Hype or Necessary?

[elitebettas]

Okay, I have heard conflicting advice on this. Is a high phosphorous fertilizer really needed once a plant is in spike/bud? I have heard that this has recently been proven false. Reason is, out of all of my orchids, all are done flowering except a phal that has shot out a secondary spike from a cut spike. It is growing a new leaf and roots. Should I continue to fertilize weekly weakly with the modest nitrogen fertilizer mix or should i use the "bloom booster"?

[kmarch]

As I grow mostly Paphs, whos mix contains a lot of organic material, I don't fertilize much and have a somewhat jaded view on this. In that context, when I did fertilize I used a bloom booster during the season in which the plant would be initiating its flowering cycle. This depends on what kind of orchid you have. For example, Phals initiate their flowering cycle in autumn when the night time temps drop so in autum/winter I'd give them a bloom booster.

What kind of orchids are you growing?

[elitebettas]

I have oncidiums, cattleyas, dendrobiums, ascocendas, vandas, and phals, and one phaph. The one I'm talking about in spike now is a phal

[pikevi]

Normally phosphorous is required by plants to successfully go through their reproductive cycles. I am almost sure it is required for blooming in some soluble form in the medium. But as you mentioned I am not sure if it is 'useful' after the spike has been produced by the plants.

kmarch: I checked the composition of bloombooster and it seems it has NO nitrogen and about 50% is phosphorous in the acid form,30% potash, together with magnesium and vitamin B1(Thiamine).

I think that shows the importance of phosphorous for blooming.

elitebettas, it may not be a hype, after all.

[Ellen]

Like Kmarch, I have a jaded view about designer fertilizing. I usually just throw on a little Nutricote a couple of times a year and if the plant blooms, it blooms. Some plants, especially mounted ones, I hardly fertilize at all, and they bloom, too.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by pikevi

kmarch: I checked the composition of bloombooster and it seems it has NO nitrogen and about 50% is phosphorous in the acid form,30% potash, together with magnesium and vitamin B1(Thiamine).

Fertilizers are not standardized, in other words i you can buy 12 different "bloom boosters" and get 12 different formulas, many of which will contain nitrogen. the one I used was somethign like 10-30-30. I've seen ones somethign like 7-20-10 but I dont' remember what brand it was

[palito]

given the slow growth of most orchids, my guess is that most fertilizer is wasted as runoff since the plant absorbs very little of it each time they are fed. I have also read some theory that for typical commercial orchids, K values are more important for flower development than P values.

[Fabolusus]

I've been using the MSU fertilizer for 2 years and have definitely noticed a difference in the rate of growth, both vegetative and spike induction. I've been using it on some of my tropical house plants (anthuriums, bromeliads etc.) and they all seem to respond to it. Here's an interesting article about it:

http://www.msu.edu/%7Egoddengr/publi...blications.htm

[PhalPal]

Normans Orchids is a huge grower of phals (www.orchids.com) and they fertilize lightly all year with a balanced fertilizer. 20-20-20. They encourage their plants to bloom with light and night temperture drops.
I don't know of anywhere in nature that a plant would receive 50% phos to initiate blooms.
I fertilize occasionally just because it is fun and as long as I go lightly enough it can't hurt. My plants do great with green growth and lots of spikes.

[pikevi]

Fabolusus: I see you like Anthriums too. I have two red ones . They are OK but are not growing well like my other plants. I suspect the potting mix I use is the not right for it.

I also bought a new one , Anthurium draconopterum, recently. I bought it bare. I potted it a medium of black earth,peat moss, perlite , a little bark and play sand. I also added some moss on top to keep the moisture.The drainage is good. It put forth a new leaf but when it was about to 'open' it dried up and died. The two original leaves are still ok but I see a little browning.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Thank you