Lucille - what is the problem with your regular water that you decided to set an RO system?

Why I am asking - RO will get rid of everything including calcium and magnesium salts that make the water hard. But plants need these minerals. So if the only problem - is a very hard water - people mix RO and regular tap water to get it right. If your problem is chloramine in a tap water - you cannot do it and you need to get a fertilizer with these elements added. I am thinking you need to research hydroponics supplies.

So far the best fertilizer for me is Dyna-Gro Grow 7-9-5. It is urea free - so it will work on orchids too. Depending on how humid is your house is - 1/8 -1/4 of a teaspoon per gallon. Lower number if the house is dry.

Another good fertilizer - Fox Farm Grow Big 6-4-4. 1/4 of a teaspoon. Also no urea and also with micronutrients.

I use wicking - so my water is always there and always with fertilizer.

Good Luck

Irina

Irina, for orchids, mineral buildup can be a problem. Many people just take their orchids to the sink to water, so mineral salts do not build up because the watering process washed excess minerals out as it flows through the bark or leca, but as I said, I do not want to haul everything to the sink several times a week. Many orchid growers use RO so that they can water in place like I do. Ordinarily, the fertilizers replace needed minerals but in a very much diluted, and not harmful, manner.

I am thinking that you and Paul know more than I about the needs of Orchids. So - RO - is primary for Orchids - and it makes sense - because epiphytes use rainwater in nature. AVs are terrestrial plants and they can take harder water. Generally if tap water has less 150ppm of solids - and of course doesn't have chloramine -you can use it on AVs.

Since MSU orchid fertilizer is 13:3:15 - it is too low on phosphorus for AVs. You probably can compensate for it by adding a tablespoon of a bone meal to a gallon of soil - very slow release P.

But it is all iffy - if the fertilizer is formulated for the exact needs of one family of plants - it is not necessary the best for another family. It probably will work OK - 1/8 of a teaspoon per gallon.

My water has greater than 150ppm.

Just an FYI note: pure water is also typically the best choice for many bromeliads like Tillandsia and often a must for many carnivorous plants.

Lucille -

what is your solids number? We can calculate your dilution ratio.

I think it is a conscientious approach. RO filter sends 9 gallons of water down the drain to produce 1 gallon of RO water. Less tap water going down the drain - the greener we are.

Yup - the rain and mist waters a lot of tropical epiphytes, And carnivorous plants became carnivorous because their natural habitat desperately lacks nutrients. You need to be really hungry to supplement your diet with flies.

Lots of gesneriads grow in light shade on northern face of hills - sometimes hills are limestone - high pH - Primulinas, Petrocosmeas - sometimes on rocks with higher acidity - granite, basalt, sandstone - Saintpaulia. And the minerals are present in the water seeping off these porous rocks.

I am not commenting anymore on any of your posts. I thought I was helpful. Please accept my apologies.

We did not start off on the right foot. Your first post to me, lambasting me for buying violets now was in my opinion treating me like a child, as if I could not make my own decisions about risk and spending.

However, I accept your apology. Fortunately, both of us have another foot.

Lucille- I just preached again regarding noids. OOPS..

Anyway - I really do not try to take any digs at you. If the question is asked - I usually try not only give my opinion - but explain why. I do not try to make you feel like a child. There are more than you and me on this forum - and any discussion benefits a lot of people.

You know how RO works and I know - but a lot of people do not. I know 2 people in my area who installed RO systems because their water was too hard - and both ended mixing tap and RO water otherwise AVs developed chlorosis .

Again - you want to buy NoiDs - fine - I have some NoiDs Orchids - several Phals and a Paph - and I am not composting them.

If you become a member of a club - and show your AVs - you cannot enter nonames in a Show. You can enter a new hybrid, you can enter a sport off a named plant, but if you do not have this information - too bad. Though you can use the Noid in a design or a dish garden.

So - people who belong to the clubs and to AVSA do not collect NoID plants. They probably grow several because they like them - but they definitely prefer named plants.

I understand it is snobbish - nothing wrong with plants without a name - they bloom pretty anyway - but I love a good story about each plant. Thing is - if you get into AVs, you become better and better - and most of the people eventually migrate towards named plants.

When I say something you do not agree with - it is not because I am after you - there is some logic in it.

But it is a hobby - we all can have our own methods and preferences, We do not need to agree.

Irina, Hope it is ok to make a comment or two. I learned so much from you and another woman here when I first joined the forum. You both took me under your wing and gave lots of tips.

I also learned about the big name commercial vendor. That went along with what my friend who first got me hooked on AVSA registered AVs was teaching me. So I gradually weaned myself away from the commercial plants. I developed a nice "starter collection" of vintage and bought shelving and lights.

I accidentally bought a few that suckered like mad. I potted them all up and joined an actual AVSA club to donate them. The club is one of the originals and still alive.

You cannot imagine my shock to find they contentedly grew the commercial varieties and sold them to the public and showed them ....

Here I was getting up at the crack of dawn, neglecting my family, to travel 1 1/2 hours to discuss commercial AVs that I could buy anywhere. And ... I, the newbie, was the only one who knew all the names of the commercial AVs!

No one cared what they grew. It seemed like the attitude was, "it's green, it has a purple or pink flower. This is California. Anything grows, anything goes." Ironically, now I was the AV snob!

Anyway, the club eventually got a fresh start and is now attuned to what most people imagine an AVSA club should be and several serious collectors returned.

It was amazing to me how my expectations lead me to be very emotional about something I had been completely oblivious to just one or two years before.

Then reading back in the archives, I discovered that is not an unusual reaction. This hobby incites deep passions.

I took a break and studied on my own and watched Annie's "All about African Violets" every week. That made me deliriously contented. I gave away tons of surplus, my family stopped taking inventory. We could actually eat on the kitchen and dining room tables again and books went back on the shelves. Watching Annie was completely vicarious enjoyment. Then came the episode when she visited Gary in "Out of Africa," and had to crawl on her back to see his AVs grown under his house. It was then I knew Irina's stern disciplinary "fireside chats" had probably saved me and many from hoarding.

However, I do have a built-in balance beam. Then Irina went away, the other gal and a few others went away. I went away. Now we are back with a whole bunch of new folks and new topics.

Joanne

Joanne - it is always OK to make a comment!!

we all need to pitch in and make comments. That's the way to go. We can agree or agree to disagree.

I heard some serious horror stories about SF. And I am glad that your club is getting a fresh start.

It definitely doesn't make any sense to drive hour and half for such drivel. A club should have at least several people who are really interested and involved. If not - it usually will die out because new people come and leave. Nothing exciting is going on.

We all started with big store bought plants... and were happy to get all colors to grow... and then as we learned - and stopped killing them - our collection grew like a rabbit colony in spring - and it became evident - something needs to go... no name plants found new homes...

So - noname plants - is a stage on a learning curve of an AV hobbyist, a productive and interesting stage.

Regarding this bizarre club activity - propagation of store bought plants for sale.. it is boring. I probably would quit after second meeting,

I hope I didn't stick my foot in my mouth again... and didn't offend anybody else... bad hair week for me...

By now, your foot is clean!

- I need all the detailed info, to grow. I am soooooooo appreciative for the experience and patience in carefully describing everything, as I know little. I know medical science but this is a different animal/body/foot. - ( hehe ) I’m trying different things for growing conditions and have made some potentially hazardous mistakes trying to grow the AV’s. Yes, I will lose a few, but with vast knowledge available on GW, I feel safer. I do FB too, however more for amusement and to keep from buying more. If I need advise, I come here!

If we could all learn by other people mistakes... we learn only on our own... Sorry Cheryl - you probably need to kill some more of them... if you do not feel confident - postpone acquiring minis and variegated semi-minis. Stick to standards while you are learning - they are much more durable.

They still die on me every so often... But every time I bring a new one home - I put the leaf down - and under the dome. Warranty,

I.

I now have 5 standards and they are doing fine. I like watching them.

Oh, Irina! Please disregard the horror stories! We were "invaded by the body snatchers" a couple of years ago. But all is well now. We all love each other and some long time actual hybridizers and champion growers have returned! The club is one of the few that has stood the test of time in our area. Don't mind me, I was tired. I would walk over hot coals for my club members.

No, no, you did not offend anyone! I was just trying to explain some expectations I had and poking fun at myself. The club no longer does that. A generous member has supplied me with rare and exotic AVs I could never aquire. We also have several new members who are new to AVs who are having fun.

For a small club, there is amazing history and infirmation with each person growing something different. It is the club of my dreams now.

Joanne

I'm running into more people using RO for their violets. I suspect that regular water use is one of the reasons that violets are reported so often, to get rid of wicked salts.

My RO plus fert watered violets are so far doing well.