How to feed a phalaenopsis orchid, when and how to apply fertilizer correctly?

Nutrient requirements

The need for nutrients directly depends on the time of year.

In spring and summer , thanks to long daylight hours and elevated temperatures, orchids can process more nutrients faster than in winter and autumn , when the temperature drops and daylight hours are shortened.

Each nutrient and the product of its transformation has its own purpose for the development and well-being of plants.

Depending on their role in metabolism, all nutrients can be divided into two groups:

• BUILDING ELEMENTS are substances necessary for a plant to form its organs (leaves, root system, etc.).

This group includes: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, organic acids, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, etc.

• FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS are substances that influence certain processes occurring inside plants.

This group includes: potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, boron, manganese, copper, molybdenum, chlorine and others.

What fertilizer should I use?

When using fertilizer for phalaenopsis, you need to take into account the season. In winter and summer, the flower should be fed no more than once a month, and in autumn and spring - twice a month, provided that the orchid is not in the dormant stage.

There are special fertilizers for phalaenopsis orchids that contain the optimal amount of microelements, which allows you to avoid the salinity of the substrates.

If it is not possible to purchase such a fertilizer for phalaenopsis, then you can use the usual ones, which are intended for indoor flowers. It just needs to be less concentrated.

To improve the process of photosynthesis, as well as carbohydrate and protein metabolism for a phalaenopsis orchid, you should feed it with fertilizer containing phosphorus-containing substances. When entering the active growing season, the plant consumes many nutrients, due to which leaves and roots develop. For this reason, it requires large amounts of nitrogen-containing substances.

When choosing fertilizer for phalaenopsis, you need to remember such important microelements as potassium and phosphorus, which significantly affect the process of formation of buds and flower stalks. If there are enough of them, the color tone of the plant will become more pronounced, and the peduncle will develop well.

Types and composition of fertilizers

There are 3 main groups of fertilizers:

• Organic;
• Inorganic;
• Chelates.

Organic fertilizers

They are of natural origin.

As a rule, these are waste products or decomposition products of animals and plants (bone meal, manure, humus, bird droppings, compost, etc.).

For the most part, such fertilizers contain nitrogen , which in its pure form is not available to plants.

In order for the orchid roots to begin to absorb such fertilizer, it must be processed by microorganisms.

This process directly depends on:

• composition and degree of substrate moisture;
• general temperature of the plants;
• total number of microorganisms.

The process of processing substances occurs uncontrollably.

Nitrogen may be produced either too little or too much.

In organic fertilizers, the remaining microelements necessary for orchids are either not contained at all or in a very low proportion.

Inorganic fertilizers

It is obtained synthetically by mixing macro- and microelements in certain doses.

Inorganic fertilizers are quickly absorbed by orchids, but they strongly salt the substrate and are difficult to wash out of the pot.

Most mineral complexes contain 3 main elements :

• Nitrogen (N);
• Phosphorus (P);
• Potassium (K).

The following can be added to the main elements in small quantities:

• Iron;
• Calcium;
• Manganese;
• Zinc;
• Molybdenum;
• Magnesium;
• Boron;
• Seru.

Fertilizer packages always contain the exact ratio of all three elements. For example, N:P:K = 10:4:7, which in turn means that nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium have a ratio of 10:4:7.

Sometimes the fertilizer packaging indicates the ratio of four numbers, the fourth being magnesium.

Modern complex fertilizers for orchids contain these microelements in different proportions.

Depending on the ratio of fertilizer elements, there are:

• Balanced;
• Nitrogen;
• Phosphorus.

A fertilizer with an NPK formula of 20-20-20, 12-12-12 or 6-6-6 is called balanced . There are equal amounts of all elements in such a fertilizer, but in absolute numbers there are most of them in the first formula.

The formula of nitrogen fertilizer is most often NPK 30:10:10. There is more nitrogen in this fertilizer than phosphorus and potassium.

Nitrogen fertilizer is used limitedly - at the beginning of the growing season for orchids planted in organic substrates (untreated bark, peat).

Organic substrates, immediately after the start of use, begin to decompose little by little and are colonized by bacteria, which absorb most of the available nitrogen. Therefore, the risk of overfeeding the orchid with nitrogen is minimal.

Phosphorus fertilizers, for example, NPK 10:30:20, are used to stimulate abundant flowering. The best time to apply phosphorus fertilizer is 1-2 months immediately before the expected flowering period.

More details about the signs of deficiency or excess in the next article.

Chelates

Unlike the first two varieties, they are absorbed by the root system (and leaves) almost instantly.

Chelate (from the Greek chele, “claw”) is a complex organic complex, a chemical combination of a trace element with a chelating (capturing) agent.

Such an agent firmly holds microelement ions in a soluble state until they enter the plant.

Then it releases it, converting it into a biologically accessible form, and itself breaks down into chemical compounds that are easily absorbed by plants.

Chelated fertilizers can be “ single ”, including only one microelement (for example, Fe-EDTA or Fe-DTPA), or they can be complex (for example, an aqueous solution of chelates of microelements Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo based on HEDP).

They have a positive effect not due to the substances they contain. Beneficial microorganisms simply facilitate the absorption of nutrients that are already present in the substrate.

With the correct dosage, in addition to the positive effect, they do not cause any obvious or hidden damage to the plant.

Precautions during operation

When applying fertilizers, there are certain rules that must be followed:

• root nutrition is applied only after the roots and substrate are saturated with moisture;
• do not feed the plant for a month after transplantation and after dormancy;
• Fertilizers are also not applied during flowering, as this shortens the duration of flowering;
• Only healthy plants are fed with fertilizing;
• the nutrient solution is not sprayed onto buds or flowers;
• it is necessary to strictly adhere to the dosage, not to exceed it, so as not to burn the root system or leaves of the phalaenopsis;
• Before using a complex aqueous solution, you need to shake the bottle, since beneficial salts tend to settle at the bottom;
• It is better to underfeed orchids with nutrients than to overfeed them;
• pay attention to the terms and conditions of storage of the drug.

Important! It is forbidden to apply foliar and root fertilizing at the same time; they can only be alternated.
Fertilizers are important for orchids, but they should be applied exactly when the plant needs them. If you follow simple rules for caring for a phalaenopsis orchid, it will respond with beautiful and long flowering.

Fertilizing orchids at different periods of development

At different periods of orchid development, fertilizer compositions with different ratios of components are used.

The content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in them depends on what phase the orchid is in:

• During the period of active growth, a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content is necessary, since nitrogen is responsible for the growth of vegetative mass.

• During planting and budding, fertilizer with a high content of phosphorus and potassium is necessary.

Principles of flower maintenance before and during the appearance of buds - what is the difference?

Care in these different periods is of course different, let's compare:

Care before the peduncle is released - while the plant is resting (not blooming), it needs to be carefully looked after so that it has the strength to bloom for a long time:

1. 
   You need to water as the roots dry out.

2. Maintain the required humidity and temperature.
3. Lighting must be active.
4. Carefully and regularly inspect the flower for pests.
5. You should not get carried away with fertilizing, otherwise the Orchid may begin to “fatten”, grow leaves and roots, but not bloom.

If it still doesn’t bloom for a long time, you need to create “stress,” that is, create completely uncomfortable conditions: either move it to a darker place, or create a slight “drought” (dramatically reduce watering). After such actions, flower stalks usually appear.

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• Care during the release of the peduncle is no less thorough; of course, you need bright light, and the air humidity must be appropriate, the temperature regime must be observed, but after the peduncle has emerged, fertilizing should be immediately resumed at the required rate. At this moment they greatly influence the health of the entire Orchid bush in general and the quality of flowering in particular.

How to feed an orchid?

When deciding how to feed an orchid, it is worth taking into account the species characteristics and place of their growth in nature.

Feeding for epiphytes

Epiphytes include such representatives as phalaenopsis, vanda, cambria, dendrobium, etc.

Their nutrient requirements are low. In nature, these plants are content with the grains that rain washes off the trees.

IMPORTANT! For epiphytes, it is recommended to use only mineral fertilizers.

Feeding requirements for terrestrial species

Terrestrial orchids include some types of paphiopedilum, growing in rock crevices where various organic remains, cymbidium, ludisia, etc. accumulate.

Their need for nutrients is higher, because decomposing organic remains are always present on the ground (rotted leaves, grass, branches, animal waste products).

They respond well to the addition of organic matter, in addition to mineral complexes. For example, cymbidiums often refuse to bloom unless organic matter with a sufficiently high nitrogen content is added.

IMPORTANT! Before using the fertilizer, be sure to read the instructions for its use. Strictly observe the dosage.

How long does the peduncle of a phalaenopsis orchid grow?

From the beginning of the growth of the peduncle to the opening of the first buds, it usually takes about two months. The duration of peduncle growth depends on the light: the more light, the faster the peduncle forms.

If you took my advice and did not cut off the peduncle completely after the end of the main flowering, then with the arrival of autumn, a lateral peduncle may begin to grow from the “dormant” buds of your orchid. Keep in mind that the lateral peduncle forms faster: as a rule, a month after the lateral peduncle begins to grow, the orchid will already delight you with its flowering.

Fertilizer application methods

There are two ways to deposit:

• Root feeding.

Using this method, the roots are soaked or spilled with a solution containing fertilizer.

• Foliar (foliar) feeding.

Fertilizers are applied to the leaves, most often using a spray bottle. Since most of the stomata on leaves are located on the lower part of the leaf, this is where fertilizer should be sprayed.

Foliar feeding can be used in parallel with root feeding, or can be used independently when the orchid does not have roots or it is necessary to deliver microelements directly to the leaves (for example, during chlorosis).

IMPORTANT! The use of fertilizers in the form of sticks or tablets is not recommended, since in conditions of breathable substrates based on the bark of coniferous trees, they have a very small positive effect on orchids.

Improper care and its consequences

With proper care there should, in principle, be no difficulties or problems, but, unfortunately, this is not always the case:

• firstly, it is not always possible to create ideal conditions for the plant to send out flower stalks (read about why an orchid does not put out flower stalks and how to force it to do so);
• secondly, there is a problem in the lack of enough time for care.

Most often, the plant can be harmed by:

1. 
   Spider mites - an unpleasant white coating appears on the leaves, a thin cobweb, it is noticeable along the edge of the leaf. This indicates insufficient air humidity; the flower needs to be thoroughly bathed in the shower (only warm), allowed to dry, and then treated with acaricides.

2. Scale insects are white in color and look like small white lumps on the leaves. You need to clean them off the leaves as soon as possible (you can use alcohol-soaked cotton wool) and then treat them with insecticides.
3. Whitefly is a dangerous “butterfly” that can practically destroy a plant. You must first bathe it in a warm shower with laundry soap, and then also treat it with insecticides.
4. Thrips are capable of infecting both leaves and flowers at once; they pierce the edges of the leaf with their proboscis and suck out the juice, the leaf begins to turn yellow. You urgently need to put the plant under the shower, thoroughly rinse each leaf and flowers, and then treat it with Aktara.

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The most common diseases due to improper care:

• Rot is a fungal disease; you must immediately remove the affected leaves and sprinkle the cuts with charcoal. The reason for this is a lot of moisture at low temperatures.
• Fusarium - the leaves soften and become covered with a pinkish coating, spots appear - treatment with Fundazol (within a week) will help. The reason is stagnation and too much air humidity.
• Powdery mildew - a white coating appears on the leaves and buds; treatment with a solution of colloidal sulfur or the drug "Skor" will help. The reason is the creation of a “greenhouse effect,” that is, too high a temperature and humidity.
• Spotting on leaves - the appearance of dark wet spots indicates that you are too carried away with fertilizing. The leaves will have to be removed and the flower treated with a fungicide.

Rules for feeding orchids

It is best to use a specialized fertilizer, marked on the package “For orchids,” since they are specially balanced in relation to the needs of the orchid and cause the least harm to their root system.

The substrate is a special microclimate where various bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms live.

When fertilizing, you fertilize not only the orchid itself, but this entire friendly family taken together.

Each component of which, to one degree or another, is involved in the processing of fertilizer in order to extract useful elements from it and present them to the orchid roots in a form accessible for absorption.

The processing of many useful substances takes a fairly long period - first they accumulate in the substrate, are gradually processed by microorganisms, and then end up inside the orchid.

The older the substrate , the greater the number of such elements it contains , and the higher the likelihood that too many substances will accumulate and they will become toxic to nearby roots.

Salinization of the substrate will occur , followed by massive death of roots.

In order to avoid this, orchids growing for a long time in old substrates need to be fertilized an order of magnitude less often than in new ones.

The opposite situation occurs inside pots of recently transplanted orchids .

At first, the microflora necessary for the further promotion of beneficial substances is practically completely absent.

To build it, you will need not only a certain period of time, but also a large amount of nitrogen (especially in clean bark).

It is not uncommon during this period when orchids begin to suffer from a lack of it, turning yellow and dropping leaves, because all the nitrogen available for nutrition is spent on building new microflora.

How to do the work correctly?

Specific actions will differ depending on the purpose of the procedure and the stage of the plant's growing season.

For budding

To extend flowering time, fertilize 1-2 weeks before buds form.:

1. We water the plant. We do not fill the soil; it must be moist (we talked about how often to water a plant at home here).
2. Place the pot with the orchid on a tray of water and leave it there until the roots soak.
3. Add fertilizer to the water. Suitable: Bona Forte, Effect, Pokon. See the packaging for the exact dosage.
4. Leave the phalaenopsis on the tray for 5-7 minutes.
5. We take out the pot and put it in its usual place.

During flowering

The main rule during this period is not to overfeed the plant.:

1. Water the plant 1-2 days before fertilizing.
2. We dilute GreenWorkd fertilizer in water at the rate of 300 ml per 1 ml of liquid preparation. An alternative to the drug is Mister Color, Rainbow of Colors.
3. Place the pot with the orchid in a transparent container; its diameter should exceed the diameter of the pot by 2 cm.
4. Pour the solution into the resulting gap and leave for 7-8 minutes.

After flowering

You can fertilize for another week after flowering. Orchids put a lot of effort into flowering and require additional stimulation. The feeding method is identical to that for a flowering plant.

You can take Bona Forte, Agricola, Kemira-Lux (look for dosage on the package).

Nutrient deficiencies

You can regularly fertilize an orchid , but it will still suffer from a lack of one or another substance.

Why is this happening? The main reason lies in the suboptimal acidity of the substrate, determined by pH.

The optimal value for most types of orchids is between 5.5 and 6.5 pH . When the pH is below 5 or above 6.8 pH, an unfavorable environment is formed inside the substrate and the orchid root system stops consuming many nutrients.

In acidic soils (pH 4.0-5.5), iron, aluminum and manganese are in forms available to plants, and their concentrations reach toxic levels. At the same time, the supply of phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, and molybdenum to plants is difficult.

In alkaline conditions (pH 7.5-8.5), iron, manganese, phosphorus, copper, zinc, boron and most trace elements become less available to plants.

What affects the decrease or increase in pH of the substrate?

From frequent watering, many organic components of the substrate begin to decompose, and its pH decreases. This indicator increases due to frequent fertilizers or watering with (hard) tap water.

The roots of many epiphytic orchids are very sensitive to various types of potassium, phosphorus, etc. salts contained in fertilizers and exposure to highly concentrated fertilizer can cause burns.

REMEMBER that ordinary fertilizers for indoor plants are oriented towards action in ordinary soil and for absorption by ordinary, NOT EPIPHYTIC roots, so their main drawback is the rapid salinization of the substrate, which creates an unfavorable environment for the root system of orchids inside the pots, in especially sad cases leading to their mass die-off.

When is it time to fertilize

Many people make the mistake of starting to fertilize the orchid immediately after purchasing it in the store. The essence of the problem is that immediately after purchase the flower gets used to the environment and even a small amount of fertilizer can be harmful. In general, it is not recommended to feed an orchid during the flowering period.

To extend the flowering period, the orchid needs to be fertilized several weeks before the buds appear, that is, before the budding period. If you notice the appearance of a bud, the orchid can also be supported with fertilizers. Fertilizing should be completed before the flowering period, as sometimes fertilizing during the flowering period can lead to the flowers dropping.

The best time to fertilize an orchid is during its growth period. This period is characterized by the fact that the orchid begins to grow a new leaf. Fertilizers are applied at intervals of 10-14 days, sometimes more often. If leaf growth has stopped, fertilizing should also be stopped. These fertilizing can be done along with watering, but not more than once every two waterings.

For most orchids, the optimal feeding regimen is: from May to September - once a week, from February to April and from September to the end of October - once every 2 weeks. From November to January, orchids, as a rule, are not fed.

Do not fertilize your orchid after replanting or during illness. Fertilizers can burn the roots and your flower will completely wither. After transplanting, you need to refrain from fertilizing for about a month.