# Only Natural Fertilizers Anyone??



## Happypaphy7 (Sep 8, 2016)

I was just thinking about salt build up. Not that I see, but it most likely happens. 
Are there anyone who fertilize with natural fertilizers only?

Plus, in things like fish/sea weed fertilizers, it only list three major elements in their labels but they must have lots of trace elements I would think??

I'm not going to use fish stuff since it smelled awful when I used it. 

I'm just curious if anyone out there use natural fertilizers only with good results and what.


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## gonewild (Sep 8, 2016)

Natural fertilizers that contain NPK are still basically salts.


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## Ryan Young (Sep 8, 2016)

I have amazing growth on Cymbidiums using fresh horse manure as potting media. Both regular and asian ones. Testing it on Phaius and Cyanosure at the moment too. 

Sent from my ONE A2005 using Tapatalk


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## Ray (Sep 8, 2016)

^^^. Bingo!


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## JAB (Sep 8, 2016)

A good friend grows in both horse manure and lama manure. Works awesomely!


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## NYEric (Sep 8, 2016)

Yes, those will work well in a NYC apartment, have fun.  Fertilizin elements are salts. I actually won some processed manure in a STF auction one year, never followed through on the acquisition though.


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## Stone (Sep 8, 2016)

Yes. I have used only organic or ''natural'' fertilizer (Home made solids from blood and bone, vermicompost and and soy meal) on some hybrid paphs for a couple of years. Only fed 3 or 4 times a year and they are thriving.
Most commercial organic stuff is a bit hit or miss. If you make it yourself you have a better idea of what you're giving.
Many Japanese growers use only organic for their paphs. I believe there is a wider range of nutrient elements which are absent from manufactured salts. eg, cobalt, sodium, chloride, silica, selenium, aluminium, nickel, vanadium, amino acids. Some nutrients are needed by microbes which fix N such as vanadium and extra molybdenum.
I would not dream of using only manufactured fertilizers. A combination of both is probably good.
Also did a little trial with dilute spirulina compared with urea based fertilizer on radish seedlings in perlite/vermiculite. I was impressed that the spirulina plants almost kept up with the high N urea plants! They certainly stayed as green if not greener..
The spirulina + fertilizer did better than either one alone.


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## abax (Sep 8, 2016)

Am I correct in assuming by fresh horse manure that you
mean aged, composted manure? I've mucked out a lot
of stalls and I can't imagine using manure straight out of the barn floor all mixed with urine and straw.


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## Ryan Young (Sep 9, 2016)

abax said:


> Am I correct in assuming by fresh horse manure that you
> mean aged, composted manure? I've mucked out a lot
> of stalls and I can't imagine using manure straight out of the barn floor all mixed with urine and straw.


Fresh not aged or composted (and not mixed with urine). It contains lots microbial activity, i had one Cymbidium that ran out of the manure in its pot, and so, it grew so many roots searching for more it pushed itself 2 inches right out/above the pot it was sitting in a span of about 3 weeks.


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## NYEric (Sep 9, 2016)

Yummmmm!


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## Ray (Sep 9, 2016)

Way back when, when I was importing about 500 Asian cymbidiums a month, my supplier shared that the plants - grown in 50/50 pumice and small twigs that simulated tree fern - were watered daily with water containing spoiled milk. I decided not to duplicate that in my greenhouse.

Personally, I think the "natural versus manufactured" debate is a non-issue. As long as you're smart enough to make sure the plants get everything they need, without too much, they'll be fine.


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## JAB (Sep 9, 2016)

Eric
Horseshit smell would be an improvement on the stench of NYC! 
Ryan
That is exactly what my bud said. I can't remember what he potted in the manure but everything took off!! 
Ray
Spoiled milk?? As a nutrient or to keep fungal issues at bay??


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## Ray (Sep 9, 2016)

JAB said:


> Ray
> 
> Spoiled milk?? As a nutrient or to keep fungal issues at bay??


I was told "food." That's all they ever got.


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## SlipperFan (Sep 9, 2016)

Babies live on milk, why not orchids... :crazy:


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## NYEric (Sep 9, 2016)

20 stories up, all we smell from outside is neighbors pot and cig smoke!


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## JAB (Sep 9, 2016)

Hopefully some high grade chronic  Bummer on the cigar smoke depending on the grade.


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## abax (Sep 10, 2016)

I don't want to belabor the point, but how does one get fresh horse
manure without the straw and urine? Stand behind the horse with
a bucket and wait??????? I've been with horses all my life and never
knew one to crap on cue.


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## gonewild (Sep 10, 2016)

When you use fresh manure as fertilizer....You are applying every virus and bacteria that the forage plants the animal ate were infected with.
Not to mention the fungi and weed seeds.

Growers did not stop using **** fertilizer because it worked well.


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## JAB (Sep 10, 2016)

Once again a solid point Lance!


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## gonewild (Sep 10, 2016)

JAB said:


> Once again a solid point Lance!



I grew up in the time of only organic fertilizers...been there done that... no intention to go backwards.

Mosaic virus is easily transmitted via non sterilized manure.


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## abax (Sep 11, 2016)

My thoughts exactly Lance. Even show breeds with excellent, planned pasture prefer the weeds outside the
fence. Never quite figured out why.


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## gonewild (Sep 11, 2016)

abax said:


> My thoughts exactly Lance. Even show breeds with excellent, planned pasture prefer the weeds outside the
> fence. Never quite figured out why.



Junk food tastes better!


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## JAB (Sep 11, 2016)

So few even understand what mosaic virus is!! 
Thanks for sharing your knowledge Lance.


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## abax (Sep 12, 2016)

[email protected]!


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## paphioboy (Sep 13, 2016)

Poop and pee! I use sheep pellets for most of the non-paph epiphytic and terrestrial orchids. They grow very well in tropical lowland outdoor conditions. One of the very best vandaceous growers locally swears on poop and pee for his award-winning vandas. This may not work for paphs, as the applied manure tends to clog up drainage holes since paph roots grow too slowly to absorb the fertilizer before it disintegrates.


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