# Fertilizer



## Danielparry (Sep 27, 2020)

Whats the best fertilizer to use on multifloral paphs?
Im from Australia so can only get certain brands


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## Ray (Sep 27, 2020)

It’s not critical. Feed regularly with very dilute solutions and they’ll do great.

Personally, I shoot for about 75-100 ppm N applied over the course of the week. (Don’t let my use of concentration as a measure of volume concern you. It’s strictly for convenience.). When I metered fertilizer into my water supply and watered 3 times a week on average, I used a 25 ppm N solution. Now that I’m back on a smaller scale with no greenhouse, I feed once a week @ 100 ppm N.


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## Danielparry (Sep 27, 2020)

Ok thanks for that


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## Ozpaph (Sep 29, 2020)

You cant get K-Lite in Oz, unfortunately. I have been using Peter's Excel Cal Mag Grower, Calcium Nitrate (eBay) and Kelpak. I use Ray's recommended 100ppm nitrogen/week (in one go). I shuffle them around


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## emydura (Sep 29, 2020)

Ozpaph said:


> I have been using Peter's Excel Cal Mag Grower, Calcium Nitrate (eBay) and Kelpak. I use Ray's recommended 100ppm nitrogen/week (in one go). I shuffle them around



I base my fertilising around Peter's Excel Cal Mag Grower as well.


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## Brabantia (Sep 29, 2020)

Ray said:


> ersonally, I shoot for about 75-100 ppm N applied over the course of the week. (Don’t let my use of concentration as a measure of volume concern you. It’s strictly for convenience.). When I metered fertilizer into my water supply and watered 3 times a week on average, I used a 25 ppm N solution. Now that I’m back on a smaller scale with no greenhouse, I feed once a week @ 100 ppm N.


It is curious to note that I only need 50 to 60 ppm of nitrogen per week (and somtimes 10 days) to make large Cattleya to flower and that much more is needed for Paphiopedilum. Are they bad assimilator(s) ?


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## Ray (Sep 29, 2020)

Brabantia said:


> It is curious to note that I only need 50 to 60 ppm of nitrogen per week (and somtimes 10 days) to make large Cattleya to flower and that much more is needed for Paphiopedilum. Are they bad assimilator(s) ?


I have not seen a greater demand by slippers. Some I know think it's the opposite.

Ppm is a concentration. What's important is the mass of nutrients taken up by the plant, and that can be affected by the concentration applied, the frequency of application, and the retention of the medium.

A horticulture professor shared some calculations surrounding the chemical reactions that result in plant growth. Within a fairly limited range, in order for a plant to gain 1 kg of mass - something that would take maize a few weeks in mid-summer, might take a cattleya a year or so, and most paphs two or three years - they must absorb and process approximately 400-450 kg of water and only about 10-15 grams of fertilizer nutrients.


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 30, 2020)

Adding to what Ray says, something to think about is that 1kg is quite heavy and I doubt even 2-3years' worth growth for most hobby plants in a 4inch pot size will gain weight anywhere near that much.
So, I believe many people tend to waste quite a bit of fertilizers down the drain.
I grew with very little to no fertilizers in the past and I could not see any difference to be honest.

If you have a very large specimen sized Cattlye, probably one year worth of growth might be around 1-2kg depending on how big and how many growths.


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## Elite Orchids (Oct 1, 2020)

Ozpaph said:


> You cant get K-Lite in Oz, unfortunately. I have been using Peter's Excel Cal Mag Grower, Calcium Nitrate (eBay) and Kelpak. I use Ray's recommended 100ppm nitrogen/week (in one go). I shuffle them around


hi, do you mix the Peters/Ca No3 / Kelpak - and apply i once or use them in strict weekly rotation? 
what strength is the Ca No3 applied?

thanks


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## Ray (Oct 1, 2020)

Elite Orchids said:


> hi, do you mix the Peters/Ca No3 / Kelpak - and apply i once or use them in strict weekly rotation?
> what strength is the Ca No3 applied?
> 
> thanks


Mark. You can blend your own "Not Quite K-Lite" using 3 parts Akerne’s Rain Mix (11.8-2.7-13.7-11.8Ca-3.5Mg), 2 parts calcium nitrate and 1 part Epsom Salt to arrive at a fertilizer having a blended formula of 11.6-1.4-6.9-14.1Ca-3.4Mg – still having good levels of N, P, Ca & Mg, and a K content half of the original fertilizer.

Based upon my experience, Kelpak should be applied once a month at 1 tablespoon/gallon (4 ml/L). It can be mixed with the fertilizer or used separately.


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## Ozpaph (Oct 2, 2020)

separately. Kelpak every 4-6 weeks. Calcium nitrate at level teaspoon to 9l watering can (not very scientific)


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