It depends on what your potting media is, and what is in your water.
Nitrogen is the limiting nutrient for most plants. Bark or other typical media have very few nutrients of any kind, especially nitrogen. Fertilizing is concerned mainly with supplying nitrogen. This is difficult without using a commercial fertilizer.
Many people's tap water has plenty of minerals, but many municipalities adjust the tap water pH close to 8 or lower, which makes it difficult for plants to take up many of those minerals. If growers measure tap water pH and adjust with some form of acid to around 6-7, the minerals in the tap water may be sufficient for most orchids. But nitrogen is still the issue.
Fertilizer is very inexpensive compared to orchids. However, a lot of fertilizers sold for orchids are quite expensive compared to other fertilizers. Most people will be able to grow orchids just fine using the least expensive 20-20-20 formula they can buy. Use a nitrogen calculator to calculate how much you want to add to get the nitrogen content you desire.
If you have a house, and fertilize your landscape, it is far cheaper to buy 20-20-20 with micronutrients fertilizer in large bags from an agricultural supply company. I am sure they exist in Minnesota, because there is so much agriculture. You can use that fertilizer on your plants, too.
|
Threaded Mode
