TOTAL confusion...please help!

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Nita M

Sooooooooo, does this mean I don't have to use any bloom booster fertilizer at all? I have some and now that three of my plants are in spike I was going to ask when I needed to start using the bloom booster. Would it be best to just throw it away or use it because I've got it - and if so, how often?

Nita

Personally, I wouldnt throw away perfectly good fertilizer. I would just give it to a friend. If you keep it, I think it might be a bit late to use if your plants are already in spike. IMHO, using a balanced fertilizer to promote strong vegetative growth will work much more effectively at generating big beautiful blooms and will be much less of a hassel than trying to constantly switch your feeding regime to a bloom buster every time your plants are done growing and are preparing to bloom. This theory will prove more and more true as your collection grows larger and you have many different plants at different stages in their growth and flowering cycles. Im treading onto thin ice with this rant (I know lots of people like to use bloom busters!) and I have a feeling someone who actually uses bloom busters will chime in with good reasons why you should use it and will give you advice on how to use it if you do decide to keep it.

[Nita M]

Thanks Steve. I think I'll just forget about the bloom booster and give it to somebody who does use it. Considering I've had one vanda for over a year and kept it alive and growing by ONLY watering it every day (no fertilizer at all), think I'll stick to my watering every day for the vandas, watering whenever I think they need it (the phals, oncidium and Wilsonara) and fertilizing whenever I happen to think about it. If they bloom, it'll be hip, hip, hooray and if they don't, I'll still keep them around and hope that someday they just might surprise me. :-)

Nita