Fertilize orchids correctly
How often do orchids need to be fertilized?
The supply of nutrients in the pot of a houseplant is limited, so they need to be fertilized regularly. However, it is almost impossible to guarantee a nutrient supply like in nature, as nutrients are constantly available in rainwater, mist and organic matter, albeit in extremely low concentrations. However, this is not a problem for orchids, as they are “weak feeders”, which means that they can manage with very low doses of nutrients. The sensitive roots are therefore quickly damaged if you fertilize too generously.
It is a good guideline to add liquid fertilizer to the irrigation water every two to three weeks. Under no circumstances should the dosage recommended by the manufacturer be exceeded! If too much fertilizer is applied, salts are deposited as whitish crystals on the substrate and roots. In the worst case, this can result in burns to the aerial roots. However, this can be avoided by always slightly underdosing the fertilizer.
When should I fertilize?
Orchids need the nutrients to form new leaf mass, roots, buds and flowers. Therefore, fertilizer should be applied regularly, i.e. every 2 weeks, especially in spring, to support the formation of new shoots.
In winter, orchids take a break and their metabolism requires fewer nutrients. Now they only need to be fertilized rarely or not at all.
Even freshly repotted plants do not need any additional nutrients for 4 to 6 weeks.
What should I fertilize with?
Orchid fertilizer is best used to provide orchids with the best possible care, as it has an ideal composition that precisely meets the nutritional requirements of orchids, is low in salt and well tolerated.
However, it is not only the nutrient requirements but also the specific orchid substrate that determine which fertilizer is most suitable. In a coarse and slightly moist substrate, fertilizer sticks dissolve poorly and are distributed unevenly.
Organic fertilizers are not suitable either, as the nutrients must first be released by microorganisms in order to be available to plants. However, the biotic activity of the orchid substrate is too low to achieve this.
The best way to distribute the nutrients is to add liquid fertilizer to the irrigation water. If no orchid fertilizer is available, tillandsia fertilizer can also be used.
