An orchid is a flower of divine, unearthly beauty that has conquered a good half of the female population of the entire planet! But in order for this plant to delight with its beautiful buds, it is necessary to properly care for it and fertilize it in time.
Read on for some ready-made dressings better, how to make them yourself. How and when to use them correctly: during flowering or after.
Features
In a wild environment, the life of an orchid is relatively large, due to the fact that nature itself enriches the plant with vital elements it needs. At home, things are not so rosy, and the period of his life is shortened several times, so the flower must be fertilized independently.
When resorting to different feeding methods, you should know when it can be done and when it should be moved to another time. A few cases when the flower is best left alone:
- during flowering plants;
- if he has recently been transplanted;
- the plant is sick;
- the flower is affected by various pests (how to use Fitoverm for pest control of orchids, read here, and from this article you will learn how to treat the plant with Aktara to protect against various insects).
In these cases, it is advisable to start helping the orchid to recover and give time to adapt to new conditions and only then begin to fertilize the flower.
But directly Some tips on when and how to feed orchids:
- top dressing is carried out only after watering the plant;
- in summer and winter, fertilizer is produced no more than 1 time per month;
- In autumn and spring, you can double the procedure, but should not exceed once every 2 weeks.
Important! In the case of fertilizer orchids, the main thing is not to overdo it! The flower will respond better to a small amount of top dressing than to its oversupply!
What fertilizers to use?
Fertilize indoor flower can be a variety of means.
Specialized products
The modern industry offers a large selection of tools for fertilizing indoor plants. Choosing the right one It is worth looking at the mark "for the orchid" and the composition of the meansit is preferable that it contains 3 useful elements:
- potassium (K);
- nitrogen (N);
- phosphorus (P).
The ratio of these components is usually indicated on the label: NPK - 4: 6: 6 or 5: 6: 7, etc.
The following fertilizer brands are considered the most popular:
- Fasasco - stimulates the growth of greenery.
- Pokon - satisfies the needs of the flower in nutrition, thereby improves the appearance and condition of the flower, is available for root as a liquid for irrigation and not root dressing, as a spray, for spraying.
- Agricola - mineral fertilizer provides growth and beauty of the plant.
- Brexie Combi and Bona Forte - These are combined preparations capable of a high content of active macronutrients, having a positive effect on orchids as a whole.
- Rainbow and Ideal - drugs of domestic production, a positive effect on the appearance of buds and abundant flowering.
Learn about how you can feed the orchid, as well as see an overview of the best tools and how to use them, here.
Cooked from improvised means
In addition to the purchased specialized tools, you can apply solutions from things that are always at hand, the main thing is not to overdo them:
- plain tea or coffee - a rather small concentration of elements, but it is, which is already good, if there is no proper fertilizer;
- the water in which the grain was washed (buckwheat, rice or millet) - contains a large list of necessary components that help healthy flower growth;
- water in which boiled eggs - high calcium content, which contributes to the internal strengthening of the orchid;
- boiled broth - A storehouse of potassium, and this vitamin is badly needed flower.
Infusions rich in macronutrients, as well as capable of preventing the appearance of rot and disease:
- onion peel;
- peel;
- banana peel;
- ash.
Folk methods
Experienced flower growers also rarely resort to folk remedies for fertilizing orchids:
- hot shower;
- children's multivitamins in liquid form;
- vitamins in ampoules of group B (B1, B2, B6; B12);
- top dressing for aquarium water;
- glucose solution.
Step-by-step instruction
How to fertilize a flower? Grooming a flower at home, you need to adhere to the correct fertilizer algorithm, it affects the healthy growth of the plant:
- For fertilizing, only diluted, liquid substances should be used for watering or spraying the flower.
- Do not carry out fertilizer before watering. Always, only after him.
- Sticks for feeding do not need to stick in a pot with a flower, in the hope that the plant will receive the vitamins he needs with every watering. Perhaps this method is suitable for other indoor flowers, but for an orchid it is destructive, thus it is very easy to burn the root system. It is desirable to dissolve them in water.
During flowering
This is due to the fact that for the period of flowering, the plant has already stocked up the necessary number of macronutrients and trace elements. And an overabundance can provoke the discharge of inflorescences.
If you have clearly decided for yourself that you definitely need to feed it during flowering, then this should be done by the safest means, with its extremely low consistency. And it is better to just go tea brewing!
Also during the flowering period, you can use a hot shower, the water temperature should not exceed 36 degrees, this procedure is closest to the tropical rain, which orchids are very fond of.
Read more about the rules of orchid feeding during flowering here.
For blooming buds
Making the orchid bloom is not a simple matter, but it's worth a try.
- Choose a fertilizer agent in the store in the ratio of NPK 4: 6: 6, such a mixture is optimal for stimulating flowering (for details on how to use Epin to form and open buds, see here).
- Flower abundantly pour clean, defended water.
- Give excess moisture to drain.
- Dilute the fertilizer according to the instructions and irrigate the resulting liquid, or spray the plant with a spray bottle.
You can also try to create a stressful flower, after it, in most cases, the long-awaited flowering begins:
- Send the plant pot to a cooler place, but not lower than 15 degrees above zero.
- You can create an artificial jump in day and night temperatures, with a difference of 4 - 5 degrees.
To strengthen and grow
- To strengthen and stimulate growth, you need to choose a tool in the store with a consistency of NPK 4: 3: 3, this is the most optimal.
- Liberally saturate the orchid with watering or dipping a flowerpot in a container with water.
- Remove excess water.
- Means to prepare according to the instructions on the label and this solution to produce watering or spraying the flower.
- Repeat the procedure, after 1 month in the winter or summer period and 2 weeks later in the fall or spring.
For information on how to increase the growth of the flower and prolong its blooming with Zircon, read here.
Conclusion
Every living thing on the planet with great gratitude responds to the care and love for him, and indoor or any other plants are no exception. Properly produced fertilizer flower, can not only stimulate growth and flowering, but also increase the longevity of the plant.
