Fertilizing

Ever felt confused about finding the best fertilizer for your orchids among the plethora of brands, formulas, and formats in the market?  What is the difference between the 20-20-20 NPK ratio and the MSU formula?  Which is better: water-soluble granular orchid food, liquid fertilizer, ready-to-spray mist bottles, and slow-release pellets?  Based on the nutritional needs […]

When leaves turn yellow or brown, they are often misdiagnosed as sunburn, overwatering, or fungal/bacterial infection.  When bottom leaves drop, the problem is often ignored as natural shedding. While disease can be a cause, nutritional deficiency is most likely the root cause that makes a plant more vulnerable to fungal/bacterial diseases and rotting.  Simply removing

The sensitive air roots of orchids can get fertilizer burn or even rot if the water or liquid fertilizer is too “hard”, in other words, containing too many minerals or soluble salts.  The easiest way to understand how hard your water is is in terms of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). What is the best TDS

Some people fertilize their orchids using things from the kitchen, like coffee, milk, or even bananas. However, not anything natural is a good fertilizer for indoor orchids, which are mostly epiphytic (or orchids that do not grow in soil). Since most orchids do not grow like most plants in soil, a good natural fertilizer should

Rice water, commonly used to wash rice before cooking, is increasingly recognized as a potential natural fertilizer for orchids. This article explores its effectiveness, alongside similar practices like using water from washed beans or boiled potatoes, in nurturing plants. Is rice water or potato water a good fertilizer for orchids? Although rice water has some

While kelp may be a familiar term, its benefits for home gardens, particularly for struggling orchids, are lesser-known. How is kelp or seaweed beneficial for orchids? Kelp or seaweed extract is an excellent organic stimulant for plant growth. It is not a fertilizer but a rich source of growth hormones, especially auxin for root growth.

Leftover coffee or spent coffee grounds make a great organic fertilizer for the garden. But, is coffee really good for your orchids as well, especially if you grow them indoors? Coffee is not good for epiphytic orchids because they don’t grow in soil with organisms to break down the nitrogen in coffee; coffee is too

When it comes to orchid care, the attention is often on watering. Fertilizing is often ignored. If you have just been watering your orchid without properly fertilizing it, you are just giving it water and not enough food. However, orchids that are potted and grown as houseplants depend on us to feed them food. They

Foliar feeding is not a myth if you do it right. It involves applying water-based fertilizers to the undersides of the orchid leaves.  Orchids can absorb micro-nutrients through leaves, mostly at night when the pores or stomata on the underside of leaves are open.  Micro-nutrients can enhance growth and blooming and are best fed through