Fertilizer: Less Is More

[gonewild]

...and upon what information I provided tells you that? Poke yourself.

All the info tells that if you listen to it.

The fact that you have not fertilized.
The fact that you have living moss which indicates a healthy environment.
The fact that plants do require nutrients to grow.

Since you have not added nutrients and the plant is growing well my theory is that the moss itself and/or organisms it harbors are producing the nutrients the plant needs to grow. Further since if you measure the flow through you would likely report there are basically no dissolved nutrient salts then it is likely the nutrients are being supplied in a form other than NPK dissolved elements (amino acids, ect).

From what I've seen over the years and what people report when there are plants that people have growing extremely well without ever fertilizing them there is also a very well established "living" environment around the roots and foliage (as in Nature). I doubt the plant would have grown so well if it had been in pure LECA rather than living moss.

That is why some people have luck with using very little fertilizer and others don't.

 

[Ray]

Just having fun with you, Lance.

In addition to the "cogeneration" of nutrients by other plants, I think decomposition of some of the dead moss may play a role as well, and the decomposition and release of nutrients might be supported by the "critters" introduced through the Inocucor product.

 

[gonewild]

Just having fun with you, Lance.

In addition to the "cogeneration" of nutrients by other plants, I think decomposition of some of the dead moss may play a role as well, and the decomposition and release of nutrients might be supported by the "critters" introduced through the Inocucor product.

I know it's all in fun. If it weren't I would not say anything.

Yes the decomposing moss surely provides nutrients but the moss had to get the nutrients from somewhere to be able to grow its self and also the orchid.
I think the Inocucor does exactly that, creates an environment that the organisms can establish in. It may also provide residues of the "other" compounds that I refer to that the plant can utilize as nutrition. The same with seaweed extract which provides amino acids and similar compounds that give the plants an immediate supply of nutrients.