Orchid Pro Fertilizer

[Ray]

Ppm is a weight-per-weight measurement. If you know the specific gravity of the Orchid Pro, some simple math would tell you what you want to knot, BUT... There is a very simple estimation technique:

For a 100 ppm N solution, divide 8 by the %N on any fertilizer label- the result is teaspoons per gallon to use.

So for Orchid Pro at 7%N, you’d need 8/7, but 1 teaspoon per gallon would be about 88 ppm N, which is close enough.

For K-Lite at 12.9%, it’s 8/12.9, which is close to 2/3 tsp/gal.

[Shawna]

Ray, Thank You

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Shawna

Ray, Thank You

You are quite welcome!

[Intruder]

As usual this discussion about the N/K Potassium ratio is fascinating. Orchidtinkerer alluded to the fact that K is higher than N for Rain Mix fertilizer. A few years ago I asked the manufacturer here in Belgium why. He answered me that it was so that the plant makes big bulbs and therefore has more reserves to make more flowers.
Shouldn't we make a difference about the needs between plants with bulbs (Cattleya, Oncidium, Bulbo ...) and those of the monopodial type (Phalaenopsis, Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium ...) ?
Small remark: when we say that K is greater than N for the Rain Mix, it is not quite accurate. The formula is N: 11.8% and K2O: 13.7% but the ratio N/K is 1.04. So N and K in equal quantities. Same for Peters 20-20-20 or 21-7-21 and 15-5-15.

[SouthPark]

I'm not sure. We just know that - out in the wild, the nutrients that the orchids get just keep varying. So doing the 0.01 % concentration nitrogen in our fertiliser/water mix is one workable method.

The Yates Orchid 'Food' fertiliser I use is 10:3:14 ..... and I just apply relatively weak fertiliser once a month into my media (generally scoria), and then mag-cal once a month too. And my orchids all grow and flower just fine too. I think that the roots can still get fertiliser from within the media whenever the media and roots get a bit wet/moist. That is - some fertiliser still hangs around in the media. So the roots can likely get something for those times when regular water is applied to the media.

I'm all for the 'weak every week fertililser application' too ------ whatever keeps working nicely is ok as well.