Feeding an orchid
I have a Phalaenopsis (?) that I bought 3 months ago at Home Depot on
my desk near a window. I haven't killed it yet, and it's still blooming :-) The humidity is low, and the water is hard. I take the plant out of its cachepot every Friday and douse the bark with warm tapwater. Then let it drip while I carry it back to the office, and put it back in its cache. That's all I've been giving it; hard water once a week. It's starting to send up a new leaf (so I assume the flowers will be gone soon), so should I start fertilizing it? What do I use? I see conflicting information on the Internet about how much nitrogen (some say to use low N, some say high N because it has to compete with the decomposing bark) Thanks, Bob |
Feeding an orchid
On Mar 17, 1:02*pm, zxcvbob wrote:
I have a Phalaenopsis (?) that I bought 3 months ago at Home Depot on my desk near a window. *I haven't killed it yet, and it's still blooming :-) The humidity is low, and the water is hard. *I take the plant out of its cachepot every Friday and douse the bark with warm tapwater. *Then let it drip while I carry it back to the office, and put it back in its cache. *That's all I've been giving it; hard water once a week. It's starting to send up a new leaf (so I assume the flowers will be gone soon), so should I start fertilizing it? *What do I use? *I see conflicting information on the Internet about how much nitrogen (some say to use low N, some say high N because it has to compete with the decomposing bark) Thanks, Bob Sounds like you've been doing very well with your Phalaenopsis, Bob. You can use just about any plant fertilizer for the orchid. Just use it at half strength. On Friday water like you usually do, then about an hour later water again with the half strength fertilizer. Yes you'll have to change your habits a little, but that shouldn't be too troublesome. In fact its better if you have a bit more time between the watering and the feeding, so lets say you water it at lunch or when you first get in the office, then feed over lunchtime or before your leave the office for the weekend. The point is to have the plant's roots somewhat moist so they'll take up the fertilizer and not burn. You'll see conflicting information on the internet about this method too, but its really pretty standard advice. Your Phal can flower for months, so don't give up on it. The spike may send out a side shoot and reflower, too. Pretty cool. As for the hard water once you add fertilizer to the water the acidity changes so the plant can take up some of the Calcium thats now available from the hard water. It comes back into solution. If the orchid bug bites you then worry about proper N levels. Proper N levels can depend of the medium you use. For your Phal's situation you don't have to go so crazy, LOL! K Barrett |
Feeding an orchid
K Barrett wrote:
Sounds like you've been doing very well with your Phalaenopsis, Bob. You can use just about any plant fertilizer for the orchid. Just use it at half strength. On Friday water like you usually do, then about an hour later water again with the half strength fertilizer. Yes you'll have to change your habits a little, but that shouldn't be too troublesome. In fact its better if you have a bit more time between the watering and the feeding, so lets say you water it at lunch or when you first get in the office, then feed over lunchtime or before your leave the office for the weekend. The point is to have the plant's roots somewhat moist so they'll take up the fertilizer and not burn. You'll see conflicting information on the internet about this method too, but its really pretty standard advice. Your Phal can flower for months, so don't give up on it. The spike may send out a side shoot and reflower, too. Pretty cool. As for the hard water once you add fertilizer to the water the acidity changes so the plant can take up some of the Calcium thats now available from the hard water. It comes back into solution. If the orchid bug bites you then worry about proper N levels. Proper N levels can depend of the medium you use. For your Phal's situation you don't have to go so crazy, LOL! K Barrett Thanks, I was beginning to think this was a dead group. This morning several of the blooms were wilted, one had fallen off, and the new leaf grew quite a bit over the weekend. So I probably need to start watering a little more often since the plant is growing. I'll mix up a jug of weak Miracle Gro tonight and start feeding it after I water it. (I'd use fish emulsion, but the smell might not go over too well at the office ;-) -Bob |
Feeding an orchid
Hi, Bob,
This list is indeed all but dead. It was killed by an overzealous Attorney General. Many of the former denizens now congregate at another list. For info on how to sign on, go to www.firstrays.com . Lots of good information and photos at the new lists! Diana "zxcvbob" wrote in message ... K Barrett wrote: Sounds like you've been doing very well with your Phalaenopsis, Bob. You can use just about any plant fertilizer for the orchid. Just use it at half strength. On Friday water like you usually do, then about an hour later water again with the half strength fertilizer. Yes you'll have to change your habits a little, but that shouldn't be too troublesome. In fact its better if you have a bit more time between the watering and the feeding, so lets say you water it at lunch or when you first get in the office, then feed over lunchtime or before your leave the office for the weekend. The point is to have the plant's roots somewhat moist so they'll take up the fertilizer and not burn. You'll see conflicting information on the internet about this method too, but its really pretty standard advice. Your Phal can flower for months, so don't give up on it. The spike may send out a side shoot and reflower, too. Pretty cool. As for the hard water once you add fertilizer to the water the acidity changes so the plant can take up some of the Calcium thats now available from the hard water. It comes back into solution. If the orchid bug bites you then worry about proper N levels. Proper N levels can depend of the medium you use. For your Phal's situation you don't have to go so crazy, LOL! K Barrett Thanks, I was beginning to think this was a dead group. This morning several of the blooms were wilted, one had fallen off, and the new leaf grew quite a bit over the weekend. So I probably need to start watering a little more often since the plant is growing. I'll mix up a jug of weak Miracle Gro tonight and start feeding it after I water it. (I'd use fish emulsion, but the smell might not go over too well at the office ;-) -Bob |
Feeding an orchid
Diana Kulaga wrote:
Hi, Bob, This list is indeed all but dead. It was killed by an overzealous Attorney General. How did they do that? -- Ray Contreras =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= http://www.CompressorStuff.com http://www.rayzplace.com |
Feeding an orchid
On Mar 27, 12:46*pm, RayC wrote:
Diana Kulaga wrote: Hi, Bob, This list is indeed all but dead. It was killed by an overzealous Attorney General. How did they do that? -- Ray Contreras =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=http://www.CompressorStuff.comhttp://www.rayzplace.com Actually the Attorney General killed off the binaries picture group. No reason to have stopped this group. |
Feeding an orchid
On Mar 17, 12:02*pm, zxcvbob wrote:
I have a Phalaenopsis (?) that I bought 3 months ago at Home Depot on my desk near a window. *I haven't killed it yet, and it's still blooming :-) The humidity is low, and the water is hard. *I take the plant out of its cachepot every Friday and douse the bark with warm tapwater. *Then let it drip while I carry it back to the office, and put it back in its cache. *That's all I've been giving it; hard water once a week. It's starting to send up a new leaf (so I assume the flowers will be gone soon), so should I start fertilizing it? *What do I use? *I see conflicting information on the Internet about how much nitrogen (some say to use low N, some say high N because it has to compete with the decomposing bark) Thanks, Bob hi everyone new to this groups, just looked at your talk about phal "This morning several of the blooms were wilted, one had fallen off" you normaly should not have all flowers wilt/drop off at same time, if this is happening i find it can be from over water phal in Aust this time of year water approx once week in open bark if realy hot(35c+) water 2 x week, in winter sometimes 1 x every 2 weeks phal's can be over watered easyer than most other gen orchids fertilizing i agree with bob but you may be better using 6month slow fertilizer as it will not smell like some liquid types if plant is inside new flowers will come with weather change norm i find approx 10c temp drop for near a week brings them on you will see on the flower stem groth knods we cut the stem off the second one down from the first of the old flowers to help promote a new norm half size flowers spray, if left and not cut it will not damage the plant but we find that it some times drys up and does not produce new flower on this stem this is all rel to type of potting mix used and your growing conditions what works for me may not for you and vis versa in aust most genral public people i find that cannot grow orchids but have no problems with other plants normaly are over watering there orchids in some way? hope this helps some what leonard Kinnish Windemere Nursery Qld Aust |
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