# phragmipedium fertilizing question



## orchideya (Jun 9, 2014)

I had few phrags for a few months (besseae and 3 besseae hybrids + one caudatum). All this time I was watering them with either rain water or distilled water to make sure there are no salts. 
Now, how do I go about fertilizing them? How often? What concentration ? Do I put ferts into tap water or distilled water?
I checked city of ottawa website, our tap water has pH 8.4 - 8.8
Thanks a lot.


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## phrag guy (Jun 9, 2014)

I fertilize mine every other watering.
I have R.O. water so I use a fertilizer meant for it. I have my ph around 5.5
I don't think I would put fertilizer in the city water. I would use the distilled water. If you knew someone with a TDS meter than you could figure out how much fertilizer to add.
I put a 1/8th of a teaspoon in 2 litres of my water.


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## orchideya (Jun 9, 2014)

Thank you phrag_guy.
For all my orchids (including paphs) I use all purpose 20-20-20 fertilizer at quarter of recommended strength in tap water on each watering and it works fine. 
Should I use weaker solution for phrags or quarter strength in distilled water every second watering is ok? I do water phrags much more often than rest of the orchids though...
Thanks again.


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## NYEric (Jun 9, 2014)

orchideya said:


> Should I use weaker solution for phrags or quarter strength in distilled water every second watering is ok?


Either of these would be better than fertilizing tap water, unless you want your leaves to catch on fire!


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## MaryPientka (Jun 9, 2014)

Ok, I have many of the same questions.  What is a recommended range for TDS? and my ph is about 7.5


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## NYEric (Jun 9, 2014)

TDS, depends on whether you mean ingoing or run off. What you want ingoing will depend on frequency of watering and amount of water to avoid build up. Personally, I underfertilize my plants, I need to make an effort to improve that.


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## Lmpgs (Jun 9, 2014)

Hello, you are all suggesting RO water. What is the avg hardiness of your tap water? I live in Athens, GRE and we have a sort of soft water. The Ph of tap water is 7.7 and the hardiness is 8.5 (German metric system). According to your experience, do I have to change the watering of my orchids (especially my slipper orchids) with RO or distilled?


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## NYEric (Jun 9, 2014)

The issue is not only the pH it's the added chemicals. The only thing you "have to" do is breathe.


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## abax (Jun 9, 2014)

Orchideya, here's my little plan for fertilizing my very few Phrags. I use
rainwater about two to three times a week depending on the weather and
one of those three times I put a pinch of K-Lite in about a half gallon of
water. I'm talking about a cook's pinch type of measurement which might
be 1/8 tsp. My method isn't very scientific or consistent, but it seems to
be working just fine and I have one bud coming along and a lot of new
growth. The "method" seems to be working in two or three types of growing media too.


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## ehanes7612 (Jun 10, 2014)

I agree with abax...less is more..I have lots of phrags (I grow all of them) and no issue blooming them, and the hundreds of seedlings I have are doing great


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## orchideya (Jun 10, 2014)

Thank you guys!
Angela, I am going to follow your method for my phrags. I have K-Lite but I haven't started using it on anything yet since couldn't decide how to dissolve it correctly and also want to finish jar of my current ferts first (which is working fine too). 
So my phrags will be the first to try that K-Lite. I understand cook's pinch because it does look like coarse salt .


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## NYEric (Jun 10, 2014)

ehanes7612 said:


> ..I have lots of phrags (I grow all of them)



What does this mean? oke:


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## ALToronto (Jun 10, 2014)

Anna, a pinch in 2 litres of water is huge! You're probably over 200 ppm N with that amount.

Buy a small accurate scale - Amazon sells one with a 100 g capacity and 0.01 g accuracy for $10, battery included. Then measure 33 g of K-lite and dissolve it in 1 litre of BOILING distilled water in a metal or heat resistant glass container. After it has cooled, pour it in a clean bottle with a spout and keep it in the fridge.

This concentrate has 4000 ppm N. For 20 ppm N, I put 20 ml in 2 litres of water. If you want 40 ppm N, put 40 ml in 2 litres of water. Very easy, and no guessing about how much you're adding.

And just for giggles, after you buy the scale, weigh one of your cook's pinches and use the calculator on Ray's site to figure out how much N you've been feeding your plants.


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## ALToronto (Jun 10, 2014)

Sorry, double post


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## phrag guy (Jun 10, 2014)

I use 1/8th teaspoon of MSU type fertilizer for 2 litres of R.O. water. Than adjust the ph to 5.5.
Have been doing this for years and no problems.
I fertilize every other watering


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## gonewild (Jun 10, 2014)

orchideya said:


> So my phrags will be the first to try that K-Lite. I understand cook's pinch because it does look like coarse salt .



Be cautious about using a pinch of K-lite straight from the jar. With only a pinch you may not get a balance of all nutrients. Consider making the liquid stock solution.


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## consettbay2003 (Jun 10, 2014)

I use a coffee grinder to blitz the K-Lite to a fine powder.


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## abax (Jun 10, 2014)

Somebody around here has an awfully big pinch! I seriously doubt that my
pinch is even 1/8 tsp. I've found that K-Lite dissolves quite well even in
coolish rainwater. I don't know about Orchideya, but I'm far too lazy to
go to all the trouble of finding EXACTLY how much I'm using. The plants
are doing well and I'm happy with a bit of inexactitude. For me orchid
growing is a peaceful hobby, not a scientific experiment.


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## ALToronto (Jun 11, 2014)

You need boiling water to minimize the risk of mold growing in the concentrate. It still will, eventually, but much less than if you used cold water.


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## Justin (Jun 11, 2014)

I only grow a few Phrags indoors under lights and i use tapwater at about 300 or 350 TDS. I find that if I add much fert it burns the leaves. For Paphs I use 1/4 tsp Miracle Gro urea based fert per gallon of tapwater every week. For Phrags I use a super small dose of K lite ...probably 2-3 ppm N...maybe twice per month.


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