| To emphasize
something stated in an earlier newsletter, we cannot
give you a formula for growing orchids. The best we
can do is to tell you what we do and why we do it.
The backbone of our nutritional program is Nutricote
Total 13-13-13 with minors, 6 month formula. Never heard
of it? It's sold as Dynamite at Home Depot. The one
for orchids is in the red canister. We, and many other
growers, have used this successfully for years with
excellent results.
Nutricote or Dynamite is the very best timed-release
fertilizer because the nutrients are gradually and consistently
made available to the orchids. Other "slow release"
fertilizers can dump more salts with increased temperatures
and water. This dumping results in severe root and leaf
damage. Nutricote or Dynamite will not cause this problem
if you follow label directions.
We apply Nutricote to every orchid as we pot it, using
two teaspoons per six-inch pot (use half for cooler
climates and indoor growing) . Smaller pots get proportionally
less, larger pots more. Two growers we know use considerably
more Nutricote, but they water more frequently to avoid
any salt concentration caused by the increased amount
of fertilizer. Their orchids are fantastic, from the
increased fertilizer, but there is little, if any, margin
for error. If their orchids ever become dry or are not
leached regularly, the problems can be catastrophic.
Also, if someone buys one of these, unaware of the culture,
disaster awaits.
We prefer our lower, safe use of Nutricote and we use
seasonal supplements also. During the warmer months
when new growth is abundant, we supplement with a balanced
formula of 20-20-20 liquid fertilizer. During the cooler
and slower-growing months, we switch to a high bloom
liquid fertilizer, such as 10-30-20 or similar.
Our potting mix also dictates our nutritional program.
Since we basically use a bark mix, we must feed the
naturally occurring bacteria working in the potting
medium as it ages.
Other successful growers don't believe any single commercial
fertilizer is perfect. Their chemical storage areas
include Peters, Dyna-Gro, Miracle Grow, Fish Emulsion,
Sea Weed Products, as well as Nutricote. The products
available seem to be endless.
Again, there is no perfect equation. It depends on your
growing conditions as well as what fertilizers are available
to you. Our web site has links to several suppliers
that offer everything you need in your search for orchid
supplies.
A few basics on nutrition: First, you need to fertilizer
your orchids on a regular basis. People have told me
they just hang their cattleya in a tree and never feed
it and it has 20 blooms. My response has always been
"If you fertilized it, you would have 40 bigger
blooms!" Orchids, for some reason, tolerate us!
Second, weekly, weakly. Smaller doses on a regular basis
produce more consistent growth and healthier plants.
Consider only eating one meal every other day. If your
schedule only allows you to fertilize monthly, at least
do it every month. Make sure that your orchid is slightly
damp when you fertilize and don't over-compensate the
fertilizer concentration.
Here is a final thought from one of our customers on
the type of fertilizer to buy - she buys whatever is
on sale! Go figure, it is food for the orchid!
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