Fertillizing your Orchids

[fred]

This thread is for all Questios and answers on Fertilizing your Orchids.

When do you Fretilize ?

How Often do you Fertilize ?

What brand of Fertilizer do you use.

Do you have your own Fertilizing Mix ?

What is used to make your mix ?

What Orchids need to be Fertilized ?

What Orchids do not need Fertilizer ?

Do Orchids need A rest Form Fertilizing ?

When do Orchids rest from Fertilizing ?

How long do Orchid,s need to rest from Fertilizing ?

When do you use groath booster ?

When do you use bloom booster ?

[Joan]

HI Fred,
Thanks for all the good links. How do we get to the seemingly fine fertilizer link?

[fred]

Hi Joan
welcome to the forum I hope that you enjoy your stay here with all of us orchid lovers.
We do our best to help here so I hope that you enjoy chatting with the awesome members here.
Could you please explane a little regarding your fertilizing question.
Thank you

[DDS2007]

hi all ,
can i use a balanced fertalizer 10-10-10 to fertalize my Phal and Miltonia? how often should i do that? and how much should i put in one litre of water (my fertalizer comes in a form of a salt)

thank u

[Sharyn]

DDS2007: There are a number of threads regarding fertilizer. I've only listed a couple below. Try a search for fertilizer on the "newbie" section & also "Orchid Care" section. Good luck. It takes a little reading and sorting out.
Confusion over fertizilers
what is a balanced fertilizer
Many of us are curious about the use of worm tea and some have already started using it with good results. You might want to also check out this link.
Worm Tea for better orchids
Worm Tea testing – follow-up - WOW

[Sharyn]

I have several kinds of orchid fertilizers, however, I know the dens. don't like much nitrogen and since I'm having some problems with them, I wonder if I could use Algoflash Rose Food diluted. It's 5-6-7 with magnesium and trace elements. This is the lowest nitrogen formula I have on hand. (Sorry, can't read all the fine print for other ingredients.)

[kmarch]

I think a nice low nitrogen fert like that should do well. But then again, I dont' fertilize my Dens at all so I might not be the best to take advice from.

[Sharyn]

Kevin, I was actually thinking the same thing. Maybe I should just stop fertilizing them all together. I was just concerned that they would suffer because they're all planted in a bark based medium.

[Sharyn]

What are your dens. planted in? Mine are in mostly bark mixture.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Down Under Orchids says to feed potassium. I have started adding a small amount of potassium Chloride to my water. But winter is over, so I am now starting to feed my orchids regular fertilizer, so this stuff gets added to the that.

[turkeytaker]

My guys do fine with a 10-10-10 whenever I remember (rarely). Dends do like nitrogen, it's just that, at the wrong times, it'll cause green growth rather than flowers.

I visited Yamamoto Dendrobiums when I was in Hawaii, they even feed their nobiles (notorious keiki throwers if fed nitrogen before blooming season) nitrogen...just when they're supposed to be growing. Most dend phal types won't care unless you're giving them a super nitrogen loaded fertilizer.

[kmarch]

Dear Sharyn,

I have a few types of dens which require slightly different cultures.

Nobile-types - I don't fertilize these at all because I am concerned they will throw kekis instead of blooming. Mine are in bark mix.

Warm-growers - These like to be more evenly watered year-round. I lightly fertilize these in the spring when their new canes are picking up speed. Again in bark mix.

Aussie Native Hybrids - these have alot of kingianum in them. I give a light feeding or no fertilizer. Again n bark mix.

Tetragonums - Mounted, all of them and no fertilizer. Same for my Dockrillas.

-K

[jerrymeola]

I raise so many Dens my wife wants me to stop.

I have been using Peters (many do not like it for orchids) 20-20-20 on all types including hundreds of Nobile Dens from Yamamoto. I was fertilizing once a week. All have done well and bloom continuously.

I do not fertilize Nobiles after August until budding but heavily the rest of the year.

I am using only worm tea this season on hard to bloom species Dens. Hopefully it will help with my excessive heat, spider mites and whatever else has been hurting my limited selection of species Dens.

[kmarch]

Translation of Jerry's post for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere:

Jerry does not fertilize his nobile-types after February (late summer).

[PhalPal]

I use 'Normans Optimal Orchid Nutrients' from www.orchids.com.
As a major orchid producer, they use this mix all year and do not vary their feeding schedule to induce spikes, growth, etc. This mix is 20/16/15 with Vitamin B1 and micronutrients, also urea free. Urea free Nitrogen is better absorbed/utilized by the plant. In addition, they told me that if a food is developed for orchids, it does not need to be diluted to 1/2 strength. This rule applies when using regular plant food not specifically meant for orchids. Hope this helps clarify. Going to their open house this week - April 13-22. Will get more info!

[butt0n]

Originally Posted by jerrymeola

I have been using Peters (many do not like it for orchids) 20-20-20 on all types including hundreds of Nobile Dens from Yamamoto. I was fertilizing once a week. All have done well and bloom continuously.

I do not fertilize Nobiles after August until budding but heavily the rest of the year.

So when do you start back up with the fertilizing for these?