How to Choose Special Fertilizer for Orchids? A Complete Guide to Selection Tips
Orchids are one of China's top ten famous flowers. Since ancient times, the Chinese people have loved, cultivated, praised, and painted orchids. The ancients once exclaimed that “watching the leaves is better than watching the flowers.” Orchids have always been regarded as a symbol of nobility and elegance, and together with plum blossoms, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, they are known as the “Four Gentlemen.” Therefore, many people cultivate orchids. Let's take a look below at how to choose special fertilizer for orchids!
How to Choose Special Fertilizer for Orchids?
Fertilizer is the foundation of survival for all plants, so when growing orchids, you must fertilize, and you must apply good fertilizer and sufficient fertilizer. However, fertilizer varieties are complex and numerous, commonly including single-element fertilizers, compound mixed fertilizers, compound fertilizers, full-effect fertilizers, and special fertilizers, among which special fertilizers have the best effect. For orchid special fertilizer, you can choose Shuguang brand orchid special fertilizer, which not only has good effects and no toxic side effects, but is also convenient and hygienic to use.
How Should Orchids Be Fertilized Properly?
1. Apply by season: After temperatures rise in spring, foliar fertilization can be carried out. At the turn of spring and summer, root fertilization can promote new shoots to sprout quickly and abundantly. In autumn, when orchid plants enter the reproductive growth period, fertilization should focus mainly on phosphorus and potassium. In late autumn and early winter, solid fertilizer is suitable. In midsummer and severe winter, fertilization should be stopped.
2. Apply by growth stage: The orchid seedling stage includes sprouting, rooting, and leaf expansion, during which a 0.1% urea solution can be applied. During the vegetative growth period, complete fertilizers can be applied, either organic or inorganic. During the reproductive growth period, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be mainly applied to promote flower bud differentiation, more flowers, larger flowers, and rich fragrance.
3. Apply by variety: Different orchid varieties have different nutrient requirements. Chunlan (Cymbidium goeringii) needs less fertilizer, Jianlan (Cymbidium ensifolium) and Hanlan (Cymbidium kanran) need medium amounts, Huilan (Cymbidium faberi) needs more, and Molan (Cymbidium sinense), Hutoulan (Cymbidium hookerianum), and Dahua Hui (large-flowered Cymbidium hybrids) need even more. For xianyi, shuijing, and tuban yi orchids, fertilization should be done with caution.
4. Apply by growth condition: Robust plants should be fertilized frequently and abundantly; those with average growth should be fertilized normally; those with poor growth should receive less fertilizer, at lower concentration, and with longer intervals. Weak plants, diseased plants, newly collected plants, and newly potted plants should not be fertilized.
5. Apply by growing medium: Soft growing media do not require much topdressing, while hard growing media basically rely entirely on topdressing to provide nutrients. Moreover, soft media absorb easily, while with hard media, water poured on top flows right out below and is difficult to penetrate, so the soaking pot method or circulating method must be used for it to be effective.
How Should Orchids Be Cultivated Properly?
1. Location: The placement of orchids is very important. Generally, in spring, summer, and autumn they are placed outdoors, while in winter they are placed indoors. Outdoors, it is best to have open surroundings and moist air. Indoors, there should be sufficient light. Orchid pots are best placed on wooden racks or tables, not on the ground.
2. Soil: For orchid growing medium, you can choose peat soil, black mountain soil, garden soil, fern roots, moss, and bark chunks, etc. The bottom of the pot must have good drainage. Tile pieces can be used to cover the drainage holes, then a layer of broken brick, tile, and stone granules can be laid down, and finally the growing medium is placed on top.
3. Planting: When planting orchids, they should be inserted upright into the soil, then covered with soil up to the pseudobulb, and the soil should be pressed firm. After planting, water thoroughly and place in a shady environment. After half a month, move them to a ventilated, sunny environment. The pot surface can be covered with small gravel, which both retains moisture and enhances ornamental value.
4. Watering: For orchids, eight parts dry and two parts moist is best. During the flowering period and the period when leaf buds emerge, water less. During the plum rain season, they should be moved back indoors or a shed should be set up to shelter them from rain. In summer, watering in the early morning or evening should not be too much either. In autumn, the amount of watering can be appropriately increased. In dry seasons, spray every evening.
5. Light: Although orchids prefer cool conditions, if they are kept in a concealed place year-round, they will also rarely bloom. In spring and summer, it is best to provide shade. When autumn turns cool, the potted orchids should be moved out from the shady place to sun for half a day in the morning. In cold weather, place them indoors under a south-facing window to overwinter, but they do not need to be too warm.
6. Fertilizing: Orchid fertilization should avoid high concentration. Therefore, during the growth period, you can apply horse hoof sauce residue water or bean cake water, once every half a month. If potassium dihydrogen phosphate is applied in an appropriate amount, the effect is even better, but fertilizing in the hot summer season is not appropriate.
7. Pruning: During orchid cultivation, pruning should be carried out. Proper pruning not only benefits the growth of other leaves but also improves ventilation. Diseased leaves especially need timely pruning to prevent contagion. In addition, scissors also need to be disinfected to prevent infection.