schmiggle
Arachnoking
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2013
- Messages
- 2,220
I've had an Aeranthes ramosa for a little under a year, and while it hasn't died, it's always grown very slowly. Now I know slow growth is normal for orchids, but it still hasnt finished the leaf it had started on when I first got it. Furthermore, it's been growing much more slowly attached to an urn, and my assumption is that the breaking down orchid mix supplied a degree of nutrients. So even though this species is a "fertilize lightly" one, I decided to go for it anyway.
What I'm nervous about is I know that orchids are vulnerable to root burn. I have a 30-10-10 fertilizer (N is 3% ammonia, 27% urea), and it said to dilute half a teaspoon in a gallon of water, which I did. However, it says to water with that mixture once every two weeks. This is fine if you're watering when the soil feels dry, maybe once twice a week. In my case, however, I spray a small amount of liquid on usually twice a day to keep the sphagnum encasing the roots constantly moist. What I've been doing is alternating fertilizer water with regular water, to wash away accumulated salts. My question is, will this give the orchid an appropriate amount of fertilizer? My concern is that either it will be too much, in which case harmful salts will accumulate (the phosphorous and potassium are in salts), or that I'll wash away the fertilizer before it's absorbed, in which case it does nothing. Thoughts?
What I'm nervous about is I know that orchids are vulnerable to root burn. I have a 30-10-10 fertilizer (N is 3% ammonia, 27% urea), and it said to dilute half a teaspoon in a gallon of water, which I did. However, it says to water with that mixture once every two weeks. This is fine if you're watering when the soil feels dry, maybe once twice a week. In my case, however, I spray a small amount of liquid on usually twice a day to keep the sphagnum encasing the roots constantly moist. What I've been doing is alternating fertilizer water with regular water, to wash away accumulated salts. My question is, will this give the orchid an appropriate amount of fertilizer? My concern is that either it will be too much, in which case harmful salts will accumulate (the phosphorous and potassium are in salts), or that I'll wash away the fertilizer before it's absorbed, in which case it does nothing. Thoughts?