Using iron nails to grow orchids is fine, but never use them on rhododendrons, or you will get the opposite of what you want.

Using iron nails to grow orchids is fine, but never use them on rhododendrons, otherwise you will really lose the chicken and the rice as well.

Friends who have grown orchids or succulents may know that placing rusty iron nails in flower pots can effectively promote the growth of potted flowers. Experiments by experts have indeed confirmed this: potted plants with iron nails inserted into the soil have luxuriant branches and leaves, and their leaves are glossy green.

This is because using iron nails can better change the pH of the soil and can also provide the necessary nutrient elements for the flower soil, making the flowers grow more luxuriantly. This is especially good news for plants that prefer acidic soil.

However, veteran growers with decades of experience cultivating rhododendron stumps do not think so; their view is exactly the opposite. They say that although iron nails are good for growing orchids and other plants and flowers, they are not a master key. If such a thing is used in the care of rhododendrons, it will backfire, and it can be said to be a case of losing the chicken and the rice as well!

Why is this so? The veteran grower explained the reason. The veteran grower said that iron nails do not have much effect on improving the pH of the soil. Furthermore, rhododendron stumps themselves are afraid of soil containing too many iron ions. If too many iron nails are placed in a rhododendron bonsai, it will have a certain toxic effect on the rhododendron. Doing so will instead cause the rhododendron stump to wilt due to poisoning, and in severe cases it will wither and die.

Then, how should a bonsai such as a rhododendron be supplemented with the necessary mineral nutrients? Here, what I want to say is that whether it is an orchid or another plant bonsai, we can use a supplementary ferrous sulfate aqueous solution. The specific method is to mix ferrous sulfate with an appropriate amount of clean water, stir it evenly, and use it to spray the leaves of the plants or to water the bonsai.

However, it is worth noting that when watering plants and flowers, first, do not pour it on the young buds of the plants and flowers; second, as for the amount of water used for dilution, it is best to choose to dilute it with more water and follow the principle of applying thin fertilizer frequently. Therefore, nothing is omnipotent; only in a suitable occasion and an appropriate place can it show its ability. So, when it comes to using iron nails to grow flowers, plants, and trees, what good tricks do you have?