Are my orchids okay? + Fertilizer questions
 

Hi!

I was wondering if my orchids looked alright, I have had 4 of them for almost a year ( Epidendrum, Zygopetalum, Oncidium 1 and Dendrobium phalaenopsis) and recently got a Dendrobium nobile and Oncidium 2 from work. I'm a bit worried for Oncidium 1 due to its colour and spots on the end of its leaves. After looking around it could just be due to cold temperatures but I'm not sure. My poor Zygo got pushed by my cat a couple times so some of its leaves are bent but it seems to be growing more bulbs. My Dendrobium nobile had keikis growing on it when I bought it and I've read that I should wait until the roots are longer before separating it. but I was wondering if it had too many of them (4)? I also noticed that the tip of its leaf is a dark brown maybe an infection?

Finally, I've been meaning to start fertilizing my orchids but I'm having trouble choosing the right one. The ones I've seen near me are Plant Prod 25-10-10, Schultz 15-5-5, Algoflash 4-6-6. Which one would you guys recommend?

as long as you have the right nitrogen thats the main thing. I have been using this in different formulas. Amazon.com : Grow More 7516 Premium Orchid Bloom 6-30-30 Fertilizer, 3-Pound : Water Soluble Orchid Formula : Garden & Outdoor

Generally, any fertilizer that you use regularly at the right dosage is better than none! I would go with one of the first 2. Alternatively, if you find it or don't mind ordering it online, MSU fertilizer is very good, and is available in a formulation for pure water, and another for tap water. Advantage is that it has calcium, magnesuim and micronutrients in it.

They look good to me! The spotting on Onc. is a common problem for many, and was recently a topic of discussion somewhere on the board... wish I could remember where.

And I wholeheartedly agree with the MSU with cal/mag. It lasts forever... well, I'm the WORST at getting around to fertilizing, but it still is great stuff.

Thank you for the replies! Unfortunately the link wont ship to where I am in Canada... But I looked into MSU fertilizer and that looks like the best option so far. Would you recommend the liquid or granular version? Is they're even a difference? And if my water is around 7-8 ph is it still okay to use?

The folks who manufacture the "MSU" fertilizer don't make a liquid version. The company that sells a liquid makes it themselves by dissolving a pound of the powder in water, then labeling it illegally (the label reflects the analysis of the powder, not what's in the bottle), and charging you a tremendous amount of money for the water (and did they use pure water??), and for the shipping.

Does this MSU fertilizer look okay then?

FEED ME! MSU Orchid Fertilizer - RO/Rain/Tap Water Version | rePotme

That's pretty pricey. Try Amazon. TezulaPlants sells it cheaper, in several sizes.

I am anything but a fan of RepotMe and their products. In the case of their “MSU” fertilizer, it is deceptively and illegally mislabeled.

For one, there is no such thing as an “MSU for Tap/Rain/RO”. There are two “MSU” formulas, one for pure water (rainwater, RO, distilled) and one for “well water” (any water supply that has not been purified and contains calcium and magnesium – which is most wells and tap water), plus a derivative developed specifically for epiphytes (K-Lite).

Then, the label, which legally is supposed to tell you what’s in the bottle, actually (and illegally) tells you the formula of the powder they diluted with water to make the liquid. Their "13-5-15" is actually more like a 1.6-0.6-1.8.

Then there’s the fact that you’re paying mostly for water, and their outrageous shipping costs besides! Let's say you buy a quart for $14.50 and they ship it in a USPS small, flat-rate box for $7.20, making the total $21.70. If you mix it to the 125 ppm N concentration they recommend, or one ounce per gallon, you can make 32 gallons of solution.

If, on the other hand, you bought one pound of powder from Tezula, that would be $19.99 including shipping, and at 125 ppm N, you could make about 125 gallons of solution. Then, if you decided to use K-Lite instead, I have the cheapest price ($20 for 2pounds, including shipping), giving you about 250 gallons at that same nitrogen loading.

Ray, what is the difference between MSU and your K-lite? Do you have an opinion on which is 'better'? (Sorry if this is hijacking the post!!)