Is this fertilizer ok?

[jreidsma]

I've only been watering everything with fertilizer once a month, maybe for my orchids I need to fertilize everything more.

So maybe for my orchids and faster growing plants that need more fertilizer I will do you like said and water them more often with the fertilizer, but at a lower strength. Maybe water once with it, then one time without, alternating so nothing builds up.

So which fertilizer should I use for all my orchids? the 30-10-10, the 7-9-5, or the 17-9-26? It sounds like they all would work, but I don't know which would be best. I kind of like the 7-9-5 because it is more well rounded and the 17-9-26 because it sounds like it promotes blooms more that the other two and it is for epiphytic plants and more sensitive plants.

[cbuchman]

Like you, I'd choose the more well rounded one. Ray has done some research that indicates the the Nitrogen is the key fertilizer element (it's someone on the OB). Most of the OB members have indicated that their experience is that bloom boosting fert doesn't really do much, and that has been my experience as well.

Ray's studies indicate that it is better to fert more often (like every watering). I water about 6 items a month with fert and once without, but I ran the calculation is if always using fert. So I am using slightly less that the calculator would suggest for my habits, but I figure that is safer. (I use an MSU fert - just switched)

I also just started to use SuperThrive and I must say that I saw almost immediate response in root growth. I add about 2 drops/gallon at every watering.

So in the end, you will need to do some experiments to see how your orchids respond to your fertilizing regimen in your conditions. There are no one-size-fits-all care formulas for orchids!

[jreidsma]

So the 7-9-5 bonsai pro fertilizer it is then! Nothing looks like it would hurt it in it right? It says on the directions to do 1/4 tsp/gallon for bonsai and 1/2 tsp/gallon for all other container plants. So I am guessing that doing the 1/4th would be better with some super thrive every watering for my orchids. and once a month, when I fertilize all my other non-orchid plants I will flush them out with plain spring water.

On the calculator I put in the 7 for nitrogen, 6 for watering, and once for not fertilizer watering. It gave me 1.7 which is way off the directions?

The bonsai pro is urea salt free also, so nothing should build up in the bark salt wise like it would with the other fertilizers with salt.

I saw super thrive at a hydroponic store, I may go back and get it as a booster for all my plants

[Ray]

1.7 teaspoons would be for 125 ppm N, but if you're going to feed more frequently, I suggest lowering that to no more that 50 ppm, and for that you'll mix 0.7 tsp/gal.

[jreidsma]

Ahh, I didn't think about the ppm of nitrogen. Thanks

I will give all the orchids my bonsai fertilizer then I use it for all my other plants.