What to Look For in Orchid Fertilizer
When you fertilize your orchids it is far worse to use to much orchid fertilizer than not enough. Orchids do no require as much fertilizer as do most plants. Your orchids can live just as well without any added nutrients. But if you feed them the right amount of orchid fertilizer then your orchid will grow stronger and have more brilliant flowers.
Personally, I don't like to worry over fertilizing my orchids, so I go by the plan that I call "weakly weekly". After reading the label, I only provide the orchid with 1/4 or 1/2 of the amount of fertilizer suggested every week. Then once a month, I'll water my orchids without adding any orchid fertilizer in order to wash away excess minerals that have collected in their pots. When my orchids are not growing or during the winter months I don't use any orchid fertilizer. Orchids really don't require any extra help during non-growing periods.
Most types of orchids fall under the epiphyte category. An epiphyte will grow on a living tree, wrapping its roots around branches and letting them hang in the air. They only receive nutrients from rotten leaves, bird droppings and dust that is washed down by rain. These types of minerals come in short supply to orchids, and go by fast.
To be the super survivors orchids are, they learn to live and flower with very little feeding. Lithophyte orchids (live on rocks) also live under similar environment and are equally efficient in their nutrient use.
But on the other hand the terrestrial orchids live in a more mineral-rich ground. As a result, they are used to absorbing more nutrients. So when you feed them the orchid fertilizer [http://www.orchidcaretips.net/how-to-use-orchid-fertilizer/] you will need to add more than you would their epiphyte counterparts.
It's possible to accidentally kill your orchid by overfeeding it. Even if your orchid doesn't die, you can cause permanent damage. Your orchids may produce fragile flowers or not flower at all, they may also mature abnormally. An orchid's roots may also burn, causing the flower to wither.
Orchids with no viable roots cannot absorb water, so they become dehydrated. Miltonia and Cymbidium orchids with thin leaves can also develop burnt tips. In order to fix this, it's necessary to wash your flowerpots out using regular water. If the situation becomes too dire try re-potting your plants entirely.
orchids need 16 nutrients, nine macronutients and seven micronutrients. The reason that these are called macronutrients is because they are needed in huge quantities. Micronutrients are only required in very minimal quantities, but they are still essential to good orchid health.
Hydrogen, carbon and oxygen are available from air and water, so you don’t need a fertilizer that includes these elements. Many orchid fertilizers don't include the 7 micronutrients because they can be found in your typical potting mix as well as tap water. Because of this, a good orchid fertilizer will only have magnesium, sulfur, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen.
So if you are using rain water or reverse osmosis water then you will need to buy an orchid fertilizer that contains all of the macronutrients and micronutrients, because rain water and reverse osmosis water do not have them. But again, most fertilizers out there only contain potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. It’s really not that complete, so read the fine print on the label of the orchid fertilizer you choose.
Personally, I don't like to worry over fertilizing my orchids, so I go by the plan that I call "weakly weekly". After reading the label, I only provide the orchid with 1/4 or 1/2 of the amount of fertilizer suggested every week. Then once a month, I'll water my orchids without adding any orchid fertilizer in order to wash away excess minerals that have collected in their pots. When my orchids are not growing or during the winter months I don't use any orchid fertilizer. Orchids really don't require any extra help during non-growing periods.
Most types of orchids fall under the epiphyte category. An epiphyte will grow on a living tree, wrapping its roots around branches and letting them hang in the air. They only receive nutrients from rotten leaves, bird droppings and dust that is washed down by rain. These types of minerals come in short supply to orchids, and go by fast.
To be the super survivors orchids are, they learn to live and flower with very little feeding. Lithophyte orchids (live on rocks) also live under similar environment and are equally efficient in their nutrient use.
But on the other hand the terrestrial orchids live in a more mineral-rich ground. As a result, they are used to absorbing more nutrients. So when you feed them the orchid fertilizer [http://www.orchidcaretips.net/how-to-use-orchid-fertilizer/] you will need to add more than you would their epiphyte counterparts.
It's possible to accidentally kill your orchid by overfeeding it. Even if your orchid doesn't die, you can cause permanent damage. Your orchids may produce fragile flowers or not flower at all, they may also mature abnormally. An orchid's roots may also burn, causing the flower to wither.
Orchids with no viable roots cannot absorb water, so they become dehydrated. Miltonia and Cymbidium orchids with thin leaves can also develop burnt tips. In order to fix this, it's necessary to wash your flowerpots out using regular water. If the situation becomes too dire try re-potting your plants entirely.
orchids need 16 nutrients, nine macronutients and seven micronutrients. The reason that these are called macronutrients is because they are needed in huge quantities. Micronutrients are only required in very minimal quantities, but they are still essential to good orchid health.
Hydrogen, carbon and oxygen are available from air and water, so you don’t need a fertilizer that includes these elements. Many orchid fertilizers don't include the 7 micronutrients because they can be found in your typical potting mix as well as tap water. Because of this, a good orchid fertilizer will only have magnesium, sulfur, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen.
So if you are using rain water or reverse osmosis water then you will need to buy an orchid fertilizer that contains all of the macronutrients and micronutrients, because rain water and reverse osmosis water do not have them. But again, most fertilizers out there only contain potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. It’s really not that complete, so read the fine print on the label of the orchid fertilizer you choose.
Source...