Am I starving my orchids?

[articuno75]

Today I decided to feed my orchids. I gave them some Miracle Gro orchid food. It's in a black box, and I'm probably never going to hear the end of it, but anywho I mix this stuff and it makes the water a super light purple. Well I dip the orchids in this water, and ZAM! The orchids suck this stuff up like a sponge! The color disappeared. Now is it me, am I losing it, or did the the stars align or something? Does this stuff get absorbed by the roots that fast, or is it soaked by the medium? I just want to make sure I'm not starving my orchids cause if I am I'll start feeding them more often. I mean start feeding them.

[kmarch]

If I understand correctly the purple was sucked out of the water? I suspect that the mix soaked up most of it, the roots some of it, depending on which orchid you're talking about; some roots soak moisture up faster than others.

I can all but guarantee you're not starving your orchids. I rarely fertilize my orchids and you've seen the pics I've posted. The last time I fertilized was only my cymbidiums about a year ago.

[Ellen]

K-March is right. Orchids can go just about forever without fertilizer. There's probably more danger of killing them by overfertilizing than "starving" them. If you're dipping the pot in the water, the color change could be due to a change in pH due to dissolved salts leaching out of the pot. I doubt that your plants are selectively "eating" the fertilizer (or the articifial color, if that's what it is). Also, it's not a good idea to dip orchid pots in shared water, since this can transfer pathogens form one to the other.

[jerrymeola]

When using Miracle grow you should reduce the concentration to a teaspoon per gallon.

I find my orchids grow larger and faster with regular feedings. I have never met a commercial grower that did not fertilize on a regular schedule, or with slow release fertilizers

[Rocinante]

Jerry, what is regular, once a month?

[Vivienne]

I fertilize weakly weekly. Weakly being 1/2 the recommended amount. I also use the worm tea in my misters and mist leaves 1-2 times per day.

[articuno75]

Viv~ How often do you flush your plants from residue? My fear is build up or fert burn. That's why I really never messed with it. But I figured 1/4 tsp. to a gal. wasn't going to insta-kill. So I gave it a go and like I said ZAM ! Color gone!

[PhalPal]

My first thought was a change in pH. That's the only possible explanation for such an instant color change.

Jenny I flush my pots every time I water. We have very hard water so I pour lots of water through the pots. It certainly can't hurt and it's the only way I can be sure to get the medium evenly moist.

[articuno75]

My first thought was a change in pH. That's the only possible explanation for such an instant color change.

What does this mean? As in to Basic?

Come to think of it I didn't mix my water......My water is very hard. Like stones coming out faucet hard. I tested the water with my own water kit once and got a measurement of 9.6-9.8 (And I wondered why I had fish dying....duh.) I mix bottled and tap together. I get a nice balance of around 6.5 I bet that's it.

[Vivienne]

Jenny - I flush them once a month. But every watering is a thorough 'water through' to fill the humidity trays. I use tap water which is left to 'air out' for 4 days to water and mist. I never use tap water straight from the faucet.

[Maty]

Help. I use Schultz Expert Orchid Food, one scoop in one gallon of RO water from the tap. I warm the water and use a a bucket to dip the pots until water just slips over the rim and leave the pots there for about 20 to 25 minutes each. I use the orchid food 3 times and then one time without food. Every orchid gets watered differently according to whatever they are. I have tiny Cattleyas, Phals and Vandas. If you could let me know if I'm doing it right I sure would be grateful. Well, maybe I'm doing ok. They are still alive and growing since last year. ! Oh, well, some didn't make it !

Thanks

[PhalPal]

It sounds like a lot of work and time to soak each plant. Also if one orchid has a health problem and you share the same bucket ALL will soon have the same condition. I use a watering can and thouroughly pour lots of water through each pot, and do this twice at each watering.

I'm curious about this - how many of you 'soak' your ochids to water them??

[articuno75]

We should do a poll on that

[Vivienne]

Too true about the soaking. I don't even collect the 'run off' when I water through my plants... it stays in humidity trays.

[Maty]

I agree about everybody using the same water if there is a disease or fungus among us. However my little plants seem healthy enough. But being a newbie I might not recognize a disease unless it gave me a rash! ! I wouldn't have thought this all up. I must have read it somewhere. Did find instructions for soaking for 10 to 15 minutes and half an inch below the rim. I'll try that and everybody is getting their own little soaking tub. ! I think I still prefer soaking for my little 4" pots. Just seems the water shoots straight through and there is not much bark there to hold it. I think after reading a bit I'll switch to just feeding every other watering.

Another question I had was how you handle the watering during the winter dormant period and how long that might be.

Considering my little orchids came dry in little baggies I'm quite amazed how well the 28 of them are doing. !

Now I'm being brave or foolish but the little critters are now outside and a desert monsoon is coming tomorrow. Boy, howdy.

[PhalPal]

Maty I am still reading advice in books that recommend soaking pots in a bucket, without any mention of transferring problems. I think it comes from when most orchids were grown in bark, which is know for being notoriously hard to saturate when new. However, sooner or later it breaks down and then you have a soggy, wet mess.

Water is supposed to 'just shoot through the pot.' I am still amazed at how little water orchids need. Here is a good suggestion that I have found very helpful:
http://www.orchidgeeks.com/forum/orc...f-orchids.html

[Maty]

I read that link before. And I've potted in medium orchid bark as directed by the grower. So I guess I'm totally messed up, or... this is just not the forum for me.

Cheers!

[kmarch]

I was watering orchids this morning and felt a sudden urge to fertilize....must be getting chilly in "that place down there."