fertilizer
 

just wondering what kind of fertilizer you guys use or prefer for phals.. From what i have read there are to many that do different things.:scratchhead:

Herf,

Be prepared to get twice as many different answers to this question as the members responding! :rofl: And then do not forget the "secret ingredient" we all have to hedge our bets. :lol:

As I jokingly tell people who ask me, "Do you want this year's secret blend or last year's"! I have found that 1) Whatever you do, USE SOMETHING; 2) Use it for a full year before you evaluate it or recommend it and 3) Experiment with only a few plants if you are considering changing to a new formula. The bottom line is: Will this work for me under my conditions?

CL

understood but also I'm new so a point in any direction is better than me just buying some something from Lowes that i know nothing about.

I use an Orchid compound made by a UK company called Chempak, some times I use weak tomato food and sometimes I use Miracle gro for acid plants, but the use of the orchid compound has brought most consistent results for me. Good luck and happy growing

I'm using Dyna-Grow at the moment. Check out the Free Info page on Rays website (firstrays.com) The info about fertilizer is great as well as all the awesome additional info especially for a newcomer. He and his site have helped me alot.

First Rays' Free Info

Just out of interest what is it you use because I use a Chempack one as well (and I have been pleased with the results).

I use

Chempak Orchid Growth Formula High Nitrogen Food 250ml

along with the bloom feed equivalent.

Gosh you were up early:) mind you I was up late:rofl:

Mine is the chempak yellow pot of crystals that you add a tiny spoonful of to every two pints of water and it's just called Chempak orchid Fertilizer. It's 35-10-10 but quite a lot of the N is from Ureic nitrogen(28.3%) which I seem to remember reading somewhere that isn't too great.

hope that helps

Heather

Herf,

You cannot go too far wrong with a balanced fertilizer made for orchids and use it at diluted strength for your phals.

When I had a greenhouse of phals, I used a balanced fertilizer made by Grow More, diluted 1/4 strength and applied every three weeks with the fourth week a flush. I tend to avoid the expensive potions and found Dyna Gro no better than what I was using. There are many brands out there, some with urea and some without; some with more trace elements than others but all of them will work better than nothing.

I do not know in which area of the US you live; where you grow your plants; how much light they get; or what mix they are in. These factors will all affect the absorbing capabilities of the fertilizer you choose.

I hope this helps generally but I know there are several phal growers out there with more specific information.

Good Luck, :goodluck:

CL

Yeah, I was up early. I had to be on-call for work, waiting specifically for a call from Israel and they are two hours ahead (sunday is also not a weekend over there). So I was on-call from 7am and he finally rang arround 1pm. Not that I mind, it was a very important call and I got brownie points from my boss for being willing to take it on a Sunday.

Anyway, that sounds like a different fertiliser to mine, but from the same company. I'm not sure how much of the Nitrogen in mine (10-3-3) is from Ureic nitrogen. But my Phals and Dend have done well with it. I'm hoping the new Paph will do just as well.