how to fertilize

[Wrebbitrocks]

i dont want to burn my orchids so i want to know if im using the right stuff. im using miraclegro 7-7-7 fertilizer for african violets. whats a good fertilizer to use? i want to use nutricote because i've read that you just sprinkle it on the surface of the media and it will feed the orchids itself. is that true. will it burn the plants?

[Roy]

Please tell us what type of Orchids you have. To give an 'overall' method of fertilizing would be very wrong.
A brief outline of your growing area / conditions would also benefit.

[Wrebbitrocks]

i live in tucson, az. i dont know the humidity probably low though. bright light away from windows no direct sun. 80s-90s at day 60s at night maybe 50s. potted in bark charcoal perlite mix. i have a NOID white dendrobium phalaenopsis and an oncidium sharry var. aureum 'ok'. i water once a week on saturday or sunday with bottled water by submerging the pot in a container of water around 10am to noon. i fertilize every other week. spray lightly in the morning around 7am before school, again around 3pm when schools over.

[Roy]

What your doing sounds ok provided the plants aren't drying out too much between weekends. The spraying is a good idea. Keep away from the nutricote if I were you. This fertilizer relies on constant moisture to work properly and is near impossible to tell how much fertilizer is being released. If the plants are growing well I wouldn't change. If anything, I would use a very weak fertilizer mix in the water you use every weekend, quarter strength at most. The Dend will benefit most from the spraying, the Oncid should have a moist mix, not wet, all the time.

[Ray]

Assuming the AV food is complete with needed minor nutrients, it should be fine. I would use it at 1.5 teaspoons per gallon every other watering, under your conditions, maybe going to 3 out of 4 waterings if it's in active growth.

[Wrebbitrocks]

ok thank you guys

[quiltergal]

Just an observation....with 80-90 degree days and low humidity your Onc. Sharry Baby should be watered more than once a week. I have similar temps in the summer here and slightly higher humidity and I'm watering all my Oncs at least twice a week. If your new growth starts to pleat as it emerges you'lll know for sure you aren't watering enough. The Den is probably fine with once a week watering. What kind of medium are they in?