Great video! Thank you! I agree with you: fertilizing is not as important as proper light, proper watering and temperature requirements but it is useful in moderation. I'll look up Sue Bottom's article. She always has terrific articles!
Because I grow (mostly) outdoors in Florida, I'm a firm believer in using slow release on my pots because of our torrential downpours in summer. Now that I've started growing Phrags, I have changed from a 13-13-13 to 19-6-8 because the Phrags prefer more N, less K.
@@SVKLOrchids yes, nutricote. I supplement with CalMag Pro from Blue Planet because it contains literally every micronutrient and nutricote is missing several.
Great video. Totally agree on the bloom booster being snake oil. I have been using the Purely organic brand in the fertilizer cups since you introduced it in a previous video. I seem to be having great results with it.
I just started using a slow release fertiliser (again) this spring. This year it seems to be better. I was glad to see the grass fertiliser as there is one I am thinking of trying if this brand doesn't work out. Thanks for sharing, stay safe.
I have been using Osmocote Pro 8-9 months since March. First on just a few, now most of my plants have between 1 - 3 of those little baskets. I decided against using the grass fertiliser as it is designed for a quicker release of nutrients.
Good evening Stephen, my name is Maria and I live in Italy. for a couple of years I have discovered my passion for orchids. I own a few, and not having a greenhouse yet, I grow them in the summer in the garden, in the winter at home. I congratulate you for your beautiful orchids, I always follow her videos with immense pleasure, to admire her collection and to try to learn.I need advice for a Walkeriana Cattleya purchased two weeks ago at a greenhouse in my city ( Treviso). La Walkeriana It is mounted on a banquet made of wood, I presume it is still the same as when it arrived from Brazil to the greenhouse where I purchased it. And if I'm not mistaken, it is wood from the coffee tree, so I think it will have been there for a couple of years. The woods are not yet completely deteriorated, the bark is just being removed. The orchid has two new Bulbs with active roots, and it seems to like the place where I put it, It is hanging from a tree branch in the garden, now here we are in summer and there are more or less 30 degrees in the day and on 20 at night, humidity around 50/70%…. The problem for me will be in winter when I have to move it inside the house behind a French door, with the radiators on the temperature will be: during the day at 20 ° and at night at 16 °, air humidity always above 50% and I think if I keep it so it will be too demanding for me to keep it so I'm thinking of transferring it to the pot, without removing it from the sticks put everything in the pot and complete the repotting with pine bark, charcoal and pumice stone. My doubt is: Better a plastic vase, or a ceramic vase? I'm afraid that the plastic pot holds too much moisture and the roots remain wet for too long. What do you think? I do not want to remove it from the woods on which it is placed since it would be too difficult to untangle the roots now attached to the wood, and in addition I want to make it feel the repotting as little as possible. I look forward to hearing from you, your opinion. Thanks for reading the message, good evening.
Mary crystal Good to meet you and thanks for the kind words! I think putting the whole stick in a pot is a good idea. Be sure to tie it tightly to the pot! I also recommend an unglazed clay pot. You are correct about plastic not being a great pot for walkeriana.
Orchid Garden Yes, it should work just as well, especially since there are so many small holes in some of those. I would use the little baskets to keep the slow release from falling to the bottom of the pot.
Fernanda Nascimento orchids & succulents I used to add citrus acid to my water when I was using super alkaline tap water. Now that I use rainwater, I honestly haven’t tested the pH!
Thanks. I agree 99% ;). And I am really fond of those self declared TH-cam scientists. From a biologists point of view: Epiphitic orchids, and even most orchids in general, are adapted to low nutrition. Yes. You could give them 100% in an artificial home environment, so even more optimal than in nature, but: Every orchid individual is different. And even this can vary depending on the state this individual orchid is in. So: Guideline: Yes. You have to: No, thanks. - But I've recently discovered, that most orchid fertilisers don't have Mg & Ca in them, what worried me a bit, because those nutrients are more important than the micronutrients... Btw.: I have recently ordered some high K osmacote, so your video was very wellcome! ;)
Judith McElwaine Here’s a link: 50 Fertilizer Basket S size for Osmocote Orchid Bonsai Flower Plant www.amazon.com/dp/B00OGKSJXK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_AkZ.Eb59JMJR8 Hopefully you’re able to click on this! Let me know if this isn’t the case
I am growing several plants using both PET method and 4" containers. Here in Florida we have started with watering and they are outside full time. I have started to notice some black speckling on some plants mostly on the bulbs some of which peels away when I remove old skin off the bulb, in some cases it is down at the base of the plant. Is this caused by the rainfall and should I be concerned about pest or rotting?
Adrian Santos Good question! I’ve never had the black speckling turn into something larger. That said, I’m not entirely sure what causes it (I’ve always assumed mold of some type), but do keep an eye on it. I assume it’s a low risk kind of thing, but you never know.
I suppose I'm guilty of believing the 'snake oil' sales pitches. so, I do use Bloom Booster & Super Thrive (on occasion), but prefer good old Miracle Grow, Fish Emulsion, Kelp Max, Cal-Mag & Bat Guano tea. Once I run out of Miracle Grow, I'll go back to Peter's 20-20-20 which I've used commercially for years. ps. I Found a 6" pot C. purpurata var. carnea for $40 :)
BBQNBLUES That’s a great price for the purpurata! Miracle grow gets a bad rap, but one of the best growers here in town uses that stuff with great results.
your opinion on orchid fertilizer is refreshing- too many opinions out there. it's sad that bloom boosters are still a thing, it has been debunked so many times and yet every company has a product. as long as orchids get a dilute amount of fertilizer at a regular interval it doesn't matter what kind. I have been heavily researching microbes and orchids and found this great scientific paper on cattleya walkeriana seedlings: www.scielo.br/pdf/rbcs/v35n3/v35n3a08.pdf Based on this research I think microbes should be a necessity in orchid culture; the more research I do the more I become convinced that orchid roots are both a water/nutrient capturing organ and a home for nutrient fixing and growth hormone producing bacteria. they isolated (23!) auxin producing microbes from wild cattleya walkeriana roots. individual strains of these microbes resulted in huge gains in survival of deflasked seedlings. if more people focused on a healthy microbial community at the rhizosphere they would need to worry about fertilizer even less. the orchids can produce sugars from photosynthesis, end them to their roots and in return will get nutrients and growth hormones from the community living in the spongy rhizome. I am strongly considering nutricote and gypsum or magical after this video its too simple of a system for me to ignore.
![เปิดบ้าน โคตรสวย ป๋องกพล รู้จักตั้งนาน เพิ่งรู้ว่ารวย!!! l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tmgCF_2HfYI/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you ! Great to know about new forms of fertilizing ! Have a nice weekend you too ! 🌸
B C Have a great weekend!
Great video! Thank you! I agree with you: fertilizing is not as important as proper light, proper watering and temperature requirements but it is useful in moderation. I'll look up Sue Bottom's article. She always has terrific articles!
ORCHID HOUSE - FORT LAUDERDALE, FL Definitely! There’s so much more to good culture than fertilizing!
Because I grow (mostly) outdoors in Florida, I'm a firm believer in using slow release on my pots because of our torrential downpours in summer. Now that I've started growing Phrags, I have changed from a 13-13-13 to 19-6-8 because the Phrags prefer more N, less K.
Michael McCarthy Good to know! You use nutricote?
@@SVKLOrchids yes, nutricote. I supplement with CalMag Pro from Blue Planet because it contains literally every micronutrient and nutricote is missing several.
Michael McCarthy I’ll have to check that out! Thanks!
Great video. Totally agree on the bloom booster being snake oil. I have been using the Purely organic brand in the fertilizer cups since you introduced it in a previous video. I seem to be having great results with it.
Charles McKemie Good to know! I’m actually wondering if I should just use purely organic all year. We’ll see.
Where can I buy it?
MARCO ANTONIO HERNANDEZ SANCHEZ call Jim at this number. 803-622-6622
MARCO ANTONIO HERNANDEZ SANCHEZ Charles gave the phone number, here is the website: purelyorganicfertilizer.com/
Thank Charles and Stephen
Thank you for all the info.I appreciate.
Eduardo Campos I’m glad to help!
I just started using a slow release fertiliser (again) this spring. This year it seems to be better. I was glad to see the grass fertiliser as there is one I am thinking of trying if this brand doesn't work out. Thanks for sharing, stay safe.
Patricia's Orchids Which one are you thinking about using? I’m always eager to find more brands!
I have been using Osmocote Pro 8-9 months since March. First on just a few, now most of my plants have between 1 - 3 of those little baskets. I decided against using the grass fertiliser as it is designed for a quicker release of nutrients.
Do we need the calcium additive if we have hard water? I live in the Texas Hill Country.
Good evening Stephen, my name is Maria and I live in Italy. for a couple of years I have discovered my passion for orchids. I own a few, and not having a greenhouse yet, I grow them in the summer in the garden, in the winter at home. I congratulate you for your beautiful orchids, I always follow her videos with immense pleasure, to admire her collection and to try to learn.I need advice for a Walkeriana Cattleya purchased two weeks ago at a greenhouse in my city ( Treviso). La Walkeriana It is mounted on a banquet made of wood, I presume it is still the same as when it arrived from Brazil to the greenhouse where I purchased it. And if I'm not mistaken, it is wood from the coffee tree, so I think it will have been there for a couple of years. The woods are not yet completely deteriorated, the bark is just being removed. The orchid has two new Bulbs with active roots, and it seems to like the place where I put it, It is hanging from a tree branch in the garden, now here we are in summer and there are more or less 30 degrees in the day and on 20 at night, humidity around 50/70%…. The problem for me will be in winter when I have to move it inside the house behind a French door, with the radiators on the temperature will be: during the day at 20 ° and at night at 16 °, air humidity always above 50% and I think if I keep it so it will be too demanding for me to keep it so I'm thinking of transferring it to the pot, without removing it from the sticks put everything in the pot and complete the repotting with pine bark, charcoal and pumice stone. My doubt is: Better a plastic vase, or a ceramic vase? I'm afraid that the plastic pot holds too much moisture and the roots remain wet for too long. What do you think? I do not want to remove it from the woods on which it is placed since it would be too difficult to untangle the roots now attached to the wood, and in addition I want to make it feel the repotting as little as possible. I look forward to hearing from you, your opinion. Thanks for reading the message, good evening.
Mary crystal Good to meet you and thanks for the kind words! I think putting the whole stick in a pot is a good idea. Be sure to tie it tightly to the pot! I also recommend an unglazed clay pot. You are correct about plastic not being a great pot for walkeriana.
Hello Stephen, thank you for your advice, I am now more relaxed and I can proceed😊. Thank you.
Mary crystal You’re welcome!
Do you think the slow release fert will work the same in inorganic media (e.g. lava rock, pumice, leca) as it does in bark or moss?
Orchid Garden Yes, it should work just as well, especially since there are so many small holes in some of those. I would use the little baskets to keep the slow release from falling to the bottom of the pot.
Stephen Van Kampen-Lewis thank you!
Thank you Stephen, your videos are very welcome. Could you please talk about pH? I mean, do you control pH in your watering? Thanks.
Fernanda Nascimento orchids & succulents I used to add citrus acid to my water when I was using super alkaline tap water. Now that I use rainwater, I honestly haven’t tested the pH!
Thanks. I agree 99% ;). And I am really fond of those self declared TH-cam scientists. From a biologists point of view: Epiphitic orchids, and even most orchids in general, are adapted to low nutrition. Yes. You could give them 100% in an artificial home environment, so even more optimal than in nature, but: Every orchid individual is different. And even this can vary depending on the state this individual orchid is in. So: Guideline: Yes. You have to: No, thanks. - But I've recently discovered, that most orchid fertilisers don't have Mg & Ca in them, what worried me a bit, because those nutrients are more important than the micronutrients... Btw.: I have recently ordered some high K osmacote, so your video was very wellcome! ;)
Karl's Orchid Party Awesome! I’m glad it was helpful! And it’s amazing how few fertilizer include cal-mag!
those little basket for fertilizing I can't find them on Amazon? What is label name? Great info, thank you.
Judith McElwaine Here’s a link: 50 Fertilizer Basket S size for Osmocote Orchid Bonsai Flower Plant www.amazon.com/dp/B00OGKSJXK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_AkZ.Eb59JMJR8
Hopefully you’re able to click on this! Let me know if this isn’t the case
Stephen Van Kampen-Lewis Thankyou thankyouverymuch
I am growing several plants using both PET method and 4" containers. Here in Florida we have started with watering and
they are outside full time. I have started to notice some black speckling on some plants mostly on the bulbs some of which peels away when I remove old skin off the bulb, in some cases it is down at the base of the plant. Is this caused by the rainfall and should I be concerned about pest or rotting?
Adrian Santos Good question! I’ve never had the black speckling turn into something larger. That said, I’m not entirely sure what causes it (I’ve always assumed mold of some type), but do keep an eye on it. I assume it’s a low risk kind of thing, but you never know.
Howdy 🙋♀️ I truly do not comprehend the ‘stress’ this subject causes ... but it does always seem to trigger a lot of people 😅
Ninja_Orchids Yes, it really does!! Lol
Stephen Van Kampen-Lewis ppl
I suppose I'm guilty of believing the 'snake oil' sales pitches. so, I do use Bloom Booster & Super Thrive (on occasion), but prefer good old Miracle Grow, Fish Emulsion, Kelp Max, Cal-Mag & Bat Guano tea. Once I run out of Miracle Grow, I'll go back to Peter's 20-20-20 which I've used commercially for years. ps. I Found a 6" pot C. purpurata var. carnea for $40 :)
BBQNBLUES That’s a great price for the purpurata! Miracle grow gets a bad rap, but one of the best growers here in town uses that stuff with great results.
your opinion on orchid fertilizer is refreshing- too many opinions out there. it's sad that bloom boosters are still a thing, it has been debunked so many times and yet every company has a product. as long as orchids get a dilute amount of fertilizer at a regular interval it doesn't matter what kind.
I have been heavily researching microbes and orchids and found this great scientific paper on cattleya walkeriana seedlings: www.scielo.br/pdf/rbcs/v35n3/v35n3a08.pdf
Based on this research I think microbes should be a necessity in orchid culture; the more research I do the more I become convinced that orchid roots are both a water/nutrient capturing organ and a home for nutrient fixing and growth hormone producing bacteria. they isolated (23!) auxin producing microbes from wild cattleya walkeriana roots. individual strains of these microbes resulted in huge gains in survival of deflasked seedlings. if more people focused on a healthy microbial community at the rhizosphere they would need to worry about fertilizer even less. the orchids can produce sugars from photosynthesis, end them to their roots and in return will get nutrients and growth hormones from the community living in the spongy rhizome.
I am strongly considering nutricote and gypsum or magical after this video its too simple of a system for me to ignore.
Spencer I’ll definitely check out that article, thanks! Which gypsum would you use?