Fish and Seaweed Blend Fertilizer

[Katsols]

Hello, I've always read and used specially formulated orchid fertilizer, like for ex: i use grow more urea free orchid food 20-10-20. I used it last year and since it's getting warmer i started using it again. Now that spring is coming and with the warmth i'm hoping to see a growth spur with my baby vanda pakchong blue and little vandofinetia i thought maybe giving it a little boost this summer and use "Neptune's Harvest Organic Fish and Seaweed Blend Fertilizer, 2-3-1" as well, and i guess i could use half of the recommended ammount, no?
What do you guys think, would this be good?

[Ray]

Forget the "half of the recommended amount" stuff. Most mass-marketed nutrients are NOT designed for orchids, and even if they say so, it's often more marketing than science.

1) Settle on a nitrogen concentration you like to use. Something around 100-150 ppm is good for weekly-, to biweekly feeding.

2) if you're going to blend formulas, you need to do a little math:

If you mix your 20-10-20 and 2-3-1 in a 50/50 ratio, your net application is a 11-6.5-10.5. For 100 ppm N, you need 8/11=0.727, or (close enough) 3/4 teaspoon per gallon.

Another way to look at it is to start with the amount of the Neptune's Harvest you'd want to use. They recommend a tablespoon per gallon every 2-3 weeks. The spacing between use is probably due to the hormones in the seaweed (that's my recommendation for KelpMax, too).

For 100 ppm N, their formula requires 8/2=4 teaspoons per gallon, so their recommendation is 50% greater, and if you're only going to feed every 2-3 weeks, a tablespoon is probably appropriate.

Personally - assuming you want to feed once a week - I'd use the NH product at 4 teaspoons per gallon every other week, and the Grow More at 8/20= 0.4 teaspoon per gallon in between.

[Katsols]

O so i can use more of the NH, interesting. How can i measure 0.4 teaspoon? that's about 1.9 ml or 2ml if rounded up, the fertilizer is small granules.

So the NH fertilizer would benefit the orchids pretty well?

[Ray]

I honestly don't know the product, so was merely supplying some dosing recommendations.

Get creative with your mixing - if you cannot measure 0.4 teaspoons to add to a gallon, consider increasing both by 25% - a half teaspoon in 5 quarts.

[gardengirl13]

I use their fish emulsion outside not in since it stinks. I use their seaweed regularly and all the orchids seem to be doing well with it. I use about 1/2 teaspoon or so per gal every time I water. I water heavily to saturate the plants then add a bit of the fert mixed water (a fert and seaweed mixed with water) and let it flow through a tiny bit. They're not getting a whole lot of fert, but what they are they seem to enjoy.

[Katsols]

O that's great to hear that they respond well do it, i will definitely use it this summer.
Thank you, and ray your calculations for the measurements are very helpful. thank you.

[blackvine]

Katsols, just wondering how you did with the Neptunes Harvest this summer on your orchids? Been using it for years on my garden plants and houseplants with success and want to try on my chids, so I'm curious!

[Katsols]

Originally Posted by blackvine

Katsols, just wondering how you did with the Neptunes Harvest this summer on your orchids? Been using it for years on my garden plants and houseplants with success and want to try on my chids, so I'm curious!

Quite well, orchids reacted very well to it and i've seen a lot of root growth! i'll post a picture soon =] my vandas have some really juicy nice looking roots haha sounds quite funny. I followed Rays advice on how much per gallon i should use and how to alternate fertilizers. (some weeks i get kind of lazy and forget to fertilize) but they still did very well! and the leaves keep growing one right after the other.

[blackvine]

That's great! I'll try it too. Maybe in spring for the winter resting ones but I think I can give this to my phals all seasons.

[Island Girl]

Yea, I use this stuff too, I like it. (I also use MSU fert.)

...and it does stink, FYI so, if you grow your orchids in your living area, I'd recommend against it.