DONT disturb the roots - OR - Is the AOS wrong?

[nzadro]

Many thanks to Roberta, SouthPark and MJG! Your responses are great!

I will need to order a new pot for this along with some smaller orchiata bark. Hopefully it won't take too long, but enough time that the orchid has breather from shipping. In the meantime, the pot is slightly lifted to keep the roots from getting crushed. I will keep you all updated!!!

[nzadro]

Friends
Those of you who have or grew a young Psychopsis (from Hausermann or otherwise) -- how often and much did you fertilize it?

I have Maxsea 16.16.16 and Better Gro 20.14.13. I use both on my orchids, depending on what other plants I am fertlizing that day.

Many thanks in advance!
Natalie

[Roberta]

I don't have one of these young Psychopsis, but in general, you can fertilize it with everything else. Which formulation you use isn't important... just that it be dilute. Mostly, I don't treat young plants any differently than their older relatives. If you were to do anything different at all, it would be to use a lower concentration. Like all orchids, these really don't need much. You could take your regular fertilizer mix, and dilute to half strength for the little ones.

[nzadro]

Thank you, Roberta.
I fertilize orchids weakly. Unless fertlizing my other plants (mainly begonias), then its 1/4 tsp Maxsea per gallon. I can further dilute that if needed!

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by nzadro

Thank you, Roberta.
I fertilize orchids weakly. Unless fertlizing my other plants (mainly begonias), then its 1/4 tsp Maxsea per gallon. I can further dilute that if needed!

I think that's weak enough. Make your life easy... treat them all the same unless there's a good reason not to.

[nzadro]

Excellent words of wisdom, thank you!

[SouthPark]

nz --- each grower has their own schedules. With my schedule, I do the 'weak' fertiliser application (and 'weak' is relative - so will just clarify as one-quarter to one-third (of factory recommended strength) of my yates thrive orchid food liquid concentrate). To make it easy - I spray it into my media, just like when I water normally (by spraying into media) ----- done around the first day of each month.

Then ----- at the middle of the month, weak mag-cal treatment ..... applied in the same way. The rest of the times is just plain watering.

[nzadro]

Thanks SouthPark! I try to circle the day I fertlize in my calendar. It *sort of* helps keeps track, when I can remember to actually mark it, haha!

Okay, guys. I got more questions for you. Bear with me. I want to send you all flowers for your help and patience.
I have potting medium and pots on its way (all from Repotme). When I repot the psychopsis, is it done so like a phal? Keep old growth toward the side, so new growth can go towards the middle/across? Here is another pic. It will be going into a 3 inch slotted plastic pot. That should keep it happy for a bit, so I want to do it right.

[Roberta]

Phals can go into the middle of the pot. They are monopodial, all the growth is vertical. (That's why the crown is so important, that's where the new growth comes) Catts, Oncidinae, and many other orchids (especially the New World ones) are sympodial, making new growths along a rhizome. So they tend to march across the pot in one direction (or more if there are multiple new growths) Most of the monopodial orchids are Old World... Vandaceous, Angraecoides, etc. Trying to think of any monopodial species from the Americas, drawing a blank.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by nzadro

When I repot the psychopsis, is it done so like a phal? Keep old growth toward the side, so new growth can go towards the middle/across?

NZ ----- definitely. If you notice a clear pattern in the way it is growing, such as all the bulbs moving along roughly in one direction, then you could do just that ----- put the 'tail' end toward one side ----- even extremely to one side (such as near edge of pot). But it's all optional. If you have a large pot, then putting it somewhere in the middle is fine ..... maybe offset to one side a little bit. The reason - orchids don't grow at the rate of weeds/grass etc. Also depends on the size of pot you'll be using too.