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  #1  
Old 05-23-2017, 10:08 PM
Fishkeeper Fishkeeper is offline
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Irregular fertilizing schedule = bad?
Default Irregular fertilizing schedule = bad?

Is it bad for plants to be fertilized on an irregular schedule? As in, it's supposed to be a couple times a month but sometimes a time gets skipped or moved to a different day due to forgetfulness? It doesn't seem like it would hurt a plant, but I want to be sure.
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  #2  
Old 05-23-2017, 10:29 PM
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AnonYMouse AnonYMouse is offline
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It's unforgivable!

Just kidding!

I'm actually pretty bad at scheduled feedings so I changed my strategy. I feed very minutely at every watering. Of course, this doesn't work if you don't water appropriately.

I don't specifically remember where but there is info about it at Ray's
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  #3  
Old 05-23-2017, 10:33 PM
Cheddarbob14 Cheddarbob14 is offline
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Irregular fertilizing schedule = bad? Male
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I'm sure that someone with much more experience and knowledge will provide a more thorough answer, but I'll take a stab at it. It will depend on a few things, how often is your regular schedule? What strength/ratio (how many ppm N) at each feeding? Does your fertilizer have calcium and magnesium in it? I'm sure you will get some great answers, stay tuned.....
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Old 05-23-2017, 11:12 PM
Fishkeeper Fishkeeper is offline
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Irregular fertilizing schedule = bad?
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(this is gonna be a long post, I'm still trying to figure things out)

I'll be honest, my 'regular schedule' is 'never', because up until now I've only kept carnivorous plants. To a carnivorous plant, fertilizer may as well be toxic. I feed them fish food- dried bloodworms. It didn't actually occur to me until recently that orchids actually like fertilizer.

I currently have 2 mini Phals, a Cattleya, a small Vanda, and a Bnfd Gilded Tower 'Mystic Maze' that's finished blooming but still has a green flower spike. The Vanda is kind of loosely draped on a cow skull and isn't fastened yet, the Cattleya is in the cow's nasal passage but also hasn't fastened, the others are in clay pots.

The fertilizer I bought is Better-Gro Orchid Plus. The ingredient list is as follows, and it says to feed once per week, one teaspoon of fertilizer per gallon of water. It's apparently endorsed by the American Orchid Society, though I'm not sure how much value there is to that, and the packaging suggests that it's meant to encourage growth.
  • Total Nitrogen 20%
  • Available Phosphate 14%
  • Soluble Potash 13%
  • Magnesium 1%
  • Boron 0.02%
  • Copper 0.05%
  • Iron 0.20%
  • Manganese 0.05%
  • Molybdenum 0.0005%
  • Zinc 0.05%

The issue I think I'm going to have with a regular fertilizing schedule is that I'm not good at holding a routine. I'm working on that, but I'm honestly not sure how to get exactly a once-weekly or once-biweekly fertilizing schedule going when the orchid watering isn't on such a precise schedule. Heck, I'm not even sure I'm watering the orchids right, this is based off of what I've gathered from my attempts at research.

The Vanda, as I understand it, absolutely hates wet roots. It's kind of draped around a bit of the cow skull's eye socket, with a tiny bit of sphagnum underneath. I dampen the roots with a spray bottle until they're bright green every morning, sometimes twice a day if the air seems particularly dry.

The Cattleya I try to keep also fairly dry. It's planted in the cow's nasal passage, so backing up to loose networks of bone, and it's in mostly large chunks of bark with a small bit of sphagnum. I give it a good spritzing every day, and it dries out entirely before I water again. Some of its pseudobulbs don't ever fatten up, but I think that's because most of the roots attached to those bulbs are gone- it didn't have good roots when I got it, I don't think it can suck up quite enough water for most of the bulbs. The newest bulb stays reasonably plump, as it has plenty of roots.

The two Phals are in the same pot. It's a clay pot with about a third of the side knocked out for more ventilation, and the media is mostly sphagnum with some perlite and bark mixed in. The pot is in a saucer, and I put water in the saucer whenever the moss is right on the verge of crunchy-dry. The roots are white at that point, and they turn green and stay bright green for about a day after I water, then gradually fade for the next couple of days.

The Bnfd, from what I've read, shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It's in a clay pot that's entirely packed with sphagnum, which is the pot it came in. I didn't want to risk transplanting it until it was done flowering, as the roots seem very delicate. I wait until the moss is just on the verge of not damp any more, then put water in the dish under it until the moss is soaked. The roots turn vaguely green when moistened, but none of them show that drastic color shift that Phal and Vanda roots get, and this one's roots seem like a different sort of root than the others. Smoother, thinner, and definitely more fragile- it has a few airial roots that I accidentally broke because I didn't realize how delicate they were.
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Old 05-23-2017, 11:35 PM
jkofferdahl jkofferdahl is offline
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If the watering schedule works for you - and for your plants - then stick to it. You're going to get differences of opinion on just about everything, but all that matters is that for the plants you grow in the conditions you are able to provide them they are kept healthy, grow, and bloom. It sounds like your plants are happy.

When you have light, humidity, temperature, and watering figured out (and you'll be ahead of me there) you can worry about fertilizer. It's pretty low on the list of requirements for most orchids. Ray can tell you more specifically how absolutely little in the way of fertilizer an orchid actually needs, but my conclusion from one of his recent posts is that by following a "fertilize weekly, weakly" routine (when I remember to mix in the fertilizer) I'm over-fertilizing. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that we're all using too much fertilizer. I've got six plants of the same age and species, and over the next year I'm going to continue fertilizing three as I've been doing and three "weakly, monthly" and see what happens. Relax and enjoy your plants.
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Old 05-24-2017, 04:31 AM
bil bil is offline
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Too much is way worse than too little. I use about 25ppm N on every watering.

Don't try and 'catch up' if you haven't fertilised.
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Old 05-24-2017, 09:11 AM
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Irregular fertilizing schedule = bad? Male
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OK. Write down today's date, as you may never see this from me ever again:

.... (no comment)
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Old 05-24-2017, 09:21 AM
Cheddarbob14 Cheddarbob14 is offline
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Treat Your Plants Right! - First Rays LLC

Scroll down and immerse yourself in reading. Tons of information, you will eventually come across what we are referring to as "ppm N" also.
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Old 05-24-2017, 10:29 AM
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dounoharm dounoharm is offline
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why worry? orchids are tough creatures, that's one thing I have learned over my lifetime!

I think water and light are much more important to regulate! feed them when you think about it! weakly weekly is a good suggestion, but really, you have to make those orchids work for YOU!

as with everything in life, don't get obsessive, and just feel it out as to what plant requirements you can provide, and get plants that fit your nature....

I have hauled plants all over the country, and found that of all orchids, I am good with cattleyas, so I mostly grow them....I have a few other types as I am presently in a small greenhouse, and I think at age 65, this is where I will stay.....

so, enjoy your life and what comes with it, and enjoy your orchids! don't make yourself a slave to anything or anyone!
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Old 05-25-2017, 03:42 AM
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Vandas love wet roots. Just let them dry once every day or two.
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