20-10-10 for Phalaenopsis

Hi,

Glad to find this Forum.

I bought a Lavender Phalaenopsis in mid-March, which had several radiant blooms, and some promising buds.

The simple instructions that came with the plant have sufficed. And I already had "Taylor's Guide" on hand.

All the buds have opened, and every blossom remains in bloom.

However, I have NOT FERTILIZED my plant since purchase... almost 2 months.

"Taylor's" and other sources say to get a 20-10-10 fertilizer. But I haven't been able to find any online.

Can anyone suggest a product name?

Thank you in advance!

BB

This board doesn't permit the promotion/advertizing of specific products/retailers (I stand corrected, BD if I have misspoke) which is cool because then the forum is about the the main ingredient...the orchid and our education and pleasure in sharing. I am currently using a fertilizer that is readily available at a big box store for about $3.85/#. Then there is the issue with some about urea based vs non-urea based...not going there today. Anyway, PM me and I will share more...

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An orchid a day keeps the Doc away

Thanks, Howard,

You have not misspoken at all. Our community doesn't allow unpaid advertising. That said, I don't particularly care if you say to use Physan or Clorox (product names) instead of fungicide or bleach, but what I want to avoid is get "Physan at SUCH-AND-SUCH" place or "You can get Clorox at the NAME GOES HERE STORE." And obviously no links to sales sites as per the FAQ's instructions. No prices should be offered if a product names are used. Just use common sense. If it looks like an advertisement - then it breaks the terms of use for our community and will be removed and the account of the poster suspended or deleted based on the nature of the violation. Period.

We are a forum, as Howard so eloquently said, about "growing orchids and our education and pleasure in sharing." We decided a long time ago that all the sales talk is for all the other generic forums out there. Our place is unique in this respect and it has worked and grown and cultivated a wonderful community for over 5 years now. So, have fun, grow orchids, and discuss their care and cultivation. Leave the sales talk for Private Messages when requested.


And baytownboy, we always use a balanced fertilizer in our greenhouse. A common one is Miracle Grow. There are others in the big box stores. Welcome to OrchidTalk!



Cheers,
BD

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We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors....but they all exist very nicely in the same box. ...Hmmm? .

Howard,

Thank you for your response.

I can check out something like a "Miracle Gro." But I thought the balance mix (20-10-10) was specific for a Phalaenopsis.

As I mentioned, this is my first venture into orchids. I'm fascinated by their beauty, and don't want to do anything to hurt my plant.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

BB

There are lots of formulations and lots of opinions as to which one is the best for this orchid and ...one could go crazy trying to comprehend the scope of this single topic. For me it's come down to plants, be it orchids or petunias, need to be fed just like us.... Some believe what you feed your plants can alter their growth and flowering. The MSU formula is just one such diet developed out of, I assume, well founded research, but I don't have personal knowledge, just an assumption. I have had very good results using two different foods; 20-14-13 and 11-35-15. Both have essential minor elements and are urea free. But I don't know if it is the food or the ventilation or the GH or the watering cycle or maybe because I share my daily cerveza with them...the 'chids'...probably all of the above. I guess what I now believe is just feed the darn things and hopefully they will be thankful for a comfy home and do their thing to show their thanks....

__________________
An orchid a day keeps the Doc away

My solution as thus far been to use two differing but relatively generic fertilizers alternately. Figure I will keep my bases covered.

Plus, I haven't put any effort into deciphering German fertilizer chemicals and if they are listed in the same order as in the US (just being lazy there though).

The first number in your mix is nitrogen- good to have that number higher if your orchids are planted in bark. Also good for vegetative grwth. The middle number, phospherous - is good for root growth and flowering. Fertilizer with a higher center number is often called BLOOM BOOSTER. The last number is potasium. Can't remember what that one does. Since I am growing in rocks, I use a fertilizer with even numbers, 10-10-10-, or 7-7-7, or 20-20-20. The 7-7-7 stuff is sold for african violets, but will work fine with orchids, too!