Fertilizer?

[rls1989]

When i was at a garden centre today, i found fertilizer tablets that you put into mixture and it releases fertilizer gradually. Are these ok to use with orchids or is it best to just do it "weakly, weekly" with an orchid fertiliser?
Also, when my phal finished blooming, i cut it's stems. This was a few months ago now and there is no sign of any stems growing. Is it resting? It has beautiful leaves and good roots. I read somewhere (can't remember where) that if your orchid is "resting" that you should put it in a dark warm place to encourage it to grow, but i was wondering if i did this where would the plant obtain it's food source from, or would this be from the fertiliser?
I'd like to know too (sorry for the constant questions) should i move my orchids to a cooler room at night. I have 2 in bloom at the moment, 2 phals, i think i know 1 is for sure. Im in the UK and its a very cold winter at the moment (we're having snow) and my conservatory gets quite cold at night so should i move them from my living room where i have the fire and the heating on to the conservatory at night?
Any advice would be great!!!

[mayres]

My recommendation is to stick with the weakly weekly plan using fertilizer marketed for orchids - takes all the guess work out of it. Typically the majority of phals will be spiking in late fall or early winter - so if yours was forced by the grower to bloom "out of season" - it is possible it may skip its normal blooming season (which should be now) and then get back into the normal schedule thereafter. I wouldn't ever put an orchid in a warm "DARK" place. They need light to photosynthesize and grow. All environmental factors are necessary to get it to grow well - nutrients from fertilizer, light to photosynthesize, water, and heat/warmth. Provide the right amounts of these and you are 95% of the way there! In the normal season a cooler evening is part of what triggers them to start setting spikes - but if you stay cooler for too long they will stall and do nothing - almost seems like plastic plants - no leaf growth, no roots, no spikes, no nothing. I kept my phals too cool last winter and this is what I experienced - suspended animation. Give them some light, fertilizer and warmth and they will take off...............

[arleneg]

I'm not a successful Phal grower, in regard to making them bloom. However, I know that Phals don't really need a 'rest' period. I'm sure someone successful in growing Phals will chime in here soon. For now, here is a link to the culture for growing Phals:

http://www.taygeta.com/phalaenopsis.html

Good luck.

[jerrymeola]

Slow release fertilizers come in two types the ones like Osmacote that are temperature release and I do not recommend for orchids, and Nutracote's Dynamite which is water released and I do use. Stay with a brand name if you want to use release fertilizers.

Your Phal blooms only once a year in the late winter or early spring after getting a cooling (night temps of 50 and days 70 is ideal but good results can be gotten from quite a range. Be patient you have a wait coming.

[new_keiki]

I have a few questions of my own on fertilisers:

1. is it true that water soluable fertiliser should be applied after watering the plant, when the medium is wet?
2. if applying the diluted fertiliser to the watered plant, the fertiliser almost comes straight out, how much nutrient can the plant can actually absorb? Thus, is it more effective in drenching the plant in diluted fertiliser?

Thanks for your advice!

[rmoen]

While in Hawaii a few years ago, I bought some 13-13-13 time release fertilizer with micro nutrients. It is good for 9 months before more pellets should be added. Seems to work, my orchids look fine
Rick

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I don't recommend time release unless you have a TDS meter to check on how well it is working. How do you know when it is used up. How do you know how much to really use. How about the problem of it disappearing into the pot, and you forget which ones got it, and which ones didn't. In general, orchids have very low need for fertilizer, so the little that is left behind after dumping some thru the pot is more than enough.