Complete Guide to Fertilizing Orchids: Methods and Techniques Explained

"A crop is a flower, all depends on fertilizer" - this farming proverb applies just as well to orchids. Orchids are fertilizer-loving plants, and the nutrients in the potting medium alone are hard-pressed to meet their year-round growth needs. After an orchid has been grown in a pot for a long time, the nutrient content in the potting medium gradually decreases, making proper fertilization necessary. Fertilization is one of the important steps in orchid cultivation, and also one of the most difficult skills to master in orchid growing. It is well worth studying carefully, exploring carefully, practicing carefully, and summarizing carefully.

　　

I. The main fertilizer components orchids need

　　

1. Nitrogen, mainly promotes vigorous growth of stems and leaves and deep green leaf color. When nitrogen is deficient, leaves turn pale yellow and the plant grows slowly. Nitrogen fertilizer components are found in relatively high amounts in soybean meal, oilseed crops and urea.

　　

2. Phosphorus, can promote well-developed root systems, a plump plant, and the formation and development of flower buds and leaf buds. Phosphorus fertilizer components are found in relatively high amounts in bone meal, fish meal and superphosphate.

　　

3. Potassium, can dissolve and transport nutrients to cells, making the plant firm, the stem and leaf tissues plump, growing upright, and enhancing the plant's ability to resist pests and diseases. Plants deficient in potassium become shorter, with leaves soft, drooping and scorched, and growth may even be hindered. Potassium is mainly contained in plant ash and inorganic potassium fertilizers. The above three fertilizer components are the main fertilizer nutrients that promote orchid growth. What we usually call fertilizing mainly means applying these three fertilizers: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. In addition, during growth orchids also need trace elements such as calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, and manganese, copper, boron, zinc, etc. But under normal circumstances, the potting medium will not lack these, so generally there is no need to add them. If they are lacking, this can be solved by replacing the potting medium, or by top-dressing with a complete synthetic organic fertilizer.

　　

II. Types of fertilizers orchids need. Fertilizers are mainly divided into two major categories, organic fertilizers and inorganic fertilizers. In addition, there are also high-efficiency synthetic flower fertilizers and biological bacterial fertilizers.

　　

1. Commonly used organic fertilizers:

　　

a. Human and livestock manure, used after urine is fermented and composted, called "golden juice" in ancient times, with nitrogen as the main component; cattle, sheep, pig and dog manure, after fermentation, can be used as dry fertilizer or made into fertilizer water and used after dilution. This kind of fertilizer has a complete range of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium components.

　　

b. Composted fertilizer, there are many traditional types of composted fertilizer, such as soybean meal, rapeseed meal, fishy water, chicken feathers, fish intestines, etc., soaked and fermented, composted for 3--6 months and then diluted for use. The nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium components in composted fertilizer are also relatively complete.

　　

c. Grass juice, made by composting tender grass grown in spring or early summer into a liquid juice, with nitrogen fertilizer as the main component.

　　

2. Commonly used inorganic fertilizers:

　　

Commonly used inorganic fertilizers include potassium sulfate, superphosphate, monopotassium phosphate, urea, etc. These inorganic fertilizers have varying effects on orchids, and all contain certain inorganic salt components, so they must be used with caution.

　　

3. High-efficiency synthetic organic liquid fertilizers and biological bacterial fertilizers:

　　

a. Lanjun Wang (Orchid Fungus King), a complete nutritional element, has the effects of promoting roots, stimulating buds and strengthening seedlings.

　　

b. Zhiquan (Plant Complete), a comprehensive mineral biotin, has the effects of promoting roots, stimulating buds, improving vitality, and preventing viral infection.

　　

c. Xishuo (Xishuo), a natural algae fertilizer and soil conditioner, contains various elements as well as natural plant hormones and actinomycetes, and can resist cold, drought and moisture, and inhibit viral infection.

　　

d. Cugensheng (Root Promoter), a comprehensive plant root nutritional supplement, makes the roots more vigorous, thereby enabling the orchid plant to grow rapidly, and can also inhibit viral infection.

　　

4. Long-acting slow-release granular fertilizers, such as "Magic Fertilizer" and "Shike" made in the United States, and "Yiduo" made in Taiwan, China, etc. Placing a few granules in the pot allows fertilizer components to be slowly released throughout the year.

　　

III. What fertilizers to apply during the orchid growth period. During the annual growth period, the fertilizers orchids need include:

　　

1. Wake-up fertilizer, applied to break dormancy, promote early sprouting, and gain a longer growth period. When the daytime temperature reaches above 15c and the nighttime temperature is not lower than 5c, it can be applied. Foliar spraying of inorganic fertilizers (such as urea, monopotassium phosphate) and biological bacterial fertilizers is preferable.

　　

2. Bud-stimulating fertilizer, applied to promote early sprouting and more sprouting, and to gain effective shoots in early autumn. It can be applied 7--10 days after applying the wake-up fertilizer.

　　

3. Root-promoting fertilizer, when the leaf buds extend about 3cm above the pot surface, there is a pause in growth, and at this time new roots gradually grow, entering the vegetative growth and reproductive growth period. At this time more nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium elements are needed to promote rapid growth of new roots.

　　

4. Growth-boosting fertilizer, applied to satisfy the orchid plant's new shoots' need for rapid development, rapid growth and rapid maturity, and to enable a second sprouting in late summer and early autumn, and to gain early sprouting and early maturity of the second batch of shoots. It is the type applied for the longest time and the most times in a year. It is best to alternate organic fertilizers, inorganic fertilizers and biological bacterial fertilizers, and to alternate root application and foliar application.

　　

5. Flower-boosting fertilizer, applied to promote the development and growth of flower buds and achieve the goals of more flowers, larger flowers, brighter colors and fragrant scent.

　　

6. Cold-resistance fertilizer, stop applying nitrogen fertilizer 30 days before the orchid plant overwinters, and apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to help it overwinter, because phosphorus can lower the freezing point of plant cells, and potassium can increase the plant's cellulose, making the stem and leaf cortex tough. Choose monopotassium phosphate

　　

for root watering or foliar application.

　　

According to Mr. Shen Yuanru: after potted orchids are brought out of the room in early spring, fertilize twice around Qingming, with a half-month interval between each application; during the period when young buds and new roots sprout, more nutrients are needed, so strong-plant fertilizer should be applied; during the plum rain season the daughter plants grow very fast, so choose sunny days to fertilize 1--2 times; at Xiaoshu, if the orchid plant is thin and weak, top-dress once with diluted fertilizer; from Bailu to Qiufen, top-dress with diluted fertilizer one last time; after Hanlu, if there are autumn stems, top-dress once more with diluted fertilizer.