Many orchids are fed throughout the year, except for the rest period, if any. But in different periods of orchid growth, the composition of the fertilizer should be different. Nitrogen is needed for vegetative growth, phosphorus and potassium help lay flower buds and bloom the plant more magnificent and beautiful. Based on this, you can feed with different fertilizers.
As you know, orchids are epiphytic plants and their growing technique is significantly different from other plants. First of all, orchids grow on a completely unusual substrate - most often chopped pine bark with various additives (sphagnum moss, etc.). Naturally, partly orchids get trace elements from water (if you did not come up with the idea of watering them with distilled water). However, this is not enough for growth, let alone flowering.
If it is a small plant, a young seedling, it needs to be fertilized weekly because the plant grows very quickly. Gradually, the plant is gaining decent size, becoming an adult, and feeding will already need to be given less often, but in the same amount as before - optimally once every two weeks.
Now the stores have a huge amount of fertilizers - Russian, Dutch, French, Finnish, etc.
To begin with, the list of fertilizers most commonly used for feeding orchids is as follows:
- Kemira Lux - fertilizer for ornamental flowering plants
- Bona Forte - special fertilizer for orchids
- Greenworld - special fertilizer for orchids
- Pocon - special fertilizer for orchids (Holland)
- Uniflor growth - fertilizer for deciduous plants
- Uniflor bud - fertilizer for ornamental flowering plants
Less common are the orchid fertilizer Etisso (Germany), Substral (Holland), BioEkor (Poland), Schultz orchids, and Ea for orchids (Japanese). From Russian - Ideal. Even less often, Fusco (if I'm not mistaken, it has already been discontinued).
I made an attempt to review the most popular fertilizers for orchids and collect reviews about them among flower growers living on the vast expanses of the Internet, and not just rukodelie.net/plants, a kind of "test purchase" option:
Fasco and Pocon scored the least positive reviews. Fasco did not meet the requirements for orchids, the plants grew leaves more, and did not bloom. And about Pocon Pocon, opinions were divided approximately equally - part of the audience believes that it is generally useless (the main reason is called a large number of fakes) and the rest, those who are satisfied, believe that orchids bloomed and very well. It is quite difficult to guess and buy a really not fake drug, since, as you know, you can run into low-quality goods in decent shopping centers. It is believed that a Pocon with a red lid is fake, and you need to buy a bottle with a yellow lid. Apparently here you can only check - buy fertilizer in a proven store and if the drug came up, do not try to buy it anywhere.
Further, Of all those mentioned, Kemira Lux is the most common - only positive reviews about it, I have not come across a single complaint about poor growth, or flowering - this speaks volumes. Similarly, positive reviews for both Bona Forte and Greenworld. However, they are less popular, perhaps because of the price and smaller selling points .
Only good reviews about fertilizers from Substral, Etisso and BioEkor. And only positive reviews left other Russian fertilizers "Uniflor." Fertilizer Ea for orchids (the name correctly sounds like "e" - "alpha") appeared on the market recently, has positive reviews, in addition to trace elements it contains enzymes and vitamins (a dose of 3-5 drops per 1 liter of water). There are doubts and disagreements between the use of Ideal fertilizers and the Garden of Miracles brand.
About other fertilizers and reasoning on this topic on the forum: Fertilizers for orchids
There are many specialists using organic orchid fertilization - rabbit, forgive me with poop, as well as bird droppings and pet parrot droppings, horse manure. Of course, this also makes sense and the result is positive on the face, however, only an experienced flower grower can get involved with such experiments. For an example of using organics, I will give a quote from one of the forums: "I take rabbit "jewelry," about 3 tablespoons (by eye, of course) per 0.5 liter bottle, fill with water, close tightly and put in a dark place of the week for 2-3. During this time, I periodically shake. Subsequently, I add a little to the water for watering plants somewhere 1 time in 2 weeks. This infusion is especially fond of coelogines."
Difference in fertilizers for orchids
Orchids, as you know, differ in that they need fertilizer fertilizers almost throughout the year. With the beginning of spring - for successful growth, nitrogen fertilizers are used. In the phase of bulb formation (from about mid-summer), fertilizers with phosphorus fertilizer are used to form peduncles. Already after the formation of bulbs, potash fertilizers are used for their ripening and during the development of peduncles.
What is the difference between fertilizers is mainly the ratio of phosphorus nitrogen and potassium. Traditionally, fertilizers list the percentage of these substances as NPK.
In nitrogen fertilizer, there is a greater proportion of nitrogen than phosphorus (about 1.5-2 times), in phosphorus - vice versa. Potassium plays a slightly smaller role, its share most often does not have a sharp oscillation and is quite high in fertilizers and with a high content of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers.
Fertilizers special for orchids are bred, as a rule, according to the instructions, for some species and in smaller doses. But fertilizers for flowering plants, for example, Fertica Lux, are taken in a dose 2-4 times less than the recommended one, since the percentage is chem. substances in it are much higher. Doses of extra-root feeding are 2 times less than for root feeding.
Depending on the species, orchids are also fed differently, so orchids with delicate and thin roots are fed less often - no more often than after 2-3 weeks, in winter at a lower dose. And orcs with stronger roots - weekly in summer and after 2 weeks in winter.
But we are interested, first of all, in the NPK:
- Pocon for orchids NPK 5 + 6 + 7 dose of 5 mL of water ,
- Fertica (kemira) for flowering plants NPK 16 + 20 + 27 dose for liquid 1/4 cap for 2 liters of water, dose of dry 1/2 teaspoon without top for 5 liters of water ,
- Bona Forte for orchids NPK 4 + 2.5 + 6 dose of 5 mL per 1.5 L of water,
- Substral Orchid Food for orchids NPK 19 + 31 + 17 dose 1 ml per 2 liters of water ,
- Schultz orchids NPK 19 + 31 + 17 dose of 1/2 teaspoon powder per 3 liters of water ,
- Greenworld for orchids NPK 5-4-6 dose 1 ml per 2 liters of water,
- Bioekor for orchids NPK 8 + 1.3 + 5 dose 1 cap per 1 liter of water,
- Etisso for flowering plants NPK 3.8 + 7.6 + 7.5
- Uniflor growth NPK 70 + 70 + 26 dose of 1-2 drops per 1 liter of water ,
- Uniflor bud NPK 47 + 88 + 32 dose of 1-2 drops per 1 liter of water ,
From this list it can be seen that according to the percentage of NPK, Kemira, Substral Orchid Food, Schultz orchids, Greenworld for orchids, Etisso for blooms, Uniflor-bud are just good for a good flowering of orchids. All these fertilizers contain trace elements in their composition, and the proportions allow them to be used specifically to stimulate flowering.
This does not mean that the rest of the fertilizers are bad and not at all suitable - they only contain less phosphorus and more nitrogen: Uniflor growth and Bioekor, for example. It's just that these fertilizers are most suitable for use in the phase of leaf growth - for young seedlings, which do not need flowering until they have gained leaf mass, as well as in early spring or after flowering, but at the moment the buds ripen, they are less effective.
Substral fertilizers themselves are of high quality, they are represented by a wide range and received good responses, but it should be borne in mind that specialized fertilizers are better suited for orchids.
Conclusions
- The use of fertilizers for orchids is permissible only for a well-moistened substrate, otherwise roots can be burned. Soak (immersion) roots for 20 minutes. Then spill the fertilizer solution.
- Fertilizer doses are calculated very carefully if fertilizer for flowering indoor plants, like Kemera Lux, is taken 3-4 times less than recommended. If this fertilizer is specifically for orchids, then the dose should never exceed, although many experienced orchideists reduce it by 1.5-2 times.
- The best way to feed is more often, but in smaller doses. So, for example, if it is written on the fertilizer every 2 weeks, and the dose of 5 ml per 1 liter of water is indicated (conditionally), then it is more effective and safer to fertilize weekly, but at a dose of 2.5 ml per 1 liter of water.
- Of all the fertilizers considered, the leader in quality is undoubtedly Fertica Suite. Personally, I gave her the first place in my rating (although her merit is also that the price-quality is quite acceptable, and it has become the most widespread.
Next to it, foreign specialized orchid fertilizers Substral Orchid Food, Schultz orchids, Etisso and Greenworld follow in honorable first place. Bioekor for orchids, Uniflor-bud and Bona Forte were slightly behind. By the way, Bon Forte's fertilizer for orchids turned out to be less concentrated of all. - Well, Pocon, as mentioned above, you need to buy with caution (a lot of fakes).
- It should be known that special "orchid" fertilizers are essentially the same as ordinary fertilizers for ornamental-flowering or ornamental-deciduous plants, only much less concentrated and usually with a low proportion of nitrogen. The orchid, in fact, is the same plant, and needs the same nutrients. Therefore, the main factor for choosing a fertilizer is the NPK ratio, the quality of the manufacturer's company and the dosage.
Author of the article Devi