Can I use weed tea to fertilize my orchids

[DirtyCoconuts]

Originally Posted by mailm

I can’t say about orchids, but I always use this tea for my lawn.

What is the process?

[mailm]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

What is the process?

I chop the weeds into pieces and pour water in a barrel. I add compost there. I also bought a bottle of an effective microorganism preparation to improve vigor and remove odor. After that I cover the barrel, but only so that air enters there, since the fermentation process will take place there. The process lasts about 2 weeks, after which you have a ready-made organic fertilizer.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by oregon woodsmoke

It could take months for your orchids to die from it if it turns out to be bad for them.

Several months would be good. Preferably a year, or even two years - just to be on the safe side.

I would probably give a bit of a boil first, or a heat-up, just to make sure no nasties are in it.

[Ray]

<soapbox>

While I am all for the use of home remedies to tackle pest infestation - if I am certain they are effective for the particular pest - I don’t understand the drive to feed plants with home-brewed nutrients.

For one, unless you happen to have access to a lab or a fat bank account, you’re never going to know what you’re giving the plants, if it’s enough or it’s too much.

Plus there’s the possibility of completely throwing off your plants’ systems by the overintroduction of minor or trace elements.

Then there’s the pathogen issue we have already discussed.

If you consider the relatively high cost of an orchid plant and the low cost of a quality, well-established fertilizer, it just isn’t worth it.

</soapbox>

[DirtyCoconuts]

Wait, what about my home brewed inococur???

[Mercurianmad]

Oh this was a bust for me. Four days after I made the batch of weed tea I checked it. I used to want to be a coroner, when I was younger, and studied at a few body farms and the like. This mixture smelled EXACTLY like a dead body lol. An old one. My husband made me dump it far from our home ☺️ I don’t think I’ll be making weed tea again any time soon.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

Wait, what about my home brewed inococur???

It's not a fertilizer and you started with a known feedstock.

[DirtyCoconuts]

cool, i assumed there was a distinction. i was just really hoping i was not going to have to do any science at the end LOL

[estación seca]

Did your neighbors hide anything in there?

[Mercurianmad]

If we had neighbors to blame it on, that would’ve been lovely. I would have made them dump it out 😋