New member from SC with a question - Page 3 - Orchid Board

Telemarcer · #21 11-07-2021, 04:31 PM

Indeed. But i assume fertilizer will need to be added back. 5 mo of 1-2 a month. 7 mo of nothing but outside. I guess i will let you know how it goes in 4-5 years…

Roberta · #22 11-07-2021, 05:15 PM

Of the various cultural factors with orchids, fertilizer is the very least important. Get watring, light, temperature, medium (air) right, then worry about fertilizer. Yes they need some... minerals are necessary for building new tissue (growth). But orchids grow verrrry slowwwly. So they don't need much. Think of fertilizer as vitamins, not food. (Green plants make their own food - carbs - by photosynthesis). Most orchids, particularly the epiphytic ones (which describes most of what we grow) have evolved in a very nutrient-poor environment, where the only "fertilizer" they get is from rotting stuff above them in the tree that they are living on, that dissolves in the rain. So they can go for a very long time with none. Eventually, they will grow less that a fertilized plant, but they will survive and even bloom. But it is that natural pattern of grabbing tiny bits of "fertilizer" when they get watered (by rain) that leads to the dictum of fertilizing "once weekly, weakly". Just a little bit (like 1/2 to 1/4 of what it says on the bottle) more frequently is better than infrequent larger amounts.

SouthPark · #23 11-07-2021, 05:40 PM

For my media, even though I don't know exactly what goes on each time I water with regular water. I have a feeling that when I water, some elements from a previous fertiliser application may get redistributed a bit.

And as the roots keep growing and extending, they can probably also grab more of what is still hanging in the media some-where.

That is - when I add fertiliser to the media, it probably doesn't mean that it is a one-shot thing. The orchid may be able to still get whatever is still hanging in there ----- at the next regular watering, as well as other regular watering stages. And then - once in a while, I apply weak fertiliser again.

Telemarcer · #24 11-07-2021, 05:41 PM

So another beginner question. And i can start a new thread but. What is an experienced orchid keepers plant life? I killed a few unfortunately early in with root rot but since then they just seem to be…

SouthPark · #25 11-07-2021, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Telemarcer

So another beginner question. And i can start a new thread but. What is an experienced orchid keepers plant life? I killed a few unfortunately early in with root rot but since then they just seem to be…

For very experienced orchid growers ----- plant life can be indefinite. Once the regular growing conditions are established - the main things to watch out for will be attacking organisms, like mealybugs, scale, mites etc. Even viruses and other things. There is uncertainty involved ------ but can always do the best to cut down on the chances of issues, which will be part of the experience and learning - information gathering, etc.

Roberta · #26 11-07-2021, 06:03 PM

Well, I still have my second orchid (Cymbidium Amesbury 'Limelight') that I got in 1995 from the co-worker who also gave me my first one (that I no longer have.) I have a few others from "early career" that have survived the rookie mistakes, moving, and other insults. There are many more that I acquired between then and now that, alas, have perished. Over the years, I think that I have learned some things from at least some of the failures, so my survival rate has improved considerably (That has emboldened me to try more things, to push the envelope of the conditions that I can give them, so there are still some inevitable casualties, from which I continue to learn).

Some people have plants that MUCH older. A few that actually date to early 20th century still exist and thrive. Many of those legacy plants (especially Cattleyas) have been cloned, but if one has a Paphiopedilum that is a cultivar (a specific named plant, the part of the name in single quotes) from one of the early hybrids, it is a division of the original plant because for reasons still mostly unknown, Paphs do not lend themselves to the cloning process.

Telemarcer · #27 11-07-2021, 07:27 PM

Cool thanks. I feel like everything i gave away in the past was happy. Hope they are still alive. Im not planing on going anywhere now. Have a plot in our community farm so looking forward to see all these guys in 5 years

Roberta · #28 11-07-2021, 11:39 PM

Good luck. An orchid can live for many years... but it can also die if it doesn't get what it needs. Learn from the mistakes (and guaranteed, they'll happen, sometimes you will know why and sometimes you won't) There is no such thing as wasted knowledge. The more that you know about your plants and their origins, the better your long-term success rate will be. Orchids teach patience, they also teach humility. (Just when you think you have it wired, something will go belly-up)