What Types of Fertilizer Are There? A Detailed Guide to Common Fertilizer Classification

I. Types of Fertilizer: Fertilizers can be divided into organic fertilizers, inorganic fertilizers, base fertilizers, foliar fertilizers and other types. Based on element content, they can also be divided into phosphorus fertilizers, nitrogen fertilizers and potassium fertilizers; in form, there are two major categories: solid and liquid. Generally, fertilizers are sold at local seed stations, and there are also specially formulatedorchidfertilizers. When applying them, reduce the amount as instructed, and they are very easy to use. Besides the fertilizers mentioned above, you can also compost some farmyard manure, green manure and multi-element fertilizer yourself. Here is a brief introduction to farmyard manure, green manure and multi-element fertilizer: 1. Farmyard manure: Use soybeans, peanuts, corn, sesame, bean cake, rapeseed cake, sesame residue, etc. to compost fertilizer water. This kind of fertilizer water contains more potassium and nitrogen and is suitable for spring application. It can promote cell division in orchid plants; with proper water management, the seedling production rate is relatively high. After composting and fermentation, this fertilizer has a pungent odor and contains a large number of harmful bacteria and insects, so it must undergo strict sterilization and pest elimination. You can add pesticide and let it sit sealed for a week. Adding a little orange peel before application can eliminate the odor. When applying, it can be diluted 400-500 times; generally, it is best when no smell can be detected. 2. Green manure: Tear cactus, aloe and willow branches and leaves into pieces, soak them in water for ten days, and then apply. In hot weather, after soaking for three days, a large number of small insects will appear, resembling aquatic earthworms, and they easily cause itching on the hands and face. When applying, wear latex gloves and scatter more than ten granules of carbofuran on the pot surface. In addition, boiling washed young peanuts, corn and soybeans in water with their skins is a very good green manure; the fruits can be eaten, and after freezing, adding water as appropriate works very well. Apply in season. The above two fertilizers are commonly used in spring and early summer and are very beneficial for producing and strengthening seedlings, but as the seasons change, the fertilizer must change accordingly. Below is an introduction to the making and use of multi-element fertilizer: after the beginning of spring, we can make multi-element fertilizer. Mix 5 liang of beer, 3 liang of yogurt, 2 liang of bean cake water and 5 liang of monopotassium phosphate, shake well, cover the bottle cap, place it in a sunny spot and ferment for 3-4 months, then add water at 500 times and it is ready to use. This fertilizer contains more phosphoric acid and is suitable for flower bud formation. Above we have gained a general understanding of fertilizer elements, forms and preparation, but correct application is the foundation of fertilizing. Just as with watering, the accurate grasp of watering lies in understanding and mastering the properties of the growing medium, and the accurate grasp of fertilizing lies in understanding and mastering the growth habits of orchid plants. Therefore, understanding the growth habits of orchid plants is very important and has important guiding significance for correctly fertilizing orchid plants. In view of this, we still need to seriously study the growth habits of orchid plants. Under normal circumstances, orchid plant growth can be divided into the budding stage, growth stage, vigorous growth stage, stagnant growth stage and dormant stage, and the vigorous growth stage is further divided into the spring vigorous growth stage and the autumn vigorous growth stage. All management content for orchid plants must be carried out on this basis for each item of basic management work. 1. Budding stage: 8-12°C in spring is the budding temperature for orchid plants. During this period, the root system of the orchid plant revives, the pseudobulb awakens, last year's autumn buds and this year's new buds begin to stir, and the mother plant cells begin to become active. Properly applying nitrogen fertilizer can promote mother plant cell division and lay a foundation for orchid plant seedling production. During this period, there are no visible signs of growth on the surface of the orchid plant. 2. Growth stage: 12-20°C is the normal growth temperature for orchid plants. At this time, the root system of the orchid plant begins to spread out, last year's autumn buds break through the soil early, and the current year's new buds are also eager to try. This is the golden period for orchid plant growth and development. At this time, attention should be paid to water and fertilizer management for orchid plants. For fertilizing, complete fertilizer is best, and nitrogen fertilizer can also be applied preferentially. Nitrogen fertilizer must not be excessive, otherwise the leaves of new seedlings are likely to become soft, thin and large, and are prone to carbon fly disease. At this time, fertilizing can be done by root irrigation at the normal ratio to achieve the goal of strengthening buds and seedlings. This is the first application of fertilizer according to amount (deliberate fertilizing). 3. Spring vigorous growth stage: 20-32°C is the vigorous growth stage for orchid plants. During this period, orchid plants grow rapidly. Although orchid plants need a large amount of nutrients at such temperatures, the root irrigation fertilizer we applied earlier still remains in the pot to varying degrees (coarse medium retains little or none, so fertilizing should still continue). Therefore, at this time, root fertilizer must be applied lightly, and foliar fertilizer application can be increased (once every 2-3 days) to reduce the risk of fertilizer burn to orchid plants as temperatures rise. At this time, fertilizing should focus on phosphorus and potassium fertilizers; complete fertilizer can also be applied, and nitrogen fertilizer should not be applied or should be applied sparingly. During this period ispests and diseasesthe high-incidence period, so ventilation should be strengthened and pest and disease prevention and control work should truly be done well. 4. Stagnant growth stage: above 32°C is the stagnant growth stage for orchid plants. At this time, orchid plants grow extremely slowly and their fertilizer requirements decrease accordingly. When the temperature reaches 30°C, seize the opportunity to increase the amount of watering, repeatedly watering heavily 2-3 times each time, using heavy watering to carry away the remaining nutrients in the orchid pot. Repeat this 2-3 times to make the growing medium in the pot light and moderate, which is an important measure for orchid plants to pass the summer safely. Under environments without special conditions, orchid plants should not enjoy air conditioning during the dog days, otherwise it is harmful and not beneficial to orchid plants. 5. Autumn vigorous growth stage: 32-20°C in autumn is the vigorous growth stage for orchid plants. At this time, the new seedlings of orchid plants can be divided into two situations. One is orchid plants that sprouted early; at this time they have basically become seedlings, and they are seizing the opportunity to consolidate and enrich the pseudobulb. After the pseudobulb is consolidated and enriched, it differentiates small buds again. Some strong seedlings of the year can differentiate young buds 1-2 cun high or even larger before dormancy. The other is new buds that sprouted relatively late; at this time they have not yet fully become seedlings, and they are seizing the opportunity to supplement and develop themselves. Because we diluted the growing medium in summer, and orchid plants at this time need a large amount of nutrients, root fertilizer should be applied in time (the second deliberate fertilizing), mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Such seedlings can still develop into strong plants, but they rarely differentiate new buds that year, and even if they do, they will not emerge from the soil. 6. Dormant stage: below 8°C, orchid plants basically stop growing and then enter dormancy. Management of orchid plants during dormancy is the simplest and least worrisome, but foliar fertilizer should still be sprayed at appropriate times. During dormancy, stop applying root fertilizer, and foliar fertilizer can be sprayed 2-3 times per month. During dormancy, keep the leaf surface clean, and it can be wiped with a 1/2000 rice vinegar solution. 7. Regarding the use of base fertilizer, it is not absolute. Except for hard growing media, the author does not approve of using base fertilizer. Many organic substances in the mixed growing media we commonly use, such as pine needles, sawdust and tree bark, can all be converted into organic fertilizer. Once the fertilizer strength of base fertilizer used in mixed media is excessive, it may bring catastrophic disaster to orchid plants. If fertilizer strength is insufficient, we can replenish and adjust at any time. Even if there is a small amount of fertilizer deficiency, it will not have a major impact on orchid plants. Therefore, it is better not to use base fertilizer. Obviously, fertilizing orchid plants is closely related to climate and temperature. Only by grasping the timing of fertilizing well and keeping fertilizer strength moderate can the purpose of fertilizing be achieved. In addition, fertilizing cannot be spread evenly like pepper; it should be applied according to the situation. Under normal circumstances, newly divided orchid plants, newly acquired orchid plants, newly collected wild orchids, diseased and weak seedlings, and newly planted orchid plants that have not yet adapted to the pot should not be fertilized. For normal orchid plants, after one spring and summer, autumn fertilizing can be brought into normal management. For diseased and weak seedlings, the fertilizer type and application method should be chosen according to the growth condition of the orchid plant. Under normal circumstances, weak seedlings should be planted in small pots and planted deep, diseased plants should be planted in small pots and planted shallow, the base planting must not be too deep, and the fertilizer amount should be reduced by 2-3 times, focusing mainly on leaf spraying. Generally, variegated orchids should not be fertilized. If fertilization is needed, a small amount of monopotassium phosphate can be sprayed, and nitrogen fertilizer should be avoided as much as possible to prevent increased chlorophyll from affecting the brightness of leaf variegation. (Song Mingyuan)