Fertilsing Ophrys planted out in the garden

[Leo H.]

Hello everyone!

As spring is now really starting here, I wanted for advice on fertilising my O. apifera.

I purchased it back in September and planted it in a bed that I prepared beforehand. The soil consists of: 40% sand, 30% of our regular, loamy soil, 20% gravel and 10% crushed marble. It is located at the foot of a wall and has southwestern exposure which creates a warm and sheltered microclimate. It grew slowly over the course of fall and winter. Now that temps are rising, I wonder how much fertiliser I should give the plant. My intuition would be to use more than recommended for plants in pots. I plan to use a 14-7-8 urea-free fertilser from my local orchid nursery at 320 ppm / 500 microsiemens weekly. As I have absolutely no idea what is considered approriate for this genus and could not find any info on fertilising outdoor plants but also don't want to kill my plant, I first wanted to ask you guys

[Roberta]

These terrestrials grow naturally in poor soils. So at least for the first year, the natural soil in the mix has plenty. Now, when it is getting ready to go dormant after blooming, none at all. Perhaps a little very dilute fertilizer next fall when the growth cycle starts again. I give my Ophrys absolutely nothing over the summer - no fertilizer, not even any water. (If it gets a bit of rain that's probably OK) But it is really important to respect its pattern of dormancy (which happens in summer, totally the opposite of the tropical epiphytic orchids that you may grow)

[Dimples]

A mineral-based soil mix like you have already contains some nutrients and is much better at grabbing and holding onto the nutrients you add than a bark-based medium.

Fertilizing "weakly weekly" is still a good practice for outdoor in-ground plants if you're using a water-soluble product. If you don't want to do that, look for a slow-release granular fertilizer that you can apply monthly or even less frequently. There are many good organic options, and Osmocote is a well-regarded conventional product. I'm not sure what is available in Germany but have a look.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Dimples

A mineral-based soil mix like you have already contains some nutrients and is much better at grabbing and holding onto the nutrients you add than a bark-based medium.

Fertilizing "weakly weekly" is still a good practice for outdoor in-ground plants if you're using a water-soluble product. If you don't want to do that, look for a slow-release granular fertilizer that you can apply monthly or even less frequently. There are many good organic options, and Osmocote is a well-regarded conventional product. I'm not sure what is available in Germany but have a look.

Remember, plants like Ophrys, Orchis, Anacamptis, Serapias, etc. have a completely different pattern. They are dormant all summer (empty pot or bed). They start to sprout in around October or later when rain becomes more likely. (In Californa that comes from a hose, in Europe it happens more naturally). Then they grow during the winter and spring, bloom in spring (later farther north than in the Mediterranean) and after blooming die back. At that time, when they are dormant, they don't want fertilizer. So time-release not a good idea unless applied in the fall.

---------- Post added at 10:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:31 AM ----------

Actually, what "feeds" these is mostly soil mycorrhizae. In fact, that is a reason that these may be a bit tricky to establish outside of their natural habitat if they are shipped "clean" (like to the US) - they have to establish that microbiome. (In fact, when I repot mine, I return much of the old medium to the pot to preserve whatever might have established, and they get better year over year) Closer to their natural habitat those more likely to be already present. So really, they don't need much, or any, fertilizer at all.

[Leo H.]

Hi,

because I live in Germany, my plant is far behind plants from, for example, California. Its leaves haven't fully grown yet. Actually, it is only halfway through the vegetative phase judging from what I was able to observe in nature. In my climate, I do not expect blooms before May and the wild plants in my region flower well into June. I have even seen some flowering in July. Even though they still go dormant for at least two months in mid to late summer, they have (to some extent) adapted themselves to the different climate which is too cold and dark in winter to gather enough ressources to bloom.

Kind regards,
Leo

[Roberta]

Good information! My plants follow the Mediterranean schedule. But the general pattern is the same... they basically take care of themselves. In fact, you can just follow the natural schedule. Think of them as wildflowers (which they are) rather than "orchids" ... they mostly take what they need from the environment.

[Leo H.]

Yes, that makes sense! Thanks for the advice!