Using rain water

[zxyqu]

You can make a correction without putting someone down. That's my honest opinion.

[DavidCampen]

Originally Posted by Ordphien

How long would it take before an orchid showed ill effects from using the wrong fertiliser with RODI water?

You should be able to go a number of months with no ill effects; it would be good to not go through a whole growth season without a properly formulated fertilizer.

[Ray]

An orchid can go for months and months with NO fertilizer, but if you mix a non-pure-water formula with RO/DI and end up with an extremely low pH, it may be only a matter of weeks before you see the roots start to react negatively.

[Ordphien]

Originally Posted by goodgollymissmolly

Ordphien,

I'm not sure where your post expressing your opinion on my postings went, but I saw it once. I have absolutely no problem with what you said. You expressed the opinion that my posts were too severe (my words) for your taste. That is a perfectly acceptable point of view which I have no argument.

To clarify...you expressed an opinion on a matter of opinion. To use that too often utilized expression, "Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but no one has a right to their own facts". You rightfully expressed an opinion.

The difference between what you said and some other things here is that some people made up false facts. I've said enough about them and I'm not going to say more. However, in my opinion, it is not the correction of false information that makes someone a bad guy. It is the posting of nonsense as fact that is the wrong thing to do.

So if someone looks bad because they posted nonsense it is their fault for posting nonsense. They are the bad guy, not the person who made a valid correction. That just MHO.

I felt terrible...
It occurred to me that I was being harsh and very judgmental...
So I deleted it.... I'm embarrassed you saw it.

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[Ordphien]

Originally Posted by Ray

An orchid can go for months and months with NO fertilizer, but if you mix a non-pure-water formula with RO/DI and end up with an extremely low pH, it may be only a matter of weeks before you see the roots start to react negatively.

Should I test the pH of the water with fertilizer in?

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[zxyqu]

Absolutely!

[Ordphien]

Originally Posted by DavidCampen

You should be able to go a number of months with no ill effects; it would be good to not go through a whole growth season without a properly formulated fertilizer.

Oh dear.... I've gone through the past growth season and a half with this fertiliser.



Ok so... what am I missing and what should I be looking for when I next go fertilizer shopping?
Attached is a picture of my two orchid fertilizers.
Some give me the break down on them...

Also... I do water every so often with a mix of RODI water and my extremely hard tap water.

Had this been helping? Is it beneficial? Sorry.... I'm confused...

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[zxyqu]

As Ray has said, using RO water and an non-specific RO fertilizer can drive the pH of the mix very low. This is because there are no buffer ions in RO water, as it is, by definition, without buffer salts. The ferts Ray recommends are solid, and I use the K-lite. But yours may be ok. it's tough to say without knowing the pH. Buy some cheap pH strips, or pH paper, and let us know.

[Leafmite]

Just a small correction: Dutch Elm Disease (DED) is caused by a fungus. I have a chestnut that is inflicted with American Chestnut Blight. Most of the big tree diseases seem to be caused by fungus, bacteria, or boring insects although one hears of citrus and theobroma cacao production being harmed by virus.

[Ordphien]

Originally Posted by zxyqu

As Ray has said, using RO water and an non-specific RO fertilizer can drive the pH of the mix very low. This is because there are no buffer ions in RO water, as it is, by definition, without buffer salts. The ferts Ray recommends are solid, and I use the K-lite. But yours may be ok. it's tough to say without knowing the pH. Buy some cheap pH strips, or pH paper, and let us know.

I have a test kit...
I'll do that now..

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