchid species. Today’s orchid hybrids are rewarding house plants to grow and relatively easy to care for if understanding their basic needs is taken.
When should you not fertilize orchids?
Cultivated orchids typically grow in tropical or subtropical climates with a wet and dry season. During the wet season, orchids produce new growth, necessitating fertilization. During the dry season, they do not grow new roots or leaves, requiring no fertilization. Recognizing active growth and dormancy is crucial for proper orchid care. Some orchids, like Maxillaria tenuifolia, require regular fertilization throughout the year, while Coelogyne orchids go dormant during winter and require no fertilizer until spring.
Orchids respond to fertilization needs and dormancy, with new growth indicating hunger and no growth indicating rest. Observant orchid caretakers can read these signs and know when to feed or not. Fertilizing orchids is essential for overall health, but it must be done correctly.
How to keep orchids blooming?
To make your Phalaenopsis orchid rebloom, start fertilizing it every other week with an all-balanced fertilizer, either labeled as “bloom booster” or specifically designed for orchids. Increase light, find a new spot, and provide extra love during dormancy. Dormancy allows the orchid to replace nutrients used during blooming, and nutrients and water remain stored in the leaves until needed again. Dormancy can last anywhere from 6-9 months, and each orchid may bloom on its own, so it’s important to provide extra care and support to help it rebloom. Remember, every orchid is unique, so it may need to bloom on its own.
Are tea bags good for orchids?
Tea bags, which are high in nitrogen, have been demonstrated to be beneficial for orchids due to their non-toxic and non-odorous organic matter. To utilize this product, one need only open the bag, empty its contents into the orchid pot, and apply it once a month during the spring and summer months.
What triggers an orchid to bloom?
Orchids require adequate light to rebloom, and it is crucial for hobbyists to understand the factors that trigger blooming in their plants. Without adequate light, no amount of cajoling with decreased nitrogen, abusive cold nights, or dehydration will result in flowering. If you notice a general decline in the number of flowers, it is highly likely that the amount of light reaching your growing area has decreased. Trees and landscaping grow as well and can eventually shade windows.
Ideally, most orchids should have light green foliage, which should be a light yellow-green rather than a lush grass green. The leaves of your plants should be firm and stand upright, with Phalaenopsis needing relatively low light holding their foliage horizontally or somewhat upright. Plants that produce very long, floppy leaves are being grown under insufficient light.
The leaves of your plants should be the plant-equivalent of solar collectors. The lower the light, the bigger the leaves need to be to gather the same amount of light, and the heavier the leaves, the harder it will be to hold them firm and upright. By understanding the factors that trigger blooming in orchids, hobbyists can ensure their orchids rebloom successfully.
How to encourage orchids to bloom again?
The pruning of the above-mentioned node has been observed to stimulate additional growth and the subsequent flowering.
📹 What fertilisers do I use on my orchids? When do I fertiliser my orchids and how much do I use?
This week Plant Lovers an epic video that goes into my philosophy of fertilising! This is specific to my climate and growing …
Such an interresting view on feeding orchids ! Really enjoyed this article (like aal your others I saw) and this made me think about my own way of fertilizing my orchids ! Like you, I believe in alternating fertilizers/tonics and so on … Just recently added Superthrive to my programme, plus Epsom salts for extra magnesium. Just like you, I don’t use caps to measure, but I DO measure TDS, to make sure I don’t overfeed/underfeed my plants. Hallo from the Netherlands !
That was helpful thank you. I didn’t know that the slow release worked when temperatures rise and also there’s no point in adding bloom based unless there’s a spike already forming. I was hoping at some time to hear you discuss the use of micorrhizol fungi. I know what it’s for but would like to see what it looks like when you unpot one in which it has been growing, during a repot. Thanks again 🤗
I have been using Peter’s orchid fertilizer ( one for growth and the other for flower) for 25 years now. There is also a new product called SUPPORT that is worm based (made by worms). Out of curiosity, I tried using their products and it does work effectively. Now I make sure I always have this product in my shed. Try it.
Thank you for your regular tutorials. I super love the way you talk haha. No idea why! I just smile a lot while I watch. I have a dozen of seedlings that I got for $90. They seem about 2 years old, all of them. I was told I must pot them in the SMALLEST pot I can find to demand them to make new roots. Was told not to fertilize for 6 months? Question is, is Mycorrhizae true? Or Kelp max applicable to seedlings? I am a moss person and I live in upper part of Canada so it can be cold most of the time. Moss doesn’t have nutrients so fertilize regularly all year, half strength. I almost rarely use bark. Do seedlings need higher nitrogen so kelp seaweed natural fertilizer is better then?
Hi Matthew, I have recently subscribed to your vids and find all your information very helpful. Particularly this one on fertilisers. My climate is like yours, I’m down the road in Geelong lol, so finding your vids has been great. For many years, I have grown phals, just this year I’ve bought Cymbidium’s, Cattleya and the other day my first Dendrobium. I sticking to ” hardy ” ones at present 😉 hopefully one day I wish to buy a shade house and expand my collection, I just love all Orchids and seeing your beautiful plants has inspired me.
Great presentation….thanks it is very helpful….I was given a huge plant in a pot (big green leaves multiple stems) by someone who had no idea what it was and neither did I…..it sat under a tree in the back yard for three years and did nothing….I moved it to the other side of the yard for some renovation work and it sat in morning sun…..next minute 6 flower spikes appeared…..I’m the owner of my first orchid (dendrobium)…hence mad googling for care advise….thank you!
This was great. I have fewer orchids and more NOIDs but my fertilising is a similar mix and match system. After seeing an old article of Rick L’s where he said something like in nature a ” dilute cocktail of nutrients” would wash constantly over the roots, I rotate different types of feed/tonic/flush and my orchids seem to respond very well.
Hi Mathew, Finally… I’ve found someone who uses a local fertiliser/tonic etc for our orchids. I did try the whole measuring, water testing and so on but as I have some orchids in leca, some in moss, the rest in bark or coco chips it’s a bit of a guessing game anyway. I have searched the internet for something that will suit my routine, which just seems to go out the window all the time. Bunnings only stock the very basic stuff so that’s what I’m going with for now. Thanks for a very informative article.
My primary is Peters Cal Mag Special with Black Iron. I also use seaweed,liquid Cal Mag and powdered supplement that adds all the other micro nutrients. In winter I use 100 ppm plus supplements. Spring I use 200 ppm Total. In late spring through mid summer I go to 250 ppm. The exception are the Catasetum when I fertilize I use 250 in late e spring and 400 ppm summer growing time.
Thank you so much for this really informative article! Really valuable info. I use a lot of seasol on everything in the garden, especially any new plantings. I have quite a few orchid spikes at the moment (also in Melbourne) so I am going outside to check the potassium ratio on all my fertilisers now! Strangely I don’t get much worm juice from my worm farms, but I do use the worm castings and toss them around onto everything in the garden a couple of times a year. By the way I hope that you can get the worm juice stain out of that beautiful riedel glass. 😀
Hi again Matthew, a quick question please, when you repot your kingianum do you add crushed oyster shell because it is mainly a lithophyte? I have watched your article on it but can’t remember 😕 I found your gardening website yesterday and am going to give that a go because although I live in Wales UK, my son lives in Sydney so we visit sometimes😊🤗
Hi Mathew. Great information. One of my orchids has just lost her bloom After a few months .i was going to repot her .but iv just nitice shes growing another spike .on her main spike .shall i still repot her . Help im using a seaweed fertiliser which suits me . But thank you .i worry so much about my orchids ?
Hi Matthew, thank you for this very informative article, I watch other Tubers, and some are very, very specific on PPM, checking your water for TDS and so on, no shade to them, but I personally just don’t want to do all of that, like you, I am very simplistic in my fertilizing regimen and so far, so good!! Happy Growing!