Fertilizing orchids is a double-edged sword: only the right method will let you grow them well

Orchids originally grow in mountain forests and deep valleys, with a suitable natural environment, loose humus-rich soil, and soil with abundant fertilizer and complete nutrients, so they can grow very robustly. But after coming down the mountain to a courtyard or balcony, because the environment has changed greatly, nutrients are also not as abundant as when they were on the mountain, and no matter how well a fine orchid plant is grown, it is unlikely to be as thick and strong as a wild-collected plant, so we should try our best to create a suitable environment and good cultivation soil for orchids.

Many people now use hard potting media (xian soil, zhijinshi, ceramsite) for planting, including my orchid-growing medium. The fertilizer content in the medium can hardly satisfy the needs of orchid growth. If fertilizer is not applied at the right time according to the orchid's growth cycle, the orchid plants will sprout few shoots, grow slowly, and recover vigour slowly, and flowering and enjoying the flowers will be far off. Therefore, timely fertilization is absolutely necessary. But you should understand and grasp when to fertilize, the fertilizer concentration, what kind of fertilizer to apply at different growth stages, and the fertilizer preferences of different orchid plants; this point is very important.

Fertilizing is a double-edged sword: one side is nutrition, the other side is poison. At a suitable concentration, it is a nutrient element and can make orchids grow vigorously, while if too concentrated, it will become poison, causing orchid plants to collapse, become stunted, rot at the roots, or even be completely wiped out. My orchid-growing medium is zhijinshi plus xian soil. Below I introduce my understanding of different fertilizer elements and how to fertilize.

1. Fertilizer elements

There are 16 nutrient elements essential to orchids. Apart from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, which are absorbed from the air, the rest all need to be supplied by fertilization to varying degrees to meet the needs of normal orchid growth. According to how much orchids need of each nutrient, they are divided into macronutrient fertilizers, including nitrogen fertilizer, phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer; secondary nutrient fertilizers, including calcium, magnesium and sulfur fertilizers; micronutrient fertilizers, including chlorine, zinc, boron, manganese, molybdenum, iron and copper fertilizers; in addition, there are some beneficial element fertilizers such as silicon-containing fertilizers and rare earth fertilizers.

1. Nitrogen fertilizer: Nitrogen is the main element composing proteins, and proteins are the basic substances in the composition of cell protoplasm. Increasing the application of nitrogen fertilizer can promote the formation of proteins and chlorophyll, make leaf colour dark green, increase leaf area, promote carbon assimilation, and help increase yield and improve quality.

2. Phosphorus fertilizer: Phosphorus is an indispensable element in forming nucleoproteins, lecithin and so on. The phosphorus element can accelerate cell division, spur faster growth of the root system and aboveground parts, and promote flower bud differentiation.

3. Potassium fertilizer: The nutritional effect of the potassium element can increase the intensity of photosynthesis, promote the formation of starch and sugar in the plant, enhance the plant's stress resistance and disease resistance, and also improve the plant's absorption and utilization of nitrogen.

4. Magnesium: one of the elements composing chlorophyll, promoting the process of photophosphorylation.

5. Calcium: one of the main raw materials for building cell walls.

6. Sulfur: a necessary component of certain amino acids.

7. Chlorine: it bears certain physiological functions, such as participating in photosynthesis, regulating cell osmotic pressure, maintaining ion balance in the body, and so on.

8. Iron: one of the elements composing chlorophyll, it participates in metabolic processes such as photosynthesis and respiration, and is also one of the components of nitrogenase.

9. Zinc: a necessary element for synthesizing tryptophan, and tryptophan is the precursor of indoleacetic acid.

10. Copper: one of the raw materials for synthesizing chloroplast proteins.

11. Boron: it plays an important role in physiological and biochemical processes. It participates in protein metabolism; participates in the formation of pectin, and when the plant lacks boron, pectin decreases; boron participates in the trace elements necessary for vascular bundle development, the formation of lignin, and so on.

12. Molybdenum: it plays a certain role in plant metabolism and respiration. Molybdenum is also related to the plant's phosphorus metabolism, and when molybdenum is deficient, it is unfavourable for the conversion of inorganic phosphorus to organic phosphorus. In addition, molybdenum can also improve the plant's ability to resist diseases.

The above are the elements needed for orchid growth. Everyone is relatively familiar with nitrogen fertilizer, phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer; micronutrient fertilizers may be unfamiliar.

2. Fertilizers I use

(1) Fertilizer: I like Magic Fertilizer. Magic Fertilizer is a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium-magnesium compound fertilizer. It is a slow-release fertilizer that releases according to the fertilizer concentration in the soil, does not harm roots or buds, and is harmless even if it touches roots or new buds. It has a notable effect on strengthening pseudobulbs and promoting flowering. I have used it for many years and apply a relatively large amount, about 20-30 granules per pot.

(2) Quick-acting compound fertilizer: Huabao, which is usually used, is a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer. According to the different ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium needed at different orchid growth stages, Huabao is divided into No. 1-5, and different Huabao types can be applied according to different growth stages. Huabao's effect is acceptable, but it does not dissolve easily. When using it, the undissolved part should be thoroughly filtered out, so that undisolved granules do not burn new buds and cause plant collapse. I only use Huabao No. 4. The nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium ratio of Huabao No. 4 is 25:5:20, and its aqueous solution is purple. It has a special effect on strengthening roots, stems and leaves, promotes an increase in tillering buds and root clusters, and strengthens the stems. The concentration I use is 3000-4000 times, very dilute, generally applied once every 10 days. After Spring Festival, the temperature rises, all things revive, and it can be applied after March. Huabao No. 4's bud-promoting effect is still acceptable, and its effect on increasing root clusters and strengthening pseudobulbs is also good. Huabao No. 5: nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium ratio: 30-10-10, promotes the rapid growth of various seedlings, and the high-nitrogen formula promotes the rapid early growth of new shoots of Chinese orchids. Huabao No. 5 is used less; it can be used after the orchid buds open, sprayed on leaves and poured at the roots. The high-nitrogen formula makes new seedlings grow rapidly, and the orchid plants become tender green, broad and thick. Huabao No. 3: nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium ratio is 10:30:20, with a particularly high phosphorus content, and the aqueous solution is grey-black. It mainly promotes orchid flowering. Fish essence fertilizer: organic fertilizer, high-phosphorus fertilizer, promotes flowering.

(3) Biological bacterial fertilizer: Zhiquan and Xishuo contain not only nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but also relatively complete trace elements, live beneficial bacteria, and so on.

3. How to fertilize

①. Fertilization forms: use Magic Fertilizer as base fertilizer, placed on the upper part of the pot. For topdressing, foliar fertilizer and root drenching are carried out at the same time; do not apply foliar fertilizer alone.

②. Fertilization methods:

1. Fertilize according to the orchid's growth stage: after spring, all things begin to revive, and orchids also begin a new round of growth. At this time, apply fertilizer that promotes leaf bud differentiation, such as Huabao No. 4 at about 3000 times and Zhiquan at about 2000 times, once a week. After the buds emerge from the soil, the nutrition needed is mainly nitrogen fertilizer. I still mainly apply Huabao No. 4, and in addition can apply Huabao No. 5, Liweilv and other fertilizers a few times less often. Now this season is the season for flower bud formation. Many of my orchids have already produced flower buds. If they have not yet produced flower buds, on the basis of withholding water, apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, such as fish essence fertilizer or Huabao No. 3, monopotassium phosphate, and so on. If the plant is strong, it should produce flower buds. Orchids grown at home may be at different growth stages at the same time, so different fertilizers should be applied according to the different stages. In the hot midsummer, if there are no cooling measures, fertilization should be stopped. In winter, orchids are in the dormant period, and fertilization should be stopped. Orchid fertilization should be light and frequent.

2. Fertilize according to the orchid's growth condition: if the orchid is growing acceptably and the roots are good, fertilize normally; if the orchid is not growing well and the root system is poor, fertilize less, and after the root system settles down, fertilize normally.

3. Use according to orchid variety: I mainly grow Chunlan and Huilan. Huilan has long, broad leaves and thick, strong roots, so it can be fertilized a little more. Chunlan should be fertilized less than Huilan.

4. The relationship between fertilizing and watering: when the medium is on the dry side, fertilize before watering. The fertilizer concentration must be dilute. After fertilizing, water again, and water heavily, to wash away the fertilizer in the buds and in the medium.

5. The relationship between fertilizing and sterilization: fertilizing and sterilization can be carried out at the same time. Most fungicides and bactericides can be mixed with fertilizer. Read the instructions before use, but do not mix them with biological bacterial fertilizer. After using a sterilizing agent, biological bacterial fertilizer can be applied to replenish live beneficial bacteria.

6. When dividing plants, soak the orchid plant in about 500 times Zhiquan for 30 minutes; this can promote earlier rooting and sprouting.

4. Essential tools for fertilizing

The fertilizer concentration must be accurate. Huabao includes a small spoon; one small spoon is 1 gram. Use a measuring bucket to measure water.

For liquid fertilizer, use a medical syringe to measure accurately. Medical syringes should be prepared in 5 ml and 1 ml sizes.