Is this fertilizer ok?

[jreidsma]

Hi everyone

I have been using Miracle grow orchid food fertilizer for my orchids. its 30-10-10. Is it alright or should I use epiphytes delight 17-9-26. And then I have bonsai pro 7-9-5 urea free but it isn't for orchids that I know of.

If more information is required let me know and I will post the other ingredients

[lepetitmartien]

IMHO the figures are not that important at amateur level save if you're running for the gold. Now, the mandatory part is :
- the availability of Mg and other elements in small quantities.
- NPK figures somehow equals, if not, it's better to have a big N than a big P.
- respect dilutions at levels orchids can support.

For example, you can use fertilizers for tomatoes or vegetable/fruits, they are very similar to those for orchids, without urea for soft water.

Urea free or not depends on the hardness of your water. A medium hard water will benefit of urea.

For high profile fertilizer optimization, I'm sure the local gods around will provide you with input.

[Bill U.]

I have been using the MiracleGro 30-10-10 fertilizer on all of my orchids (phals and phrags mostly) and I have had no problems with it at all! The only thing to watch out for is that you don't burn the roots with the amount of fertilizer that you are using (depending upon the type of potting media you use, how often you flush your pots, fertilizer concentration, etc.)

I use .25 tsp of the 30-10-10 per gallon and I use it about every other watering. (Sometimes after 2 flushings because I grow in a mix of mostly sphag moss and hydroton and I don't want to have salt accumulation, so I make sure that I flush often). But as I said, I have used this with Phrag besseae (phrags are many times sensitive to the amounts of fertilizer they get) and I haven't had any issues with tip browning or anything. If you grow in bark, it is suggested that you use a high nitrogen fertilizer to make sure that there is enough nitrogen for the microbes that break down the bark AND your orchid.

Hope this helps!

[jreidsma]

If it works well for you then I will keep using it

I grow all my orchids in bark, so the 30% nitrogen would help.

Here is more info:
Boron - .02
copper - .07
iron - .325
manganese - .05
molybdenum - .0005
zinc - .07

[jen.kirsten]

I'm also using this fertilizer on my Phals that I have in bark. So far so good!

[Ray]

Originally Posted by jreidsma

I grow all my orchids in bark, so the 30% nitrogen would help.

Don't let old lore influence you.

Yes, the microorganisms that decompose bark consume nitrogen, but their population is insignificant until the plant has been in the same mix for several years - something that was common many years ago, but now known to be risky, so avoided.

One warning about high-nitrogen fertilizers is to limit its application to low doses, or the nitrogen can suppress flowering. I don't think that there is any research that indicates exactly what that level is, but I notice that my own plants are blooming more freely since I dropped my feeding application (12-1-1-10Ca-4Mg) to about 50 ppm N (about 1/8th tsp/gal of the 30-10-10 would be 53 ppm N)

[cbuchman]

Try using First Rays fert calculator to figure the amt to use. Fertilizer Mixing Calculators

[jreidsma]

I used the calculator and it said to use 1-3 teaspoons per gallon (depending on the watering schedule), and the directions on the fertilizer says 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. Assuming I put in the stuff right

So the directions on the fertilizer says 1/4th teaspoon per gallon, so 1/8th would be better for the orchids?

Here is the info on the other two fertilizers:
Bonsai Pro 7-9-5:
Nitrogen 7% (ammoniacal nitrogen 2.6%)(nitrate nitrogen 4.4%)
Available phosphate 9%
soluble potash 5%
calcium 2%
magnesium (water soluble) .5%
Boron .02%
chlorine .1%
cobalt .0015%
copper (chelated copper) .05%
iron (chelated iron) .1%
manganese (chelated) .05%
molybdenum .0009%
sodium .1%
zinc (chelated) .05%


Epiphytes delight 17-9-26
nitrogen 17% (ammoniacal 5.5% nitrate 11.5%)
Available phosphoric acid 9%
soluable potash 26%
boron .02%
copper (chelated) .05%
iron .1%
manganese (chelated) .05%
molybdenum .0005%
zinc (chelated) .05%


Then I wrote the orchid miracle grow food above.

[cbuchman]

Originally Posted by jreidsma

I used the calculator and it said to use 1-3 teaspoons per gallon (depending on the watering schedule), and the directions on the fertilizer says 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. Assuming I put in the stuff right

So the directions on the fertilizer says 1/4th teaspoon per gallon, so 1/8th would be better for the orchids?

1-3 teaspoons does sound like a lot. i am usually at 1/2 teas/gal

[cbuchman]

I'd go with Rays' Calculations. I see that the first fert you have is relatively low in nitrogen.

The second at 17% comes up at 3/4 tes if you water 4x per month (and 1 watering with clear water) or 1/2 teas if you water 8 x per month with no clear water watering.

What are you putting in for the number of times watered per month?