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TheFourthEyE
explorer



Registered: 07/11/12
Posts: 610
Loc: South africa
Last seen: 1 year, 3 months
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orchid fertilizer good for other plants?
#18915927 - 10/01/13 12:21 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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hey guys, my gran have me some orchid fertilizer consisting of 5:3:4 N:P:K and other stuff like zinc and iron and stuff like that. i'm sure it will be ok to use on my other plants, its just the fertilizer to water ratio that has me concerned
it says on the bottle that you should mix 1 teaspoon or 5 ml with 1 liter water. this seems very weak, like the color of the water does not even change. this is probably good for orchids but is this strong enough for other stuff like acacias, mimosas hostilis, cacti etc?
thanks
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dankie vir die tyd geneem het om dit te vertaal
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nicechrisman
Interdimensional space wizard



Registered: 11/07/03
Posts: 33,241
Last seen: 4 years, 6 months
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Re: orchid fertilizer good for other plants? [Re: TheFourthEyE]
#18917654 - 10/01/13 06:31 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I'm sure it would work fine. Most people mix fertilizer way stronger than it really needs to be anyways.
-------------------- "Cosmic Love is absolutelely ruthless and highly indifferent: it teaches its lessons whether you like/dislike them or not." John C. Lily
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Horticulture
Mycocurious



Registered: 04/30/09
Posts: 1,102
Loc: Midwest
Last seen: 9 years, 6 days
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Re: orchid fertilizer good for other plants? [Re: TheFourthEyE]
#18917859 - 10/01/13 07:16 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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It is fine to use for other plants, just designed to be optimal for orchids. A little bit of fertilizer goes a long way. You are far better with more frequent feedings at a diluted strength than one feeding every month or two at a concentrated strength.
Some people dilute monthly fertilizers to 1/4 strength and just water with that every time. In this way the plant has a constant supply of nutrients without the risk of burning roots.
-------------------- The Plant Mage Guild
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intelligentlife
Noaidi



Registered: 10/18/10
Posts: 2,627
Loc: EU
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Re: orchid fertilizer good for other plants? [Re: Horticulture]
#18919034 - 10/01/13 11:37 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I have used low nitrogen orchid fertilizers for cactus, no harm, only growth.. Ofc amount was only 1/2 of the strength what was recommend to use.
Also I have tested all common fertilizers normally recommend to use regular house plants, they can be added to cactus plants with smaller amounts.
Also I have two compound fertilizers, another bottle is 4-0-4 NPK, another is 0-4-8 NPK.. I have sometimes used only 0-4-8 NPK so I don't give nitrogen at all. These I have buy'd from internet shops what sell gardening tools/fertilizers/water farms/etc..
You can use what ever you want, only amount of fertilizer matters.. Most of the cactus what it needs it's these "minor" fertilizers so just add enough rocks and big grain sand to soil, in long term cactus use rocks as mineral source.. If you have check older cactus plants, their roots are attached to rocks, if I am right they produce chemical from roots what allow them to "smelt" rock over the time to use minerals for growing.. but ofc also NPK fertilizers are good for cactus, especially trichocereus cactus can tolerate big amount of nitrogen but I don't suggest so use shitloads of nitrogen still.
Edited by intelligentlife (10/01/13 11:43 PM)
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nicechrisman
Interdimensional space wizard



Registered: 11/07/03
Posts: 33,241
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Re: orchid fertilizer good for other plants? [Re: intelligentlife]
#18919165 - 10/02/13 12:17 AM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I mostly use organic meal based fertilizers on mine.
-------------------- "Cosmic Love is absolutelely ruthless and highly indifferent: it teaches its lessons whether you like/dislike them or not." John C. Lily
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Horticulture
Mycocurious



Registered: 04/30/09
Posts: 1,102
Loc: Midwest
Last seen: 9 years, 6 days
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Re: orchid fertilizer good for other plants? [Re: TheFourthEyE]
#18923132 - 10/02/13 07:58 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I'd be leery of using an orchid fertilizer for cacti. Cacti grow in alkaline soils while orchid fertilizer is optimized for very acidic bark/moss based environments.
Got some messed up fertilizer Feng Shui going on with that mixture.
-------------------- The Plant Mage Guild
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intelligentlife
Noaidi



Registered: 10/18/10
Posts: 2,627
Loc: EU
Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
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Re: orchid fertilizer good for other plants? [Re: Horticulture]
#18923980 - 10/02/13 11:36 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I have tested almost all type of fertilizers from regular hardware stores to gardening expert stores, cannot say the difference, also I use always rain water and most of the watering I don't give fertilizers with it.
Only what matter is the amount of fertilizers in water (if we talk about liquid fertilizers)
I actually found very cacti adapted NPK orchid fertilizer to use but I have not used it stil, I have used common strong nitrogen(growing fertilizer for crop plants or low nirtogen (blooming fertilizer for crop) and many other, cannot see with bare eye the difference.
Also I have sometimes add fertilizers to water spray, then I have spray lophs with that water. I have read lophs can take fertilizers with water trough skin. Don't kno that for sure but I have done that I use 0-4-8 NPK fertilizers when spraying dimethoat or neem oil for plants. I have done this also for trichocereus and many other cactus plants.
Only what I have seen damage the epidermis is neem oil but liquid fertilizers with spray on the skin to cactus seems it doesn't make a harm, I just have read somewhere that dark time cacti can take water and fertilizer trough skin of it. If not, atleast the fertilizers go to surface of soil when I water spray my cactus plants, there is never dry soil surface after doing that.
However, I have never seen any difference with growth of cactus when fertilizer are used or I use so small amounts that it doesn't matter what I use, IMO rocks in soil+NPK fertilizer(small amount) are best in my garden.
Edited by intelligentlife (10/02/13 11:39 PM)
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