Need to know pros/cons of misting fertilizer - Page 2 - Orchid Board

KrissieLynn · #11 07-12-2013, 02:18 PM

Here's another shot of the same one- this one shows the new leaf it has sprouted, about 7 or so long.

KrissieLynn · #12 07-12-2013, 02:24 PM

And this one is my mom's. I can't get a good angle on it because it's so top heavy I don't like to move it more than necessary. This one has also lost 2 leaves before the bright yellow one, and there is a tiny sliver of a new leaf beginning to form in the crown.

The repot job on this one may be questionable - stupid thing's been in bloom for so long and is so big, but the sphag it was in had started to grow white fuzzy mold on top.

Sorry about all of the pics being upside down- apparently my iPad does wired things... (Like autocorrect weird to wired...smh)

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #13 07-12-2013, 02:25 PM

I'd pull them out and see how the roots inside the pot are doing. I don't like how the bottom leaf is wrinkly like that.

Fortunately, one of the Phals is showing signs of good root growth.

Don't worry about the Phal leaning. That's how they naturally orient themselves.

KrissieLynn · #14 07-12-2013, 02:38 PM

I even named the one on its side Floppy- it was a NOID that insisted on growing sideways so I let it. That's how they grow in the wild. Well, Sort of...

And as soon as the last one stops blooming, I'll take a good hard look at it.

Thank you!

Bud · #15 07-12-2013, 02:56 PM

the plant on the first picture is dehydrated, and it is producing more aerial roots to survive....the rest of the plants are fine by looking at the roots and leaves....the leaves have the correct shade of green so you are giving it the proper lighting....
your grow zone and home environment can have humidity and moisture issues....you have to at least once a week put the plants under a sink and let the faucet soak it really wet and flush any debris inside the pot....then you can spritz it every other day for the aerial roots.
Fertilizer is food for the plants. But be careful= too much fertilizer will burn the plants. That is why I only feed it weekly weakly....if you got the correct ratio down pat=you may feed it everyday....
it is just a matter of getting the correct fertilizer/watering regimen....you have to find it out for yourself according to your environment.

---------- Post added at 01:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:46 PM ----------

some plants will sacrifice a leaf if it does not get sustenance....Philip is right=check the roots why it is not properly getting nutrients for the plant.....and stop fertilizer or a couple of weeks and see if there is an improvement.

Ray · #16 07-13-2013, 11:01 AM

Back to the original question about misting with fertilizer solutions (even though I doubt it has anything to do with your issues):

PROS:

You don't use much fertilizer

CONS:

As has been said already, possible fungal issues if the leaves remain wet, particularly in the leaf axils.
Buildup of mineral salts on the leaf surfaces, giving them a very dull appearance.
Possible undernourishment of the plants

In general, foliar feeding is poor in orchids, compared to terrestrial plants. It's pretty closely related to their evolutionary modifications intended to enhance the retention of water.

A few explanatory comments:

Liquids are not taken into plants through the leaf stomata, but through regions known as "plasmodesmata" that are closely associated with them.
Orchids tend to have far fewer leaf stomata than do terrestrial plants, and they tend to be concentrated on the under-sides of the leaves, hence the plasmodesmata are few, and far-between as well.
Many orchid leaves - significantly so in phalaenopsis - have a cuticle layer on them that is intended to slow water loss from the cells. It also serves to reduce absorption.
Plasmodesmata are very poor at transferring strongly polar species into the cells, and that's what the nitrates and ammonium compounds in most fertilizers are. They are good at transferring less polar species like urea, which is why you will find that formulas intended for foliar feeding tend to be quite high in it. (By contrast, roots are very good at passing polar species, but poor at non-polar ones.)

KrissieLynn · #17 07-13-2013, 12:45 PM

I realize now misting has several variations. My way of misting mostly misses the leaves- I aim at the potting mix and the roots. Does this new info that i should have stated long ago affect anyone's answers??

Ray · #18 07-13-2013, 01:46 PM

Wetting the roots is good, but you are probably better off with a periodic drenching of the medium, rather than misting.

If you mist the medium and it dries rapidly, you precipitate the minerals. Mist again and they do not redissolve, but as the newly misted water dries, you build up more and more.

KrissieLynn · #19 07-13-2013, 02:35 PM

Ok- thank you very much!!!