Tristan I appreciate your video and subscribed a while back. I do a lot of reading and am a member of two local orchid societies. Talking and reading quality information is powerful so thank you for sharing. We moved here seven years ago and I never considered testing our tap water. That will change today. I noticed a huge difference fertilizer makes when applied on a routine basis. I retired from 33 years of teaching and the final year was so chaotic that I neglected this essential routine. Since January and back on proper water/fertilizer I agree that my collection was fair; now it is on the mend and I see terrific results. Thanks and keep the good information coming. Respectfullty,
Really great video!! And good to know that if you mix too much into the fertilizing you can burn the roots! And nothing compares to Palmers fertilizer! Its so good!!!
Another great educational video. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and explaining different options for fertilization. Thanks again for being in our video when we went to Palmer's, and we bought their fertilizers. We are so happy with the results.
Thanks for the kind words! We're glad to have spoken with yall at the nursery. That fertilizer is great stuff! It's not the only good stuff out there, but there's a reason we use that formulation, and that's because it provides great results.
calcium and magnesium are required in even larger quantities by plants than NPK. less of a problem (sometimes) in garden soil but often deficient on orchids and other indoor/potted plants, as media usually doesnt have any calcium at all. i will be experimenting with limestone chips in future for potting mix, and currently i sometimes fortify potting mixes with lime. most fertilizers are incompatible with also containing high amounts of calcium/magnesium, as these elements can precipitate NPK and others to insoluble forms, and thus become useless fertilizer.
Thanks for a great lesson on fertilizer. I have a small collection potted in bark do you recommend pouring through the pot or soaking the pot for 10 or 15 minutes? Also, do you reapply the slow release every spring?
I agree with your numbers. That's the most important thing. Since joining the hobby I have noticed far more people fertilize too little compared to too much. Like it's actually a serious problem in my opinion. Out of all youtubers I have followed over the years 90% of them would use 1/4 of what is recommended on the label which is far too little. 1 tsp per gallon of a 14-2-14 is a good amount. So the important thing to know really is that feeding a high Nitrogen fertilizer on paper produces the fastest leaf growth per day. Feeding a high Potassium feed will promote shorter bushier growth. As an outdoor grower it is recommended to use a high Nitrogen feed although I am not a huge fan of doing this. If one were to try this with tomatoes it does achieve the fastest leaf growth per day... And what you end u with will be the tallest tomato plant on the block. But will it produce the most tomatoes.? And that is where practical experience is just as important as the theoretical science. A tall lanky plant will fall over from the weight of the tomatoes. The neighbours plants fed with high potassium might only have grown half as big but potassium encourages more leaf growth. Each leaf will grow a bit slower and shorter but the plant overall will be able to photynthesize just as well if not better. Both plant spread and leaf cover are equally important which is why both nitrogen and potassium is important. Phosphorous I think has been found to be less important whereas in the past it was believed it was highly beneficial. So personally I think the phosphorous feeds are just outdated formulations. But that's my personal opinion. I use PH down to adjust the PH of my water. I use half a ml per gallon of PH down. PH down is phosphoric acid. Basically highly concentrated acid made from pure phosphorous. Ok so what does that mean, I am only adding 10 drops per gallon. Negligeable right? Well if we do the math which is quite straightforward knowing that phosphoric acid is 81% phosphorous by adding half a ml we are adding 40 ppm phosphrous. If we add 1 tsp per gallon of 14-2-14 we are adding 140-20-140 ppm respectively of N-P-K giving us 140-60-140 which is all they need according to the science. That is why many modern hydroponic forumlations contain less phosphorous. If one has to use a lot of ph down a balanced feed could contain far too much phosphorous. Basically you want to aim for 70-150ppm N 40-150ppm P 70-150 ppm K Anything over 200ppm long term can potentially cause root burn. If you look at your 10-35-10 and you work out how much that adds in parts per million when adding 1tsp/gallon it works out as 100-350-100 (it's so easy when working with tsp/gallon cause all you do is add a 0 every time). Then if you wanted to work out how much 1/2 tsp would be you would just halve the numbers. As we can see using 1 tsp of the high phosphorous feed goes into the dangerous numbers I mentioned that can potentially cause root burn. So to conclude in a hydroponic system the minimum amount of Nitrogen I would recommend as a steady feed on every watering (regardless how often) would be 70ppm. The maximum I would recommend would be 150ppm. How would that compare to a hydroponically grown cucumber? It would be 120ppm N to 160ppm N. Very similar numbers. In fact they can be fed on the same feed as long as it isn't the maximum dose. Just worth knowing I think. I don't think it's beneficial to have people believe they require far less fertiliing than other plants cause that just isn't the case. You have shown the amounts you use. That's what I would use for a hydroponically grown cucumber too. You have to remember soi grown plants need to be fed more fertilizer than hydroponic grown plants. In soil you are feeding he soil bactteria, the microbes and the plants. In hydroponics you only feed the plants. So in soil the PH of your water should be 7, in hydropnics it should be 5.5-6.5 using PH down to achieve this if needed.
Last year you recommended that I will purchase Palmer orchid fertilizer fantastic stuff. I love it. Thank you so much for your time and your grade video.😊😊😊
This is a repost of my reply to @jonesjones-np2kq comment. I thought they had a great idea and wanted to post this information as a main comment as well. You can order your own ICP tests online. Triton is one brand. You can buy them from bulk reef supply. The ATI ICP-oes test would be the best choice. It includes two sample tests in one kit. It's meant to test our aquarium water and our RO-DI water. You can send a sample of your base water and a sample of your mixed fertilizer solution. This will tell you the ppm of all macro and micro nutrients plus contaminates like metals.
Happy to find your Chanel, I just started to get serious about collecting Orchids I really need them in my life😊and this video is very helpful for me with not experience but very excited about collecting Orchids, I really appreciate your advice and your opinion about fertilizer. I will suscribe right now. I just want to mention I find you in Vicky Like video .
HEY QUESTION: once you mix your fertilizers, you got the right TDS, you got the right pH 5.8, how long can you keep your fertilizer/water in one of those containers before it’s time to mix up a new batch 17:11
It's probably best not to wait too many days. If you notice precipitation after a while, I'd say it's best to start fresh. Depends on the starting water, too. If you started with RO or distilled water, it would probably be good for longer as there's nothing besides the fertilizer. The best method would always be to make enough to use all in one go.
Enjoy your videos, is there a benegit to water dumping vs using a pump applicator? I usually dump but purchased the pump and used 1/2 as much product. Also should you water before fertilizing the plants?
The benefits to drenching your fertilizer are that you get more even and consistent coverage of the product in the root zone. Spraying is perfectly fine, but sometimes spraying can make it more difficult to thoroughly and evenly wet all the root surfaces and media surfaces, as dry organic material like roots, mounts and media can be hydrophobic and can actually take some time to be completely wetted. So if you aren't heavy-handed enough with the spraying, you may not be getting as much fertilizer or any other products into and around the plant or root zone and missing out on some nutrient absorption. I like to add just a tiny bit of wetting agent like a horticultural surfactant or some dawn dish soap to my mix to help expedite the wetting process. It's also pretty important to thoroughly drench and wash the root zone out with water in between fertilizer applications so as to avoid precipitation buildup of salts that can damage the roots. I don't water immediately before fertilizing because then you've already diminished the absorption potential of the roots, and it's then just wasted fertilizer. However, don't fertilize severely dehydrated orchids when water is what they need and not fertilizer. If the plants need water pretty badly, just water them first and wait a day to fertilize.
Hi Tristan, I was just thinking that I hadn’t seen a video from you recently (no pressure 😂). That’s very good information. Initially, I wasn’t testing my water but I started testing it and found that my tds was over 500. I haven’t done ph testing. I got scared and started buying RO water but it’s not sustainable because I buy the water and it’s difficult lifting water every day. So I do use the tap water sometimes but every time I use any type of fertilizer/ nutrients I use RO water. Thanks. This is off topic, but how long does the plant take to absorb a systemic fungicide? Is it prudent to wait for 48 hrs before watering again?
It sounds like you made the right decision by using pure water for your fertilizer, at least. In your case, I'd say it'd be more prudent than most to drench your plants really well with just water in between fertilizer since your tap water is so hard. Systemics should be absorbed pretty quickly by roots and foliage, but it's still best to wait as long as possible in between watering but don't do so at the jeopardy of the plants. If they need water and it's only been 24 hours, then go ahead and water. Dehydrated and stressed plants are more prone to disease anyhow, so don't forgo one evil just to bring about another.
The Palmers 14-2-14 with Cal-Mag and seaweed is a good all-purpose orchid fertilizer for sure. Would definitely recommend it for your primary fertilizer.
You can order your own ICP tests online. Triton is one brand. You can buy them from bulk reef supply. The ATI ICP-oes test would be the best choice. It includes two sample tests in one kit. It's meant to test our aquarium water and our RO-DI water. You can send a sample of your base water and a sample of your mixed fertilizer solution. This will tell you the ppm of all macro and micro nutrients plus contaminates like metals.
When you get close to 1000 you're in the danger zone. Best to keep it below 850 if possible. Above that and you risk root tip die off, especially in the more sensitive species.
I wish you'd actually said the tds that you recommend or added it to the video as text. That was literally the thing I was here for. Tsp per gallon is not a scientific amount at all and doesn't translate to other fertilizer people might be using or ,iximg themselves. 😢
I'm sorry we didn't provide better data. Yes, I meant to add that into the video but got sidetracked and forgot to add it in the description. Realistically, you want a starting water quality of less than 400-500 ppm TDS and an EC of less than .6-.7(mS/cm). After the product has been added to the water, be it fertilizer or anything else, it's pretty important that the EC does not go above 1.3-1.5 and the TDS does not go above 900. That's when the danger zone begins. However, you'd like your starting water to be as low as possible in regards to EC and TDS so that you have more room in your water for fertilizer. If you have a starting water that's already salty and full of dissolved solids, then you don't have the buffer room for a full strength fertilizer. That's why it's best to test your water and fertilizer mix. If you have other questions more specific or in depth, the St Augustine Orchid Society has a website that is a gold mine of information and Sue Bottom has written many articles on these subjects and has provided the general public with accurate and highly professional recommendations in regards to plant nutrition and water quality. I found their website when I first started growing orchids and still reference her articles when I forget some information.
The teaspoon/gallon referenced was solely in regards to the fertilizers I showed, and you should always read the instructions of each fertilizer to determine the correct dosage. I gave my thoughts and opinions on the subject and tried to provide some loose guidance, but I'll be the first to say you should treat everyone's opinions with some reservations until you've confirmed their advise with some well rounded research. My opinions and advice should be subjected to the same scrutiny as anyone else who gives you advice. I'm glad you came for numbers because you were correct in wanting a more scientific and data driven education on the subject. Oftentimes, vague guidelines like some of the ones I gave can add to confusion, which I should have known better.
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Tristan I appreciate your video and subscribed a while back. I do a lot of reading and am a member of two local orchid societies. Talking and reading quality information is powerful so thank you for sharing. We moved here seven years ago and I never considered testing our tap water. That will change today. I noticed a huge difference fertilizer makes when applied on a routine basis. I retired from 33 years of teaching and the final year was so chaotic that I neglected this essential routine. Since January and back on proper water/fertilizer I agree that my collection was fair; now it is on the mend and I see terrific results. Thanks and keep the good information coming. Respectfullty,
Always so informative, thank you
Really great video!! And good to know that if you mix too much into the fertilizing you can burn the roots! And nothing compares to Palmers fertilizer! Its so good!!!
Thank you, Emmanuel! 💚 It’s seriously great stuff.
Another great educational video. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and explaining different options for fertilization. Thanks again for being in our video when we went to Palmer's, and we bought their fertilizers. We are so happy with the results.
Thanks for the kind words! We're glad to have spoken with yall at the nursery. That fertilizer is great stuff! It's not the only good stuff out there, but there's a reason we use that formulation, and that's because it provides great results.
calcium and magnesium are required in even larger quantities by plants than NPK. less of a problem (sometimes) in garden soil but often deficient on orchids and other indoor/potted plants, as media usually doesnt have any calcium at all. i will be experimenting with limestone chips in future for potting mix, and currently i sometimes fortify potting mixes with lime. most fertilizers are incompatible with also containing high amounts of calcium/magnesium, as these elements can precipitate NPK and others to insoluble forms, and thus become useless fertilizer.
Thanks for a great lesson on fertilizer. I have a small collection potted in bark do you recommend pouring through the pot or soaking the pot for 10 or 15 minutes? Also, do you reapply the slow release every spring?
I agree with your numbers. That's the most important thing. Since joining the hobby I have noticed far more people fertilize too little compared to too much. Like it's actually a serious problem in my opinion. Out of all youtubers I have followed over the years 90% of them would use 1/4 of what is recommended on the label which is far too little.
1 tsp per gallon of a 14-2-14 is a good amount.
So the important thing to know really is that feeding a high Nitrogen fertilizer on paper produces the fastest leaf growth per day.
Feeding a high Potassium feed will promote shorter bushier growth.
As an outdoor grower it is recommended to use a high Nitrogen feed although I am not a huge fan of doing this. If one were to try this with tomatoes it does achieve the fastest leaf growth per day... And what you end u with will be the tallest tomato plant on the block. But will it produce the most tomatoes.?
And that is where practical experience is just as important as the theoretical science.
A tall lanky plant will fall over from the weight of the tomatoes. The neighbours plants fed with high potassium might only have grown half as big but potassium encourages more leaf growth. Each leaf will grow a bit slower and shorter but the plant overall will be able to photynthesize just as well if not better. Both plant spread and leaf cover are equally important which is why both nitrogen and potassium is important.
Phosphorous I think has been found to be less important whereas in the past it was believed it was highly beneficial. So personally I think the phosphorous feeds are just outdated formulations. But that's my personal opinion.
I use PH down to adjust the PH of my water. I use half a ml per gallon of PH down. PH down is phosphoric acid. Basically highly concentrated acid made from pure phosphorous.
Ok so what does that mean, I am only adding 10 drops per gallon. Negligeable right? Well if we do the math which is quite straightforward knowing that phosphoric acid is 81% phosphorous by adding half a ml we are adding 40 ppm phosphrous.
If we add 1 tsp per gallon of 14-2-14 we are adding 140-20-140 ppm respectively of N-P-K giving us 140-60-140 which is all they need according to the science. That is why many modern hydroponic forumlations contain less phosphorous. If one has to use a lot of ph down a balanced feed could contain far too much phosphorous.
Basically you want to aim for 70-150ppm N
40-150ppm P
70-150 ppm K
Anything over 200ppm long term can potentially cause root burn.
If you look at your 10-35-10 and you work out how much that adds in parts per million when adding 1tsp/gallon it works out as 100-350-100 (it's so easy when working with tsp/gallon cause all you do is add a 0 every time). Then if you wanted to work out how much 1/2 tsp would be you would just halve the numbers. As we can see using 1 tsp of the high phosphorous feed goes into the dangerous numbers I mentioned that can potentially cause root burn.
So to conclude in a hydroponic system the minimum amount of Nitrogen I would recommend as a steady feed on every watering (regardless how often) would be 70ppm. The maximum I would recommend would be 150ppm.
How would that compare to a hydroponically grown cucumber?
It would be 120ppm N to 160ppm N.
Very similar numbers. In fact they can be fed on the same feed as long as it isn't the maximum dose.
Just worth knowing I think. I don't think it's beneficial to have people believe they require far less fertiliing than other plants cause that just isn't the case.
You have shown the amounts you use. That's what I would use for a hydroponically grown cucumber too.
You have to remember soi grown plants need to be fed more fertilizer than hydroponic grown plants. In soil you are feeding he soil bactteria, the microbes and the plants. In hydroponics you only feed the plants.
So in soil the PH of your water should be 7, in hydropnics it should be 5.5-6.5 using PH down to achieve this if needed.
Tom, this is seriously great information. Thank you for taking the time and sharing this!
Last year you recommended that I will purchase Palmer orchid fertilizer fantastic stuff. I love it. Thank you so much for your time and your grade video.😊😊😊
It seriously is great stuff and we mean that! Happy to hear that it’s working for you and your collection too 💚
Good information, thanks for sharing.
Always a pleasure! Thank you for watching 💚
Thanks for sharing your knowledge
Always a pleasure! Thank you for watching 💚
Great video! We make rodi water for our saltwater aquarium and started making ro water for orchids because the tds is high in our area.
Thanks for watching! We’ve heard a lot of people who have aquariums also dabble in orchids! Two very cool hobbies 😎
This is a repost of my reply to @jonesjones-np2kq comment. I thought they had a great idea and wanted to post this information as a main comment as well.
You can order your own ICP tests online. Triton is one brand. You can buy them from bulk reef supply.
The ATI ICP-oes test would be the best choice. It includes two sample tests in one kit. It's meant to test our aquarium water and our RO-DI water. You can send a sample of your base water and a sample of your mixed fertilizer solution. This will tell you the ppm of all macro and micro nutrients plus contaminates like metals.
Great Video!Fertilizing can be confusing.I like Dynamite granules also 👍🏻
Thank you for watching! Definitely love using Dynamite 💯
Happy to find your Chanel, I just started to get serious about collecting Orchids I really need them in my life😊and this video is very helpful for me with not experience but very excited about collecting Orchids, I really appreciate your advice and your opinion about fertilizer. I will suscribe right now.
I just want to mention I find you in Vicky Like video .
Thank you so much for watching and your kind words! Welcome to our community--we're so happy to have you here.
HEY QUESTION: once you mix your fertilizers, you got the right TDS, you got the right pH 5.8, how long can you keep your fertilizer/water in one of those containers before it’s time to mix up a new batch 17:11
It's probably best not to wait too many days. If you notice precipitation after a while, I'd say it's best to start fresh. Depends on the starting water, too. If you started with RO or distilled water, it would probably be good for longer as there's nothing besides the fertilizer. The best method would always be to make enough to use all in one go.
Hi there😌🙏I enjoyed watching and learning🙌💞I have an all purpose fertilizer with magnesium, calcium in it.
Glad you enjoyed this video and learned something new! We appreciate you! 💚🪴
Enjoy your videos, is there a benegit to water dumping vs using a pump applicator? I usually dump but purchased the pump and used 1/2 as much product. Also should you water before fertilizing the plants?
The benefits to drenching your fertilizer are that you get more even and consistent coverage of the product in the root zone. Spraying is perfectly fine, but sometimes spraying can make it more difficult to thoroughly and evenly wet all the root surfaces and media surfaces, as dry organic material like roots, mounts and media can be hydrophobic and can actually take some time to be completely wetted. So if you aren't heavy-handed enough with the spraying, you may not be getting as much fertilizer or any other products into and around the plant or root zone and missing out on some nutrient absorption. I like to add just a tiny bit of wetting agent like a horticultural surfactant or some dawn dish soap to my mix to help expedite the wetting process. It's also pretty important to thoroughly drench and wash the root zone out with water in between fertilizer applications so as to avoid precipitation buildup of salts that can damage the roots. I don't water immediately before fertilizing because then you've already diminished the absorption potential of the roots, and it's then just wasted fertilizer. However, don't fertilize severely dehydrated orchids when water is what they need and not fertilizer. If the plants need water pretty badly, just water them first and wait a day to fertilize.
Hi Tristan, I was just thinking that I hadn’t seen a video from you recently (no pressure 😂).
That’s very good information. Initially, I wasn’t testing my water but I started testing it and found that my tds was over 500. I haven’t done ph testing. I got scared and started buying RO water but it’s not sustainable because I buy the water and it’s difficult lifting water every day.
So I do use the tap water sometimes but every time I use any type of fertilizer/ nutrients I use RO water.
Thanks.
This is off topic, but how long does the plant take to absorb a systemic fungicide? Is it prudent to wait for 48 hrs before watering again?
It sounds like you made the right decision by using pure water for your fertilizer, at least. In your case, I'd say it'd be more prudent than most to drench your plants really well with just water in between fertilizer since your tap water is so hard. Systemics should be absorbed pretty quickly by roots and foliage, but it's still best to wait as long as possible in between watering but don't do so at the jeopardy of the plants. If they need water and it's only been 24 hours, then go ahead and water. Dehydrated and stressed plants are more prone to disease anyhow, so don't forgo one evil just to bring about another.
@@IngramOrchidsandMore Thanks a million.
Would you suggest the Palmer cal max, or seaweed fertilizer as a basic all around fertilize?
The Palmers 14-2-14 with Cal-Mag and seaweed is a good all-purpose orchid fertilizer for sure. Would definitely recommend it for your primary fertilizer.
A good place to test your water, is a reef hobby pet shop. They can even send your water off to Germany and have it tested. For about 50 bucks.
That's good advice. Never even thought about the aquarium and fish shops.
You can order your own ICP tests online. Triton is one brand. You can buy them from bulk reef supply.
The ATI ICP-oes test would be the best choice. It includes two sample tests in one kit. It's meant to test our aquarium water and our RO-DI water. You can send a sample of your base water and a sample of your mixed fertilizer solution. This will tell you the ppm of all macro and micro nutrients plus contaminates like metals.
What should be the maximum PPM for orchids?
When you get close to 1000 you're in the danger zone. Best to keep it below 850 if possible. Above that and you risk root tip die off, especially in the more sensitive species.
@@IngramOrchidsandMore thank you!
Hi Tristan if thats what your name is. You seem to make sense so I subscibed to you hoping I could learn from you which I did about PH and TDS.
Thanks for watching, and I'm glad you learned something. Cheers!
I wish you'd actually said the tds that you recommend or added it to the video as text. That was literally the thing I was here for. Tsp per gallon is not a scientific amount at all and doesn't translate to other fertilizer people might be using or ,iximg themselves. 😢
I'm sorry we didn't provide better data. Yes, I meant to add that into the video but got sidetracked and forgot to add it in the description. Realistically, you want a starting water quality of less than 400-500 ppm TDS and an EC of less than .6-.7(mS/cm). After the product has been added to the water, be it fertilizer or anything else, it's pretty important that the EC does not go above 1.3-1.5 and the TDS does not go above 900. That's when the danger zone begins. However, you'd like your starting water to be as low as possible in regards to EC and TDS so that you have more room in your water for fertilizer. If you have a starting water that's already salty and full of dissolved solids, then you don't have the buffer room for a full strength fertilizer. That's why it's best to test your water and fertilizer mix. If you have other questions more specific or in depth, the St Augustine Orchid Society has a website that is a gold mine of information and Sue Bottom has written many articles on these subjects and has provided the general public with accurate and highly professional recommendations in regards to plant nutrition and water quality. I found their website when I first started growing orchids and still reference her articles when I forget some information.
The teaspoon/gallon referenced was solely in regards to the fertilizers I showed, and you should always read the instructions of each fertilizer to determine the correct dosage. I gave my thoughts and opinions on the subject and tried to provide some loose guidance, but I'll be the first to say you should treat everyone's opinions with some reservations until you've confirmed their advise with some well rounded research. My opinions and advice should be subjected to the same scrutiny as anyone else who gives you advice. I'm glad you came for numbers because you were correct in wanting a more scientific and data driven education on the subject. Oftentimes, vague guidelines like some of the ones I gave can add to confusion, which I should have known better.
@@IngramOrchidsandMore Excellent info,
@@IngramOrchidsandMore Great reply. (New subscriber!)