wall of orchids

[Martin555]

Thanks for that, a quick question, is it ok to soak the bark in liquid fertilizer prior to using?

[Roberta]

I'm not sure what it would gain... Since the buildup of fertilizer salts is what tends to cause leaf-tip burn, I think that would just accelerate the process. Time release fertilizer is more gentle - a little bit of fertilizer released slowly is better than slamming the plant with a jolt of it. In an ideal world, a very low dose of fertilizer in every watering (with a a clear water flush every 4th watering or so) tends to be better than even the once-a-week regimen. Depends on what you have time for... weakly, weekly works better for me... Remember, orchids in general are light feeders, based on their slow growth. Cymbidiums grow faster and larger than most, so the extra boost of time-release helps. But it is much better to err on the low side than to give too much. If they don't get enough, they'll just grow more slowly. Too much and you can burn roots and leaves.

[Martin555]

Thanks for the illustrative and comprehensive answer would not get that much info from google, most appreciative, I wondered because I read that the bark absorbs and stores the fertilizer saving it from wash out, but I guess that would be best done gradually.

[Roberta]

Forget Google... too hard to separate the good info from the bad info, Google treats them the same. (Google does not grow orchids...) Hang out here, and ask questions, gain the benefit of collectively many years of orchid growing by lots of people. Especially, you'll get the "why" of the pieces of advice, absolutely vital when applying the info to your situation.

[Martin555]

You are so right, I do worry that I might be a bother to some folks but your enabling is really amazing, it was a lucky day I stumbled in here, I used to think you needed a phd and a very seriously complex greenhouse to grow orchids, I do generally over estimate the size of problems though which is ok as I normally try harder to solve them, bless you Roberta.

[ArronOB]

In post 49 I think you are asking about whether the light levels are suitable for your plants. My response is we could guess but it makes far more sense to measure them. You should be able to find on the web the range of light required for each orchid alliance. You can use a phone or tablet with a light meter ap, or just use the old trick of holding up your hand and seeing how sharp the shadows are. It doesn’t need to be particularly accurate.

So measure rather then guess.

[Martin555]

I have an app on my phone and will be pleased to acquire a method of how to place the orchids relative to their lighting requirements, thanks Aaron.