Orchid Fertilization

When orchids exist in the wild the just scavenge nutrients from whatever is around them in the soil. Things like decomposing leaves, animal dropping and simply minerals in rain water can all provide good nutrients for orchids. You can really promote growth in your orchid by feeding it the right fertilizer. The best products will contain: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), along with trace elements such as iron.

Potassium (K) is mainly responsible for the control of flower, and fruit development. Phosphorous (P) for flower production, and Nitrogen (N) for healthy vegetative growth. The amount of feeding depends on the plant concerned, the time of year and general health of the plant. Investigations have shown that feeding should begin with more Nitrogen just when the new shoots are showing, more Phosphorous and Potassium being necessary towards the end of the season.

Orchids growing in bark need more nitrogen than either phosphorus or potassium (in proportions of 30-10-10). This is because the bark is decayed by bacteria that use a large amount of nitrogen, leaving very little for the plant. Therefore, the most important step to remember when feeding your orchid is to correctly identify the type of fertilizer you should be using. Beautiful Orchids has five different orchid foods available from our online catalog. Before feeding your orchid, always read and follow the directions carefully.

Of course it is always possible to head down to your local nursery and ask some of the experts about fertilizing your orchid. I don't really like this approach because it takes time and usually anyone working there won't have the same passion for orchids that we do.

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