Understanding Orchid Fertilizer: Semi-Hydroponics

[@slizzynguyenner6442]

You are an incredible content creator! So informative and kind. I love that you welcome feedback from your community and have such a self awareness in the way you present. Thank you so much!!

[@chad8858]

Thank you for what you are doing and helping me with just the start of my orchid addiction

[@donnalawler7124]

Thank you so much for your time in making these videos. I have learned so much as a beginner. Sending you so much 💝

[@MichaelsOrchids]

Sending it right back atcha, Donna! Thank you for watching

[@libbyslittlegarden9514]

I MISSED YOU ! reading as always all of the comments that people make on your Channel. if only I had the memory to remember everything you saying it would be so wonderful. don't think I have forgotten about the experiment that I want to do but I have not been able to get my meters but just know that I will😍👉👵👈

[@MichaelsOrchids]

Xoxo

[@ditmagiknietvergeten]

Libby's Little Garden Libby If you email me your address I order you a ph and tds meter and have it delivered 2 you.

[@johnmason455]

Nice job! Re; the urea debate. As I understand it there is decent evidence that orchids, most anyway, can use urea. Wether that is due to bacteria in our system or on/in the integumen of the root who knows. It makes sense that they would since a major part of their natural nutrients would be from animal urine/feces getting washed down to them. Anyway people have gotten by with urea based nutes for a long time and the orchids survived. I would doubt that it would significantly contribute to mineral build-up, but that is just my hunch, more likely the minerals are from your tap water IMO. Take care!

[@MichaelsOrchids]

Hi John! Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback! I would agree with you, except for the fact that I switched to distilled water exclusively for watering and fertilizing. I flush my systems weekly using tap water to ensure that magnesium and calcium are still present, so I suspect that the mineral buildup is coming from somewhere else. But who actually knows, only time will tell!

[@larryjones558]

As follow up on prior comments, I'm going to pull from my memory years of growing aquatic plants and studying plant physiology (memory is fallible). Higher plants can't use urea directly. Bacteria quickly break it down to the more toxic ammonium (which is why gas station men's rooms smell) then to nitrite and nitrate. The last is least toxic and is used readily by plants. So I think a easy and interesting thing to do is check the water you flush from the reservoir with any readily available aquarium test. If the ammonia is higher than the stock fertilizer solution we would know that bacterial action is at work. I would be interested to see if the nitrate would be higher or lower as the plant would absorb some. Again a great discussion.

[@MichaelsOrchids]

Hi Larry! As always, thank you for the thoughtful and very constructive suggestion. I'm going to have to invest in one of these during this experiment so I can supplement with some real science. Thank you!

[@larryjones558]

Oooh you could wear a lab coat. Dr. Micheal ummhumm lol

[@kimberlyoboyle451]

After all the Physan 20 treatments I see on this channel I am very skeptical that there is any bacteria action anymore! Just Kidding!! Interesting ideas, Why do I seem to recall people using Urea on certain Orchids, Am I thinking of the Phrags? Might have read about people using Urea on Slippertalk. Memory is also fallible.

[@MichaelsOrchids]

I'm looking into just that. They say paphs and phrags are more sensitive to mineral content. That being said, phrag and paphs are more acidic growers, and can make good use of ammoniacal nitrogen (more readily available in urea free) to make their media and environment more acidic. I really do think the answer is going to be orchid-type specific

[@kimberlyoboyle451]

I'm glad you are doing all the research, I've been busy in my spare time trying to decide how to design the next step of my orchidarium, been researching natural backgrounds and "terrarium" builds lately! So thanks for making the research so concise and pleasant to watch :)

[@sharonbeck8209]

I missed you. So glad you are ok.

[@MichaelsOrchids]

Thank you for your concern, Sharon! I'm great ❤️

[@obsessivegal]

Have you done the comparison? I can't find another video on the fertilizers as a follow up to this one. :(

[@JoeCsFlowers]

You are so cute! Do I mix them together ? You rather spray the fertilizer? How often do u water without the fertilizer?

[@Justusorjustone]

Hey,what can i do without heat may in cold???????????

[@MichaelsOrchids]

I'm not sure, Govind! Maybe Phalaenopsis aren't the orchid for you because they are so choosy about their warmth. Maybe try dendrobium, they need winter rest anyway!

[@ditmagiknietvergeten]

hi Michael, as you check my channel I just started the semi hydro adventure. starting with getting vases and drilling. would like if you could watch it ❤ hope you had a nice week. you do your content on your own pace!! life is busy and filming, prepairing and editing takes time. and free time is precious. we understand. also fertilizer bloom boosters are being re thought as not necessary. it's not commonly accepted yet and havent bin tested a lot. but in nature bloom boosters don't exist. the plant takes what it needs and stores the rest when needed. but everyone need to do what feels comfortable. example I use a pk 13-14 for my dens. (so no nitrogen...after there new growths have matured until there winter rest ) hoping I don't get Keiki's next spring. and also give it to my orchids in bloom that don't show active growth (I rotate 1 week pk other week npk and the 5th week i flush) . just cus it's a long hold believed that nitrogen is not used when orchids are in bloom. but I don't want to deprive them so I rotate 🙈 just to be shure lol. for the rest I use 20-20-20 with micro nutrients and kelp mixes. but it's a good idea to follow the non bloom booster movement. just out of curiosity. ps orchid nutrient deficiency can take up to 2 years to show in some cases. so try fast growing ones 😉 as long as they get npk calcium and magnesium enough to grow they won't show any difficiance I believe.. I have read loads of urea artikels I have to back track to find the most valuable and reasonable. will do that later this week. love that your back and will love following your fertilizer experiment. on urea i thought the thesis is that with organic media bacteria in the media use nitrogen to decompose the media and that they convert the urea Into a more readily available nitrogen .being. amonium and then nitrate. but it also speeds up decomposing the media. and the bacteria uses up nitrogen what then can't go to your plants. but it takes a while for the urea to he available to the plant. and some plants can use it like phals. hope I'm right about that lol it's hard to study atm. kind regards rose 🌹

[@MichaelsOrchids]

I swear Rose, you must be able to read my mind! A lot of the key points you brought up are things that I thought about putting in this video. But I always try to simplify concepts to make them more accessible to new growers. All of that information is relevant, but for somebody who is just beginning to explore/learn about fertilizer, I don't want to confuse them or offer too much information about changing movements, haha.

[@ditmagiknietvergeten]

Michael's Orchids. lol I think its the third time you told me I read your mind...we must be in sync.😊 as always you think your content output trough verry well. Mabey after you get filmed what you wanted to film... you can do part 2 on most subjects as part 1 is for beginners and part to is for the next stage. or people who want to know more. since you do explain things quite well and make it understandable. it's might be verry good content for deepening or widening your content and I formation and we the beginners can grow alongside you😉 also from a marketing point if view ist good to have people feel connected so if we van grow alongside you wile you broaden your knowledge and we feel connected it's makes.for good subscribers and people who share your vids or recommend you to there friends since we feel so connected with your channel. just my 2 cent thinking ahead ❤ kind regards rose 🌹

[@libbyslittlegarden9514]

Rozanna van der Veen - Honders hello my rose I see you here talking to my KZbin grandson I love your idea Rose Michael explains things the way I understand them Rick on the other hand just is a boom boom do it right kind of guy and then he explains what he did just quoting some examples and I love hearing both of their inputs and then there comes Rose rose rose. I love you both!

[@ditmagiknietvergeten]

Hi libby darling thank you, I love you more lol. I like to spar around with ideas both with Michael and rick. And yes they are verry different and I support them both. There is a difference in output btw rick is like a dear loved one she shows you the ropes and has 30 years of expireance. Michael is learning and I'm learning the same stuff in the same speed with him so I feel connected. I also think his channel cam become a beacon a starting point for beginners and evolve I to mire complex and more experienced subject. But I see so much potential and he is sooo kind that I want to cuddle him. He is cute as a button 😍. Anyway so I wish for him to grow and be a KZbin phenomenon. I know he can be. Just needs support a little help from big names and love from everyone of us. And ideas to stay Inspired.. Your all dear to me and every single one is making me enjoy life more. And be a little less sick. And that's magical and priceless. So both of you you stole my heart and I'm gratefull for the comments replies and purpose of support I'm getting. No shrink or medication can give me what this KZbin fam is giving me.❤

[@MichaelsOrchids]

😭😭😭😭My heart is so fulllllll ❤️❤️❤️

[@joshimoto9913]

Good to see you're doing well man! I sent you an email! Did you eat a chance to see it? I think I may just do a physan soak today cause the mold is so bad. I'm only 3 weeks in to semi hydro but I don't want my guys to hurt :/ do you think that's okay since I haven't hit the 30 day mark?

[@MichaelsOrchids]

Check your email! I literally replied about 2 minutes ago, haha

[@joshimoto9913]

I literally just checked it before you sent I 😂😂

[@janeiceschmidt568]

Hi Michael, what is your background, are you a botanist??

[@MichaelsOrchids]

I'm not, I actually have zero background in plants. My education is in performance and communication.

[@janeiceschmidt568]

Michael's Orchids 😊🌴⚘🌱

[@natelincoln]

I believe bugs and other animals urinate. So in nature those epiphytic orchids would indeed encounter urea.

[@chad8858]

would you consider selling your orchids?