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Posted on 2:43 PM by Wanto and filed under
By Udo Hirsch
As a general guide, apply feed added to the water at every second or third watering. By using plain water in between the feeds, any leftover chemicals in the compost (growing medium) will be washed through, avoiding the build-up of any residue. Feed very sparingly during the winter and more liberally in summer, when there is better light and higher temperatures to balance the extra nutrients being supplied.
Have ready a shallow bowl of slightly tepid water to which you have added a little fungicide. Unscrew the jar and pour some of the water into the jar and swill it around. This may be sufficient to dislodge the seedlings so that they can be poured out. If the agar is too firm, it may need to be broken up and the seedlings carefully removed with tweezers.
Some manufacturers produce two types of orchid fertilizer. The first is a high-nitrogen feed used to promote growth at the start of the growing season. Later, when the growth has matured, this is replaced by a phosphate-based formula to encourage flowering. Whether this system is preferable to giving a balanced feed throughout the year is debatable, but growers can try out which suits their needs and their orchids best. Always follow the manufacturers' instructions and read the label carefully.
You can plant six orchid seedlings in one community pot. The pots or trays should have been prepared a week or so beforehand. Place a little drainage material in the base, using your preferred compost (growing medium). An ideal mix is fine bark, with perlite and charcoal added in even proportions, or you can use Rockwool. The latter is less likely to contain any harmful infection that can cause damping off. The community pots can be watered the day before use, which will make the compost easy to handle.
You may be tempted to combine different fertilizers to make your own concoction, but this can be dangerous and should only be undertaken by someone who fully understands the chemical formular of the trace elements. In the same way, do not exceed the recommended dose, or give a double dose because a feeding application has been forgotten.
However, the roots were easily burnt by the strong manure and the appearance of virus-like markings on the foliage of cymbidiums and other orchids fueled the fear that became the basis for the non-feeding rule. More recently, as the nutritional needs of orchids have become better understood and modern inorganic compost (growing medium) materials haw increased, feeding orchids has become scientifically based.
Place the community pots in propagator. Avoid any dehydration because, at this stage, the soft foliage can shrivel and die if there is insufficient moisture. The first few weeks are a critical time for the seedlings, as they recovering from the shock of their removal from the sterile conditions and adjust to the harsher outside environment.
If a specific orchid feed is not available you can use any one of the popular brands sold for houseplants, using the fertilizer at half the weaker recommended dose. It is important to remember that orchids are weak feeders.
Have ready a shallow bowl of slightly tepid water to which you have added a little fungicide. Unscrew the jar and pour some of the water into the jar and swill it around. This may be sufficient to dislodge the seedlings so that they can be poured out. If the agar is too firm, it may need to be broken up and the seedlings carefully removed with tweezers.
Some manufacturers produce two types of orchid fertilizer. The first is a high-nitrogen feed used to promote growth at the start of the growing season. Later, when the growth has matured, this is replaced by a phosphate-based formula to encourage flowering. Whether this system is preferable to giving a balanced feed throughout the year is debatable, but growers can try out which suits their needs and their orchids best. Always follow the manufacturers' instructions and read the label carefully.
You can plant six orchid seedlings in one community pot. The pots or trays should have been prepared a week or so beforehand. Place a little drainage material in the base, using your preferred compost (growing medium). An ideal mix is fine bark, with perlite and charcoal added in even proportions, or you can use Rockwool. The latter is less likely to contain any harmful infection that can cause damping off. The community pots can be watered the day before use, which will make the compost easy to handle.
You may be tempted to combine different fertilizers to make your own concoction, but this can be dangerous and should only be undertaken by someone who fully understands the chemical formular of the trace elements. In the same way, do not exceed the recommended dose, or give a double dose because a feeding application has been forgotten.
However, the roots were easily burnt by the strong manure and the appearance of virus-like markings on the foliage of cymbidiums and other orchids fueled the fear that became the basis for the non-feeding rule. More recently, as the nutritional needs of orchids have become better understood and modern inorganic compost (growing medium) materials haw increased, feeding orchids has become scientifically based.
Place the community pots in propagator. Avoid any dehydration because, at this stage, the soft foliage can shrivel and die if there is insufficient moisture. The first few weeks are a critical time for the seedlings, as they recovering from the shock of their removal from the sterile conditions and adjust to the harsher outside environment.
If a specific orchid feed is not available you can use any one of the popular brands sold for houseplants, using the fertilizer at half the weaker recommended dose. It is important to remember that orchids are weak feeders.
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