Fertilizing Question?

[prc11]

I have about 40 orchids under lights and for the most part are all thriving. What my question is, I have a cattleya with one new lead with a sheath, one new lead with out sheath, and one new sheath still growing. Should I use a fertilizer focused on growing or one focused on flowering? Also, I have a fewer orchids with only one or two small roots still in their early stages of growth, should I be watering with or without fertilizer. Or should I just give less fertilizer than I do my other's.

[BobInBonita]

Depends on how complicated you want your life to be.

I personally feed everybody (weakly) with the same food 20-14-13 (plus minors) during active growth (based on visible root tips). I do it because I'm lazy and it's too complicated to do it otherwise. I frequently will drop in a couple of drops of SuperThrive to make up for my negligence.

If you want to feed differently because of (or to stimulate) blooms, it may help.

If you want to feed differently based on media (some believe bark takes higher N than LECA or moss), it may help.

If you want to give immature plants a weaker fertilizer, it may also help.

When I faced your dilemma, I chose to go the simple route. It works for me, but if you have the time, can keep track of what you're doing (so you know what works for you and what doesn't), and can maintain your schedule, frequency, and concentrations, then it is probably better.

You started by saying that most are thriving. That is what we all strive for. Keep doing what you're doing. If some don't thrive, then address that, but be happy with your result so far.

[Ray]

I vote "simple" too, like Bob, but using a 13-3-15 fertilizer pretty much at 125 ppm N year round, on all plants.

To address another part of your question: despite all of the marketing hype you may have read, there is no such thing as a fertilizer that "favors" or "boosts" blooming.

A healthy, sturdy plant, grown in good overall culture, will bloom to its genetically-programmed max. Nothing you can do will push it farther.

On the other hand, the use of too much nitrogen (30-10-10 comes to mind) will give you lots of lovey, lush, emerald-green foliage and will slow, or stop blooming altogether.