Fertilize Phalaenopsis while flowering?
 

Hi,

Is it okay to fertilize a phalaenopsis orchid while it is in flower?

If so, at what strength/frequency?

Thanks,

Shelly

I fertilize mine year round in flower or not but I am growing mine in Semi-Hydroponics. What is you Phal being grown in?

Thanks for the reply...I am growing mine in sphag...

Flowering is an extremely energy-intensive process for a plant - all that growth and tissue maintenance with no further photosynthesis to support it. Of course it needs food. One might also extend that to an analogy of a pregnant woman (only not quite there yet) - you wouldn't starve a pregnant woman would you?

No matter what, I feed at 125 ppm N at all times.

Divide 13 by %N on the fertilizer label to determine the ml/L to use.

Thanks for the response...yeah I thought so too...I actually recieved conflicting information when I went to an orchid show - I bought a white phal there and I was told the opposite from the seller....than again, the plant that I bought had advanced root rot and died within a month...go figure :lol:

Sorry to hear that. I would never expect anything but top notched plants to be sold at a show.

Lol, never thought of it that way, Ray. But a good analogy.

Nidia, I had the same problem with my first BEAUTIFUL, white double-spiked Phalaenopsis... come to find out later, it was totally choked in Sphag which stayed damp WAY more than I realized (and I only watered it every two weeks, and had plenty of time to dry, but was wrapped in plastic, and began to mold). You should have seen how much moss was packed into this space. Anyway, I managed to save it and it is clinging on for dear life, but rehab is extremely slow... it literally lost all roots but two aerials that I mist several times a day... now it's finally popping new roots out.

My other phals I water with bloom booster when flowering. Just be sure not to overdo it or the salts will build up.

Good luck :)

Haha!! That is exactly what was wrong with mine!!! Overloaded on sphag...especially around the center of the root ball, the poor thing couldnt breath. It was a gorgeous single spike white phalaenopsis with 5 branches...I tried to save it using the sphag and bag technique, but it just didnt work.

I got another phal hybrid from the supermarket, which is way healthier but I am still on the lookout for a large white phal...

I do year round and I grow in rice hulls and have great results as long as they dont dry out