TDS Monitor for Phalaenopsis Orchid Care

[New2Orchids2020]

Is a TDS monitor required for growing Phals?

What are the benefits? Uses? Purpose?

I'm in information overload. I read blog post after blog post, articles, watch videos..

[estación seca]

Monitoring total dissolved solids is unimportant for orchid growers. The most important issues are proper temperature, humidity, and air/moisture at the roots. If you focus on those things you will be a better grower than almost everybody putting up videos.

[New2Orchids2020]

So not even if I opt to use multiple fertilizers such as Cal-Mag, Garden Lime, Seaweed Extract, Regular Orchid fertilizer?

[Mr.Fakename]

It depends on what water you're using to start with.

For instance, my tap water has already enough calcium, but not enough magnesium. If I were to add a Cal-Mag supplement, plants would end up with way too much calcium.

Do you have an official water quality report or something?

[Ray]

Originally Posted by New2Orchids2020

So not even if I opt to use multiple fertilizers such as Cal-Mag, Garden Lime, Seaweed Extract, Regular Orchid fertilizer?

First of all, TDS meters are generally not very accurate.

Second, besides all of the items listed not being fertilizers, each chemical blend will have its own, different TDS reading/actual concentration relationship, so setting a target of “X” ppm, measured with a TDS meter might be fine for some, insufficient for others and toxically overdosed for another.

I’m going to disagree with ES on “it doesn’t matter for orchids”. Yes, some plants, like phalaenopsis, are pretty tolerant of a wide range of water quality, but knowing what you’re dealing with and controlling it can make them grow a lot better.

You might take some time and read the variety of articles HERE to get a better understanding.

[estación seca]

Fertilizer is the least important aspect of orchid growing. In importance to other factors its importance is less than 1%.

Assuming the total dissolved solids meter is accurate - a HUGE assumption for a cheap one - they only tell you how many charged particles exist in a solution. They don't tell you what those charged particles are in the solution. The only time they are useful is when mixing enourmous batches of fertilizer and you've preciously measured the TDS of a known mixture of that fertilizer in that water.

It's simpler to use a fertilizer calculator and pay attention to nitrogen. You can learn a lot about fertilizer at firstrays.com where you will find a nitrogen calculator.

Edit: I wrote "monitoring" to refer to repeatedly checking TDS. Knowing the TDS of water used is important but it's not important to monitor it repeatedly,

[New2Orchids2020]

Originally Posted by Mr.Fakename

It depends on what water you're using to start with.

For instance, my tap water has already enough calcium, but not enough magnesium. If I were to add a Cal-Mag supplement, plants would end up with way too much calcium.

Do you have an official water quality report or something?

Mr.Fakename

Water I am beginning with-this is a good point. Thank you. I am going to use tap water. I went ahead and ordered a TDS and a PH monitor from Amazon yesterday.

At this time I do not have an official water report for my city. I did Google the water quality and the "hardness" is reported to be around 40 ppms.

I am going to look into gaining an official report.

---------- Post added at 11:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:07 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Ray

First of all, TDS meters are generally not very accurate.

Second, besides all of the items listed not being fertilizers, each chemical blend will have its own, different TDS reading/actual concentration relationship, so setting a target of “X” ppm, measured with a TDS meter might be fine for some, insufficient for others and toxically overdosed for another.

I’m going to disagree with ES on “it doesn’t matter for orchids”. Yes, some plants, like phalaenopsis, are pretty tolerant of a wide range of water quality, but knowing what you’re dealing with and controlling it can make them grow a lot better.

You might take some time and read the variety of articles HERE to get a better understanding.

Ray

Thank you for the article links. I will do some more reading/research.

---------- Post added at 11:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:11 AM ----------

Originally Posted by estación seca

Fertilizer is the least important aspect of orchid growing. In importance to other factors its importance is less than 1%.

Assuming the total dissolved solids meter is accurate - a HUGE assumption for a cheap one - they only tell you how many charged particles exist in a solution. They don't tell you what those charged particles are in the solution. The only time they are useful is when mixing enourmous batches of fertilizer and you've preciously measured the TDS of a known mixture of that fertilizer in that water.

It's simpler to use a fertilizer calculator and pay attention to nitrogen. You can learn a lot about fertilizer at firstrays.com where you will find a nitrogen calculator.

Edit: I wrote "monitoring" to refer to repeatedly checking TDS. Knowing the TDS of water used is important but it's not important to monitor it repeatedly,

estación seca

Thank you. I told my husband the same thing in regard to the TDS monitor. I did not understand the importance of the device once the hardness of the water was determined.

This lady on Youtube, Orchid Whisperer, she has one. She has tons of orchids that are doing so well, spiking, flowering and growing new roots. She spoke of the monitor as though it were pretty important and useful. So I ordered one yesterday along with the various nutrients/vitamin supplements that she recommended (Cal-Mag, Limestone, Seaweed extract)

Much of what she stated was confirmed by many articles that I read from the St. Augustine Orchid Society. Especially in regards to calcium and magnesium and its effect on the plants' ability to spike, grow new roots and blooms.