Orchid Myths

[Intruder]

What I read usually is that orchids cannot absorb urea nitrogen, but all the special orchids fertilizers sold in garden centers (in Belgium) contains a large part of nitrogen in the urea form.

[Des]

I have also been told not to leave dead and dying flowers near fresh flowers , but to honest have not noticed much of a difference . I know that ethylene is used to artificially ripen fruits ,like tomatoes etc. But would flowers produce enough of this gas to do any damage especially if the room is well ventilated?

[Des]

Wow this is getting interesting . My wife had better not read this about bananas she just loves them !!

[bonsai1504]

The ethylene gas given off by the ripening bananas and other fruit can cause flowers to fade prematurely. This is also why many people say not to put fruit next to cut flowers.

[kiki-do]

Well, Des, I am so glad you have this post! I've been losing sleep over the banana myth! Or fact! This is very interesting....and I will not be putting bananas next to orchids just yet.

[JennS]

I can testify that the gases put off by ripening fruit will fade the flowers and fast! Don't try it unless you don't really like your flowers and want to kill them.

How about the myth that orchids like to be constantly wet because they grow in swamps? (I know some grow in swampy areas, but not actually in the swamp waters as implied by this myth)

[Ray]

Forget flowers fading! Ethylene is toxic to orchids and many other plants. The first symptom is fading flowers, but don't think for a moment that a non-blooming plant is safe from ripening fruit!

You know how sometimes a dying plant will bloom as a last-ditch effort to carry on the gene pool? Hawaiian pineapple (a bromeliad) growers utilize that strategy and gas the plant with ethylene to "force" it to spike and bloom, thereby producing fruit on a shorter schedule than they might do otherwise.

[Ray]

As to the N-P-K thing, I recall being told that high nitrogen fertilizers enhance foliage growth, high phosphorus favors root growth, and that high potassium is good for the overall health of the plant, so favors flowering.

Later that was modified to high phosphorus being the "bloom booster".

Yes, nitrogen does favor vegetative growth, but too much is akin to give kids too much candy (now why would I think of that the day after Halloween?) - gives lots of energy, but isn't overly healthy. In fact, a plant that has been given to much nitrogen will be a beautiful emerald green color, but tends to be "leggy" and soft, rather than compact and sturdy.

A plant does need phosphorus, but not very much, and "more is [not] better". And... it turns out that the primary function of the high phosphorus content of so-called "bloom booster" fertilizer formulations is to dilute the nitrogen, which in addition to its other potential faults, can actually retard or stop blooming altogether.

Potassium is another essential macronutrient, but doesn't really boost anything. Of course, if you underfeed, then change to an adequate diet, it looks like the change "boosted" growth, doesn't it?

[David Morris]

I have heard (and verified in my own collection) that African orchids are immune to slugs. Or more correctly slugs will not eat african orchids. Perhaps we need a myth busters for orchids

[JennS]

Originally Posted by David Morris

I have heard (and verified in my own collection) that African orchids are immune to slugs. Or more correctly slugs will not eat african orchids. Perhaps we need a myth busters for orchids

That would be great if there was a myth busters for orchids!!! I would definitely watch it!