When Should You Fertilize Orchids? Things You Need To Know
It is no surprise that one of the best methods to maintain flowering plants healthy all year is to use a suitable fertilizer. So, when should you fertilize orchids?
You only fertilize orchids once their blooms have faded, once every week or at least once per month. Also, you should use a dilute solution of biofertilizer to fertilize them.
Let’s dive right into the details!
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How Often Should I Fertilize My Orchids?
You must feed the orchid plant regularly.
The critical aspect of fertilizing orchid plants is to do so regularly. Your tropical plants will not get a continuous source of rich minerals if you only fertilize every several months, and they may become malnourished.
On the other hand, it will thrive if you set a regular feeding schedule. Based on the liquid fertilizer you are using, the time between feeding times will vary.
Some orchid fertilizers are recommended for feeding it once every week, while others recommend feeding once every month and don’t use too much fertilizer.
Pro tip: For feeding the orchid, make things brief. Choose an orchid fertilizer that is acceptable to use any time you water to develop an effortless feeding habit.
When Should You Not Fertilize Orchids?
Do Not Feed Orchid Plant When It Has Substantial Root Damage
There are some times when fertilizing your orchid plants isn’t a good idea. The first explanation is if it is infected with a disease, has substantial orchid root damage, or is pest-infested.
In addition, many orchids decelerate or even become dormant throughout the winter. Since fertilizing dormant orchid plants make little sense, you can restart the fertilization procedure in the spring when the plant begins its next growth stage.
How Do You Fertilize Indoor Orchids?
Select A Fertilizer
Select an orchid fertilizer that is suitable for your plant and the environment in which it is developing. There are various fertilizers on the market so deciding which to use might be challenging.
There are several affordable, good fertilizers if you are a casual grower or a beginner. Still, if you want your orchids to develop in the best condition, or if you’ve had an extensive collection, it’s well worth obtaining the more specialized formulation.
Dilute The Fertilizer
To create the fertilizer solution, carefully follow the directions. To make sure you’re using the right amount of fertilizer, use a specific spoon to measure. It would be best to dilute the fertilizer to 1/2 the stated concentration or more minor in some formulas.
These plants are susceptible to overfeeding. Fertilizing with a milder solution more regularly is preferable to feeding less frequently.
Use a can with an appropriate or a small spout container for watering your composition. It will be more straightforward to pour accurately.
Watering
Orchid growers should consider watering a little fertilizer solution first if the orchid is dry before applying the fertilizer mixture. To begin with, if you use an overly strong fertilizer mixture, you run the risk of harming the roots.
It is unlikely to occur if you use a solution containing less or half of the suggested strength. Furthermore, watering first promotes nutrient absorption by the planting media and boosts nutrient uptake by the roots.
Bring The Orchids To A Sink
We prefer to fertilize the indoor orchids in the sink because it makes less mess and guarantees well-draining after fertilizing and watering.
Before slowly pouring the fertilizer mixture over the planting media, hold the plant over a sink or set it inside the sink.
Remember not to get any on your orchid’s foliage or petals. Assemble the potting media and make sure it’s completely saturated in the solution.
Let The Orchids Drain
Determine that all extra fertilizer drains from the pot’s base. Before putting your plant in its ornamental pot, remember to let it soak in the sink for roughly 3 minutes.
You can follow the steps in this video to better understand how to do so.
Should I Fertilize My Orchids After Repotting?
You Should Fertilize The Orchid Plants After Repotting
The answer is yes. Remember to fertilize your orchid the following week after repotting, using a rooting solution instead of fertilizer. During these weeks, remember not to water it.
For the very first month, feed your plant each week. After repotting it, spray its leaves gently for two weeks. Always sprinkle plants soon in the day to ensure that the leaves have enough time to dry entirely before dark.
Put about three drops of rooting treatment or an excellent phosphorus fertilizer in the spraying water to increase the plant’s nutrition. Water and spray your orchid regularly for the first week following repotting.
Once your plant seems to be healthy, you can begin applying fertilizer every month. To lessen repotting anxiety, place previously repotted orchids in a location that receives less light than usual for about 3 to 4 weeks.
The Bottom Line
We’ve helped you answer the question ‘when should you fertilize orchids’. Hopefully, this article is beneficial to you. If you want to get more information, please visit us at Swipe Garden. Thank you for reading!
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