Orchid fertilizing video, finally!

I have wanted to make this video for a while. 75% of the questions I get are about orchid fertilization. Thank you for your patience! Please ask any questions in the comments!

[@georgiabarth2066]

Great video. I missed seeing ur videos but I know you are fostering kittens & cats & are very busy. So thanks for taking the time to make this video. Hope all is going good with ur cats. I am a cat lover & a dog lover & live with a 14 year old Lab. We are two old ladies! Thanks again.

[@daniellesorchidranch1591]

@@georgiabarth2066 thank you! I got involved with saving an abandoned cat colony in August. They were all starving and very ill. 7 of them were pregnant! It was a lot of work and I didn’t have a spare second for a few months but worth the effort to save those poor sweethearts 💙 Thank you so much for understanding!! And thank you for watching! ☺️

[@rickl.orchids]

.......this was a great explanation of what and how.......you hit on so many great points, and explained it very well......I love to hear nutrient talk.......Like you said, research research ........great nutrient chat!

[@daniellesorchidranch1591]

Wow! Coming from you that’s quite a compliment! All I know has come from research and quite frankly listening to your explanations! You always word things in such an understandable and easily absorbed way! You take my head knowledge and turn it into an “ah ha moment!”

[@rickl.orchids]

@@daniellesorchidranch1591 ........very kind words.......Keep doing your thing, its working.......

[@sharonholmes4444]

​@@daniellesorchidranch1591I know Danielle isn't Rick so knowledgeable 🙌 In my opinion you're right up there too. 🙌

[@daniellesorchidranch1591]

@ I agree! So knowledgeable! And wow! ☺️ what a compliment! I’m still learning though! Always learning!

[@SitiJackson]

❤❤❤ thank you Danielle 🌺

[@daniellesorchidranch1591]

@@SitiJackson thank you for watching!

[@wickedcabinboy]

A pH of 7.0 is in fact neutral rather than basic. I will be referring to this video as I learn more about orchids. Thanks for posting.

[@daniellesorchidranch1591]

Yes, thank you, that is what I meant. I don’t write out what I’m going to say and sometimes the proper term escapes me. pH higher than 7 is Basic. 7 is Neutral. That’s actually also why I emphasize research! Sometimes I say something incorrectly or that wouldn’t apply to your growing environment. So being educated about this subject allows you to realize what I mean when I use the wrong term or when something doesn’t apply to you. Thank you for watching 😊

[@michaelmccarthy4077]

people make too big a deal out of fertilizer, it boils down to what you can afford and what you find works for you. So long as it has N-P-K-Ca-Mg, it will work itself out. MSU is fine, although newer research has shown that an NPK ratio of 3-1-2 is best for many different plants, including orchids (MSU being 3-1-5 ratio). It is also being shown that nitrate nitrogen alone is not the best metabolically and plants benefit from ammoniacal nitrogen as well. I'm currently testing the Dynagro Foliage Pro, which is a 9-3-6 formula with 3:1 nitrate nitrogen to ammoniacal nitrogen. I cannot say I have noticed anything yet on the orchids, but on my aroids (which grow a hell of a lot faster) there is a difference in growth speed, leaf size and flower production. For the orchids, I will probably alternate between the jack's 2 part and the Dynagro when spring arrives, simply because the Dynagro is rather expensive by comparison because it is a liquid. But I have also used the Better-Gro orchid plus and they did just fine. My main issue with it was that it didn't dissolve completely (so something was being left behind) and it would absorb water from the air and turn to mush rather quickly.

[@daniellesorchidranch1591]

@@michaelmccarthy4077 thank you so much for bringing this insight! I do agree that people are more concerned about fertilizer than they need to be. I’d say about 75% of comments have to do with the fertilizer! And it’s so true, what works for you, is the right fertilizer! I also use Jack’s B part fertilizer along with my MSU. I used Better-Gro when I first started growing orchids but after doing research I switched to my current fertilizers and I did notice an improvement. Realizing that my environment was unique to me and that I had to take that into consideration, not just blindly following what other growers on YT were using (who all had very different set ups) was a key moment for me. Learning what others are finding good results with is still very interesting to me and I put a lot of thought into whether it would benefit my plants as well. That is one of the things I enjoy about this hobby. Trying new things and constantly learning! Thank you so much for watching and sharing your valuable knowledge! Once my MSU runs out, I had been considering trying a new primary fertilizer, so you’ve given me some ideas ☺️💙

[@Newksgirl1996]

Someone said to use rice water, is that a good thing to use?

[@seanwalsh6965]

Is there a bio-algacide that you may recommend for pesky Vandas?