What fertilizers do you use?

[Paul Mc]

I live in St. Louis, Missouri. It gets very cold here during the winter, but as soon as the night time temperatures average around 70 degrees I start pulling my orchids outside under a huge pin oak tree. During the spring and fall I generally don't have to water that much unless it's extremely windy. However, I keep a very watchful eye on them during the summer as it can get upwards of 110 heat index here.

I've bought bloom-buster for orchids by Miracle grow, used some regular time-release fertilizer (I believe it was 10-10-10) on a few of the terrestial ones such as Cymbidium and Phaius'. The rest I have never really bothered to fertilize. Rather new to the whole fertilization thing, but I saw a picture of an orchid that did not get fertilized and the next year it did. WOW is all I have to say about the blooms! I was on the floor with shock!

[Cym Ladye]

After growing orchids for over 40 years, I believe that the most important thing is TO FERTILIZE WITH SOMETHING! Most fertilizers rated for orchids are adequate. Yes, I know there are esoteric blends and additives etc, etc, but fertilizing is like joining a health club. If you do not go, it will not benefit you!

You can be lazy or you can be complicated in your use of fertilizers. Whatever works for you and your plants to give you the best results:

1) Lazy - long term slow release granules placed on top of pot and released when you water or when it rains.
2) Medium - 10-10-10 orchid balanced, mixed in water and applied weekly/weakly all year long.
3) Energetic- changing formulas, additives and applications with the season after thorough research.

It is your choice and only you will know which method fits best into your and your orchids lifestyle!

CL

[stefpix]

Originally Posted by Paul Mc

I've bought bloom-buster for orchids by Miracle grow, used some regular time-release fertilizer (I believe it was 10-10-10)

Is the "bloom-buster" the fertilizer that makes all your spikes blast? ;-) Or your makes your orchids never bloom?

[Paul Mc]

Thanks for the thoughts on the fertilization. I have recently started using just a weekly/weakly approach of a 10-10-10 with 3 orchid exceptions after research about a month ago. It's nice to know that I can go any of those three methods.

I'm not sure that the bloombuster actually prolongs the flowers or not. I only but it because I had read that sometimes it's good to give a watered down dose of it to plants that have new inflorescent roots and flower spikes. I have noticed that my Dendrobium this year had 18 flowers on one spike as opposed to the usual 6 to 9 of the past. There are still 3 spikes growing and not in bloom yet, 2 have 5 and 7 flowers to bloom - but the 3rd looks like there may be far more than that on it once it's matured enough.

I've actually never had a problem getting my orchids to rebloom, but I have also recently adopted many new species this year and have yet to get them to rebloom. Wish me luck, lol...