Switching back to a balanced fertilizer.....

[orchids3]

Have also used the MSU or its knockoffs for years with very good results as far as growth of all species is concerned. Cymbidiums also recieved a Tbl spoon of 13-13-13 Nutricote 180 day time release fertilizer twice a year and a pinch of 90 day time release (90 day) Calcium Nitrate. Growth is excellent but am not satisfied with flowering. My whole fertilizer schedule is changing and will be revole more around Calcium Nitrate, Potassium Nitrate applications. I believe constant applications
of the same thing might actually hinder flowering in cymbidiums - Will wait for success or failure to elaborate more but already see better flowering of cymbidiums which flower this time of year. Think nature should be copied as far as increasing or decresing N is concerned.
As far as Calcium in Florida water supplies, I would only say that although we have lots of calcium in our water in Jacksonville Fl it is of a type that is not easily used my plants. Calciums carbonate is is the Calcium source found in the water. It is best to provide another calcium source. I actually add lime to my cymbidium pots - but then the rain is very acid here - the lime helps to buffer the pH but during times of less rain I actually find my pH going high (I try to stay between 6.5 & 7) and add citric acid to the water.Low pH releases Ca and raises pH during rainy times.Lime doesnt do much of anything unless it experiences acid conditions. Dolomite lime also has magnesium but I do supplement with epson salts as well

[ppujol]

I am jumping into this thread a bit late but I thought that I should add my thoughts and experience on this topic. I used MSU well water from Ray's most of last year and switched to a locally made formula in Oct last year. I noticed that my phal blooms have less flowers per spike and shorter duration this year than the past 2 years. The color intensity and flower texture were however very good. The local formula does not have Mg and I add Epsom salts once a month during growth season, and my soil mix includes two calcium sources. I believe that the major difference is in the concentration of fertilizer I have been using this year. I have been using about 125-150ppm N for all my orchids but now think that while this concentration is fine for cym and cat which receive a lot of light, it might be too high for phals and other lower light orchids, which should receive 1/2 the dose; same with my pap and phrag which are doing better since I cut the MSU dose in half. May be next year, I will try to fertilize with MSU only every other watering like Cym Ladie and top my pots in the Spring with a granulated slow release balanced fertilizer Nutricote to cover micronutrients needs and low dose fertilizing while only watering.

[Masdyman]

Originally Posted by Cym Ladye

Masdyman,

I definitely concur with your use of the lower rate for Masdevallias. I am sure this would be true as well for several other genera. As I stated in my last post, hybrid Cyms are very heavy feeders during their growth season. They can be overfed however, and the secret is to know where that line is and are the nutrients provided encouraging growth at the expense of blooms.

According to what I have read and what I have experienced, plants will not absorb the nutrients with ease in cold weather as they did in warm weather. Some have said absorption decreases dramatically under 65 F. as the plants slow their growth. For those growing outdoors, that would seem to make any fertilizer program in winter a waste of good material unless a few warm sunny days show up.

CL

I also have some Cyms, I sold one last year that won a rosette at a show it had 6 great spikes and looked fabulous, I sold it as it was getting very large and they don't float by boat anymore. But they was also fed at this rate, the only thing different I do with Cyms is to sprinkle some dolomite lime on them a couple of times in the growing season.

[wambua]

Hi everyone, I hope to learn a few things in here.congratulations on this website

[orchids3]

Note that I made corrections to my origional post.