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when can I start fertilizing...

17 years ago

o.k. here I have my new orchids, but orchids are very different than roses...

for my baby rose bands and young own root bands I feed a very dilute sea tea (fish emulsion, seaweed and compost tea) 1 tsp. per gallon as a transplant medium (keeps them strong and healthy after a transplant)

when can I start fertilizing my new orchids? Do I too have to dilute the mixture even more than the usual fertilizing mix? and when is the best time to fertilize...

Originally I am "intending" to transplant to a slightly larger bark pot and will immediately feed with 1/2 the normal dosage of Jack's Classic Orchid Special 30-10-10...(my orchids came with spaghnum moss but have read that bark is actually preferable for Cattelyas). What does everyone think about this idea?

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Comment (1)

richardol
17 years ago
I like to re-pot when I get a new orchid but it is not necessary and definitely, most orchids don't need larger pots. Pot size is based on root volume. That is one way that orchids are different from other garden plants.

As for fertilizing, I like low even numbers, e.g. 20-20-20 at half strength once a week for most plants.

Cattleyas, Laelias and any hybrids like to drain well and get fairly dry between watering. Bark is better than sphagnum for that purpose. Sphagnum moss can be tricky. I grow my Laelia anceps in sphagnum but in very high light, good air flow, warm temperatures and careful monitoring of how wet the sphagnum is before watering.
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