Cymbidium Fertilizer Urea Free

[1buzz]

I have always been told to stay away from Urea fertilizer especially with regard to Cymbidiums..I am getting ready to start giving my Cymbidiums fertilizer for the growing season. I see that Grow More Orchid food has Urea in its strong growing 30-10-10 mixture. I see those who recommend Peters 30-10-10 but it appears that it contains Urea. I wondered if there are some other Fertilizer company (in the USA) that has a strong growing fertilizer like 30-10-10 that is Urea Free. .It may be that Cymbidiums can handle Urea in it’s Grow More 30-10-10 formulae where as I have been told Phalaenopsis can not.

[Ron-NY]

I plan on top dressing mine with horse manure this spring...

[1buzz]

Would somebody please answer my questions?

[Tednz]

It seems that most commercial fertilizers have Urea in them but it is not all of the nitrogen that is in the mix, so unless you mix your own you use what is avalible.that is what I do.And just change from high nitro to hign phos about mid or late summer.
Tednz

[JoeW]

I am sorry, but I have only seen the 30 level made with urea. Why is the urea-derived not liked or harmful?

[wetfeet101b]

Why is the urea-derived not liked or harmful?

Marketing.

The other spin on the urea topic is that urea-based substances require a process in order to release the plant-usable nitrogen, and this takes time. In most epiphytic culture, the fertilizers do not stay long enough on the root zones and cannot deliver sufficient quantities of the released nitrogen.

So some believe that it is desirable to have a fertilizer that gives the plants an instant nitrogen "fix". How much nitrogen do you need to shove into a plant anyway?

Fetilizer however, should not be the primary focus of the gardener. Some people spend too much time debating the urea topic.
Get the three factors right (Light, Temperature and Humidity) and the plants will not complain even if you feed them pureed bird droppings once a year.

[cindiras]

Hmmmm! I hadn't thought about pureeing my budgies droppings, but the feed i give them is vitamin enriched, so the manure from 60 birdies aught to contain some good nutrents for plants. Let's see, each little birdie poops once every half hour, time 60 birdies....

[orchid-man]

there is nothing wrong with urea based nitrogen.What is the alternative?,Ammonium Nitrate ?-12days to get the release ?.

I am from a family that grew tomatoes commercially for 14years,what do you think they used ?.Unless you are going to be a naturalist ? and grow your plants as they would in nature - not get to there best ? then you will be using a Urea based fert.
A urea based fert also allows you to fert a lot more as the nitrogen is 46% gone in 3 days .So fert every 3 days with fert and get more growth.

If one gose to the Ammonium Nitrate, the plants do not get the benefits of the Nitrogren for 12 days, - which would you use,- food today or in 2 weeks ?

As for bird poop, - let it weather for 12months mixed with non treated saw dust.-- there is too much nitrogen and mixed with saw dust and time it is brought down to a level that plants can handle.


PS - who can tell me how Urea was originally created

I can buy chick poo either fresh or aged ,- if I put the fresh on the garden I might as well use a weed killer as nothing will grow, - All burnt off at ground level.

[JoeW]

, time 60 birdies....

60 birds in the basement???? WOW

[cindiras]

Joe, I raise the budgies for show, like cat and dog shows. Are you imagining each little birdie in a harness with a leash? Sorry! Each bird has their own regulation show cage to sit and look pretty in.