Change substrate of a stressed plant

[Roberta]

When you foliar feed, do you guarantee that none of it gets into the pot? Frankly, I don't pay much attention to fertilizer at all and my orchids do just fine. Do what you want, your conditions are different than mine. Just note when you do a treatment and something good happens that doesn't logically follow... correlation does not equal causation. Sometimes you have to look more carefully at what's really going on.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Shadeflower

Roberta, have you read this article yet?

Why You Should Foliar Feed Orchids (& How To Do It Right)

As the forum mod you should be checking what I post. If you still feel the same about your answer then I don't know what more to say.

Please stop with the passive aggressiveness, it's not enjoyable for anyone to have to read such comments. Mods are not obliged (and don't have time) to read absolutely everything that is posted. Our job is to try to ensure everyone plays nicely in the sandbox.

While foliar feeding may work for some big names in the orchid world as cited in the article (and they likely have more time for complex feeding regimes), to me it's simply overcomplicating matters:

* 1) Orchids are slow growers and rarely show micro nutrient deficiencies, providing that they are already getting some (as part of tap water or complete fertilizer).

* 2) For CAM type orchids (Phals and many other orchids) the stomata are only open at night, and most are on the undersides of the leaves. This means waiting until dark to spray/mist the plants. That brings the problem of being able to do that (good luck mid summer when its completely dark at 11pm!), taking the time to spray both leaf surfaces, and the issue of plants being wet at night, especially in cool climates.

* 3) While using fertilizers which have the right concentration right out of the bottle is nice and convenient, it is also extraordinarily expensive compared to buying a concentrated fertilizer and diluting it yourself.

* 4) For the vast majority of growers, especially people like the OP who do not have tons of experience, using a decent fertilizer in irrigation water on a regular basis and at a suitable dosage is going to work just fine.

[Dimples]

I looked at the internet link Shade posted and then read the actual sources that that article cites (and some of the sources cited in those articles).

At best, they all suggest foliar fertilizing as a supplement to a traditional root application fertilizer regimen and primarily as a way to deliver supplementary micronutrients to prevent or treat a deficiency. None of them suggest foliar fertilizing as the primary method of nutrient delivery.

Most of the foundational science is based on terrestrial plants grown in the ground, or in soil media (I looked into the research extensively in college when I was completing my BS). The research has been extended to orchids, but the results need to be viewed in the correct biological scale - most healthy orchids have significantly more surface area available for root uptake of nutrients compared to leaf/stomata uptake, and stomas did not evolve with nutrient uptake as a primary function.

Looking at the science alone, OP and other novice growers would be better served to start with the basics. Learn how to fertilize plants by way of the roots and save the foliar fertilizing for later exploration if needed.

[Shadeflower]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Spraying fertilizer on orchid leaves is pretty much useless.. They don't absorb fertilizer through leaves

Sorry if I annoyed yet again Camille. The mods are seen as the guardians of information on this site much like my teachersback in school had a job of keeping the sand in the sandbox but also to make sure the right stuff was taught. In physics that meant relearning things as new things were discovered.

Telling the pupil to shut up is not the way to go. Some of my teachers did do that too but it just made me wish I had a better teacher.

Anyway, to clarify my view, I don't actually foliar feed. It's too much time consuming. I did try it on a deficient plant and I was pleasantly surprised that it did show good results but I completely agree with Dimples assessment that it is a waste of time generally.

I just wanted to address the point that they can absorb things through their leaves. It's not like they aren't physically able to do it.

Like said I don't do it. There's no harm doing it. It does provide additional (if minor) good results. So if you have the time then by all means it helps.
But that doesn't mean the orchids can't physically absorb nutrients into the leaves.

I know Roberta had read that article previously so why ignore it. I see what you are saying dimples but then it could just be worded it differently as in yes plants can but like I pointed out it is a waste of time since the roots absorb all they need.

Even I am getting a bit tired of this nonsense. It's not needed. Always the same over and over. Instead of just agreeing on what orchids can and can't do regardless of what we as growers do. There is enough research on the matter now for us to understand and even be able to analyze their DNA so lets leave the old myths and beliefs behind even as I will again point out foliar feeding is generally a waste of time.

[Dimples]

Shade,
Speaking from the position of working as an educator (part of my job as farm manager for a non-profit is being an outdoor/environmental educator), teaching isn't a simple process. My fiance is a high school bio/anatomy teacher and he feels the same way.

Teachers have to take extremely complex information and present it in an easily digestible and understandable way. Sometimes that means teachers will summarize things in ways that are only 98% correct. Adding the additional 2% of the information would overcomplicate the discussion and leave the students MORE confused. (example: cells don't all look like what we learned in school. We learn about the composite cell, but most cells in the body aren't like that.)

That's not a problem in an advanced level class, but beginner "classes" should be set up to maximize student comprehension and success.

Telling people a simplified version of the truth that will set them up for future success is the GOAL of teaching.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Shadeflower

Sorry if I annoyed yet again Camille. The mods are seen as the guardians of information on this site much like my teachersback in school had a job of keeping the sand in the sandbox but also to make sure the right stuff was taught. In physics that meant relearning things as new things were discovered.

Telling the pupil to shut up is not the way to go. Some of my teachers did do that too but it just made me wish I had a better teacher.

The issue SF is not so much what you say, but how you say it. I think you would find that people would be a lot more receptive to what you have to say if you weren't peppering your posts with snarky and/passive aggressive comments. This attitude puts people on the defensive and defensive people will not be inclined to agree with you.

As to post content, if you don't agree with foliar feeding it would have been a lot easier for you to mention that in the original post instead of confusing everyone, especially novice growers.

And that's all I will say on this topic, my excuses to the OP and let's get this thread back to the original subject.

[epifit]

I began repotting my orchids .

When roots are white/yellow when I can water again.

I removed all the sphagnum moss from the roots and left it all the night and day on the table without moisture.

Today I put it into a half wet half dry bark.

The roots will return to green color?

[estación seca]

Dry Phal roots are white or silver with a green tip when newer. They are completely brown when older and they have stopped growing. Some roots may have brown older parts near the plant, but white/green tips where they are still growing.

Newer roots turn from silver/white to green when they are wet.

Older but still living roots remain brown, wet or dry.

[Roberta]

When the roots turn white, time to water. When they're saturated with water they turn green (they do have chlorophyll, which becomes visible when the velamin - the white spongy coating of the roots - becomes somewhat translucent when wet.

Without overthinking the process, your goal is "humid air' around the roots. So as the water evaporates, the pockets of air in the medium hold moisture. A trick for determining how often to water... Water the plant well and let drain. Weigh it on a kitchen scale or postal scale.. Weigh it again the next day, and the one after, etc. When the rate of weight loss slows down (not much more water to evaporate), it is watering time again. After you do this a few times, you'll have a good idea of how fast they dry out in your conditions.

[epifit]

Ok thank you !