The Grass Doctor

HOW do i use my orchid fertilizer?

heres the title:ORCHID BLOOM BOOSTER water soluble orchid food by better-gro and it has a dash thing: 11-35-15 it says no urea the directions on the bag are:USE ONE TEASPOON PER GALLON OF WATER EVERY FOURTH TIME PLANTS ARE FERTILIZED. THOROUGHLY SOAK BOTH THE ROOT SYSTEM AND FOLIAGE. FOR NORMAL FERTILIZATION OF ORCHIDS. USE BETTER-GRO AS DIRECTED. i can make the mixture that was easy but how do i use it on my orchids?and i dont know what the dash thing means anyone know? another thing i dont get is in the directions it says every fourth time plants are fertilized and it is fertilizer isnt it?

Public Comments

1. The dash thing is the ratio of specific nutrients (I forget which is which) in the fertilizer. Don't worry about it. What I do is to make up a solution of the fertilizer and water (same ratio for less: 1/2 teaspoon for 1/2 gallon, for example) and put it into a larger pot with a solid bottom (not the draining kind). I then set the plant into the pot and pour in the fertilizer solution - sprinkling it on the foliage and the tendrils that are sticking out of the pot - until the bark is completely submerged. I then let it sit for a while (overnight?) and then remove the plant from the larger pot. I let it drain for a while in the sink (a few minutes), empty the larger pot, and then place the plant back into the larger pot (that's where I keep it). When you water weekly, do the soaking thing with plain water. But, only use the fertilizer once a month. Another key thing about orchids is that they get the right amount of light - not too much or too little. An orchid thrives on a couple hours of filtered sunlight a day, preferrably in the morning. I keep mine on the kitchen counter next to a window that gets a couple hours of filtered morning sunlight through some mini blinds every day. It's very healthy and blooms like clockwork every 6 months.