Despite what the naysayers believe, orchids need fertilizer for better blooms. But you must learn the right way to fertilize orchids fertilizer the right way!
Whether orchids need fertilizing is hotly debated, and people have differing opinions. While orchids might need less fertilizer than other plants, they need it to produce big, healthy, and beautiful blooms. However, as they say, too much of a good thing can be destructive, and the same applies. Too much fertilizer can cause root burn in orchids. Fertilizing correctly will make your orchids healthier, holding their leaves for longer and more bountiful blooms. So, here’s how to fertilize orchids the right way.
What Fertilizer To Use?
Orchids need specialized fertilizers depending on the purpose they will serve. Generally, you can use a balanced 20-20-20 fertilizer at a quarter of its strength or a 10-10-10 fertilizer at half strength. Though you might easily find “bloom-boosting” orchids that offer balanced nutrients for orchid flowering, not all orchid species will like these. It would be better to skip such products.
Dilution is incredibly important when using fertilizer for orchids. To dilute, you must follow the manufacturer’s instructions specifically. But even before that, you must know what nutrients are in the fertilizers you use.
1) Nitrogen
Providing orchids with nitrogen can help you grow more robust plants with healthy foliage. But that’s not all! Nitrogen helps with growth in all parts of the orchid, even in blooming, provided you have met all other requirements for flowering. Deficiency in nitrogen manifests as canary yellow foliage and lack of growth.
2) Phosphorus
This is another of the main nutrients needed for flowering. Phosphorus deficiency will manifest as purple streaks around the edges of leaves. The leaves will also start to look duller and lack glossiness.
3) Potassium
Potassium is generally available in fertilizers as a neutral salt in the form of potassium chloride (KCI), which helps regulate water and creates a stronger root system in the plant. Be careful because the “salt burn” in orchid roots generally results from a potassium excess. You will also see the plant getting black leaf tips.
Note: Tropical orchids are generally epiphytic and are not used to large amounts of potassium in their natural habitats. This is why, even when growing indoors, you must use the very least amount of potassium. Plus, orchids tend to hyper-accumulate potassium when they get it, making using it less important, except in the root formation stage.
4) Calcium
This element helps your plant form healthy plant cell walls and also helps resist pathogens. Moreover, it promotes healthy plant metabolism. However, calcium is an insoluble element, and its deficiency and excess look similar. However, you can gauge deficiencies when they occur in new growth with black tips that keep spreading downwards.
Note: You must always balance out calcium with magnesium as these two elements compete with each other in the plant.
5) Magnesium
This element is essential for photosynthesis, and if it is deficient, your plant will develop interveinal chlorosis, manifesting as splotches on the foliage. Don’t confuse this with a virus attack!
6) Micronutrients
Micronutrients like iron, copper, and more are essential for orchids in small quantities. If micronutrients are lacking in your fertilizer, your plants may lack growth and have other issues.
How To Use Fertilize Orchids The Right Way?
There are around 28,000 orchid species, and each grows in different conditions. This, of course, means that each orchid species would have different fertilizing needs. But here are some ways to ensure that you are fertilizing orchids the right way.
1) Use High-Quality Fertilizer and Water
The quality of water you use for dilution will matter much more than the fertilizer you use. For example, tap water is not really a good choice for diluting orchid fertilizer as it is hard water containing unwanted minerals. However, soft water often contains an increased level of ionized sodium. The best choice for dilution fertilizers would be distilled water, as it is free of all minerals, including chlorine, fluoride, and more. Another great choice of water is rainwater.
If you have no alternative to tap water, let it sit out for a day. This will make the chlorine and some other ions to evaporate out from the water, thus helping prevent salt buildup. A rule of thumb is to use water that has less than 525 ppm (parts per million) of dissolved solids for most orchids. In case of salt buildup, you can flush your orchids twice a month.
Pro tip: Use a urea-free or low-urea fertilizer for orchids, as urea is not a good source of nitrogen for orchids in their natural habitats.
2) Take Care Not to Overfeed
Overfeeding your orchids will do nothing but harm them. Many synthetic fertilizers contain mineral salts like calcium, potassium, and others. As you keep fertilizing more and more, it will result in salt buildup and lead to root burn, as mentioned above. If you find your orchid leaves wilting, it is due to overfeeding. The solution would be moving your plant to a well-lit area and applying less further. You could also try diluting it more.
Moreover, as you overfeed your plants, they will grow quicker than their normal rate of development, thus making your plants weak and more prone to diseases. They will also bloom less.
3) Feed Only During the Growing Season
Most orchid species have alternate active growth periods that differ between active flowering phases and then a dormant period. These periods align with the wet and dry seasons in the individual species’ natural habitat.
Follow the natural growth cycle of your orchid and feed it only during the active growth seasons of spring and summer. You can stop feeding during the dormant periods, such as Cattleya, Dendrobium, etc. For a few orchids which seem to grow all year round, you can feed them lightly all throughout the year.
Some experts say that you must feed actively, once or twice a week each month, during the vegetative growth phase or the non-flowering season of the plant. It would be best if you withhold feeding once your plant starts blooming. Do not forget to dilute the fertilizer to the necessary strength. Most orchid growers follow the saying “water weekly, weakly”. You can do so, by ensuring that the fertilzer mixture is more diluted than normal.
4) Fertilizing According To Species
Last but not least, fertilizing according to the specific orchid species is of utmost importance for the plant’s well being. For example, orchids that naturally grow on bark need much nitrogen. For these species, you should invest in a water-soluble fertilizer with a higher amount of nitrogen, such as in a 30-10-10 ratio or a 15-5-5 ratio.
For other species, a water-soluble fertilizer with a nutrient ratio 20-20-20 is suitable for producing more blooms. You could also try a fertilizer with more phosphorus in a 10-30-20 ratio.
5) Don’t Fertilize During Bud Formation
When your orchid starts producing buds, it would be best to refrain from fertilizing at least for a few weeks. If you fertilize your orchids during bud formation, it can lead them to drop, that is, fall off, before they even have a chance to bloom.
Give the orchid buds time to mature and grow naturally without any fertilizers interfering. This will allow them to develop into gorgeous flowers.
6) Wait Before Fertilizing Sick or Stressed Orchids
Before you go ahead and fertilize your plants, check if they are experiencing any signs of stress or health issues. For example, you might have overwatered your orchids, leading to your plant leading its roots. In such a case, give your plant enough time to recover completely before fertilizing.
One way to ensure that your orchid recovers is to place it in a location with enough sunlight, the right temperature, and the right humidity levels. Once your fertilizer looks good and healthy, you can start fertilizing again to aid in its growth.
Suitable Fertilizer Types for Orchids
Before even buying a fertilizer for your orchids, you might question if orchids can’t get all their nutrients from the growing medium itself. While orchids can benefit a lot from their soil mix, their nutrients won’t be enough to sustain their growth. There are three types of fertilizers. Here, we’ll explore the pros and cons of all of them.
- Liquid fertilizers are the most popular as they are easier to apply to your plant and are quickly absorbed by the orchid roots.
- Granular fertilizers—These are slow-release fertilizers, providing nutrients to your plants over time and thus sustaining them slowly.
- Organic fertilizers- It is natural not to want to use chemical-filled fertilizers. So you can go for organic fertilizers like fish emulsions, seaweed, manure, and ground manure, all of which are great choices. But it would help if you remembered that these fertilizers will have lower concentrations of micro and macronutrients than inorganic fertilizers. Another drawback is that they will have a strong odor until they dry.
With inorganic fertilizers, less guesswork is involved, and you can effectively promote foliage and flower growth. However, another secret trick in the book is using organic and inorganic fertilizers for the best results.
Best DIY Fertilizers For Beautiful Orchids
Though commercial fertilizers will, of course, do the job of helping your orchids grow and develop, DIY fertilizers like the following can be great alternatives. Plus, using these will also help reduce environmental effects. These DIY fertilizers mainly help your orchids bloom beautifully.
1) Banana Peel Fertilizer
Bananas make a healthy snack not only for humans but for orchids too! Please don’t throw away banana peels; instead, make them into a healthy, powerful fertilizer. You can do this by simply chopping the peels into smaller pieces and burying them in the soil of your orchids. As the peels start to decompose, they would provide your orchids with all the necessary minerals and nutrients.
2) Epsom Salt Solution
Many gardeners frequently use Epsom salt as an alternative to commercial fertilizers, even for orchids. To use this solution, you need only get a gallon of water, dissolve a teaspoon of Epsom salt in it, and water your orchids with it once a month. The magnesium in this solution promotes healthy growth and enhances the color of each bloom.
3) Coffee Grounds Fertilizer
Coffee grounds, which you would naturally throw away, can be a pretty valuable fertilizer for your orchids. They are rich in nitrogen, which is essential for healthy vegetative growth. You can sprinkle a thin layer of coffee grounds on the topsoil of your orchids or mix them into the orchid potting mix for a necessary nutrient boost.
4) Eggshell Tea Fertilizer
Eggshells are packed with calcium for better root health and overall well-being, making them a great natural alternative to fertilizers. Crush your eggshells into small pieces and let them soak in water overnight. Your orchids will surely love the calcium-infused “eggshell tea”!
Remember to use these fertilizers in moderate amounts, as over-fertilizing can be quite harmful. When using each fertilizer, remember the dosage and frequency.
