Weakly, Weekly
When it comes to fertilizing, a good rule of thumb is to feed orchids “weakly, weekly.” Orchids do best with a weak fertilizer solution given weekly during spring and summer. It’s common to use ¼ – ½ the strength recommended on the package label. A dilute fertilizer solution mimics how orchids obtain nutrients in the wild, usually in small doses. It also avoids problems caused by too much artificial fertilizer. Blackened roots or black leaf tips are typical signs of overfeeding. When orchids are emerging from dormancy, new growth is especially susceptible to fertilizer burns.
Be sure to flush all orchids with clean water occasionally, at least once a month. This removes fertilizer residues which can build up and cause damage.
Explore posts in the same categories: Dormancy, Fertilizing, Growing
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March 20th, 2012 at 11:21 am
Thank you so much for this aritlce, it saved me time!
March 23rd, 2012 at 6:51 pm
Good info! Thanks.
April 19th, 2012 at 10:25 am
Following my own investigation, I have found that weekly weakly works best. My orchids have lots of blooms and I stopped having fertilizer burn. I use the method for all my plants, not just my orchids. Its on my calendar every week and I don’t have to think about it after that.
April 25th, 2012 at 5:54 am
A great site with interesting information
April 30th, 2012 at 6:20 am
Thanks for that! It’s just the asnwer I needed. I’m impressed you shoud think of something like that
May 23rd, 2012 at 3:29 pm
Question: the Weekly weakly method
The directions for my fertilizer says 1 tsp per gallon of water. Do I feed my orchid weekly until I run out of the fertilized water?
May 26th, 2012 at 12:27 pm
To eve: Most fertilizer instructions tell you how to mix a gallon, but that’s too much if you don’t have a big orchid collection. Some fertilizers may lose potency over time, especially if the bottle is stored in the heat or sun. You may want to do the math and mix smaller batches so you don’t have to store it.
June 28th, 2012 at 12:55 pm
[…] Fertilizing weakly, weekly is best. Compost can also be a great growth booster. […]