Do's And Don'ts Of Using Orchid Fertilizer

Orchids, like all plants, require feeding if they are to maintain their health and produce the magnificent blooms for which they are famous

. One of the first mistakes is to treat orchids like any other house plant when it come to using orchid fertilizer and there are other things you must consider if you are caring for orchids.

We'll talk about how and when to feed your plants plus some things you must always do and others that you must never do.

How to Fertilize

The first lesson is that you never want to apply fertilizer to your plant when it's dry. Make sure the potting medium is moist so that it can best absorb the nutrients. Also you'll reduce the chance of burning the roots. Using a water soluble fertilizer will allow the nutrients to become immediately available to the plant. If you use dry fertilizer or pellets apply them to the wet medium and then throughly water again.

Never use more orchid fertilizer than what is recommended on the package - more is NOT better. It is better to use a small amount of orchid fertilizer every second or third watering than using a large amount once a month. Orchids require constant nourishment to maintain a healtlhy roots and to strenghten stems that will produce vibrant blooms. Small , frequent amounts of orchid fertilizer will assure steady growth without periods of feast or famine.

When to Fertilize

Be sure that you only fertilize your plants when they are actively growing. This is when plants are building up their strength and with most plants this occurs during the spring and summer, although there are some that grow continuously. In no case should you feed a sick plant or one with damaged roots. This only adds insult to injury. Nurse the plant back to full health and then you can begin a fertilizing routine.

Leaching Your Plant

With this process you throughly drench the potting material every other week to flush out leftover fertilizer. Also remove any crusty salt and mineral deposits left by the fertilizer on the orchid's pot. These deposits are dangerous concentrations of minerals that will burn your orchid if they are allowed to contact the leaves or roots. Feeding Frequency

The amount of light available to the plant will determine the amount of feeding it can use. The more light the more the plant can use the food. Light also regulates the process of photosynthesis when carbon dioxide is combined with water to create sugar. Photosynthesis can be reduced as much as two thirds if the amount of available light is limited due to cloudy or overcast weather. As a result, plants do not require the same quantity of food when the weather is cloudy as they would when it's sunny.

Summary

Although feeding orchids is somewhat different than that of your everyday house plants, it is not difficult to provide the right amount of nourishment if you follow the suggestions recommended in this article.

by: Brad Erickson

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