littlefrog
Hop-meister
Had a rough year or so with phrags (I think I had my fertilizer chemistry wrong). But in celebration of the solstice I have my nicest kovachii just opening. A good sign of the year to come.
Kovachii
- Thread starter littlefrog
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WOW, this one is great in all, shape, stance and colouration .... a real feast for the eyes. 
littlefrog
Hop-meister
I suspect it will get floppy as it gets bigger over the next few days. I love the contrast. Last time it bloomed it was a starker white dorsal and sepal and more pink on the rest. Probably temperature dependent coloration.
What was the chemistry change that made improvements in the blooming?
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This one is a PERFECT kovachii!!!!
littlefrog
Hop-meister
Was using a formula designed for tap water and not pure water. I use exclusively rainwater off the roof. But I didn't think to check my pH for far too long when I switched fertilzers (trying to use up old stuff). Dumb.
Phrags were more affected than anything else. Leaves were more yellow and just plain slower growing. Didn't seem to affect the paphs much.
What pH did you get when you tested?
Are you saying the pH was the problem
Was it the pH of the fertilizer solution you attribute the problem to. What was the bad pH?
Tom-DE
Well-Known Member
Very nice kovachii, Rob! Have a great 2024!
littlefrog
Hop-meister
I don't remember exactly. I don't have a meter at my house, I just use test paper. So increments of 0.5. Was probably about 4-4.5 with the tap water formula, 5-5.5 with the pure water formula.
littlefrog
Hop-meister
I don't know that it was pH (too acidic), but it is the only thing that tracks. Very gradual yellowing of leaves, not correctable with more nitrogen (I tried that). After I switched back to the pure water MSU fertilizer I slowly got my color back (over a few months), I'm not quite 100% where I want to be now but I think it is getting close.
littlefrog
Hop-meister
I don't. I've always counted on media to buffer pH. I put a lot of oyster shell, etc in there. So if water was really acidic I was probably dissolving a lot of calcium and buffering it up a bit. I spent a lot of time with a calculator and making dilutions until I got the 'new' fertilizer coming out of the hose to be in a pH range I found acceptable. Wasn't even that hard, I just kept putting it off. Probably a good 6-9 months of sub-par fertilizing.
Dangers of getting old and busy, I recognized a problem but was to overwhelmed to solve it right away. I'd also had to replace an injector in the middle (or at the beginning) of that, so I was tinkering with two variables. Fortunately orchids are pretty resilient...
Dangers of getting old and busy, I recognized a problem but was to overwhelmed to solve it right away. I'd also had to replace an injector in the middle (or at the beginning) of that, so I was tinkering with two variables. Fortunately orchids are pretty resilient...
that is one just an amazing bloom!
I've always relied on adding oyster shell to the media for the same reason. But now realize that the shells mixed in the media don't buffer the fertilizer water that hits the roots at the time of application. To solve this problem recommended to apply powdered oyster shell to the media surface a couple times per year. The powder will faster buffer the irrigation water before it contacts the roots. Kovachi and it's hybrids respond well to the surface powder applications. Credit to Alfredo Manrique for this suggestion.
littlefrog
Hop-meister
How much do you use?
My water source is RO, I add a bit of fert every watering or else the RO strips the plants of nutrients and everything turns yellow. I also have been adding an application of epson salts at 100ppm, it’s about 1tsp per gallon. At least twice a month, sometimes more in the summer. The magnesium sulfate really helps green everything up.
I also add oyster powder. Well it was sold as Oyster shells under the brand ‘Down to earth all natural fertilizers’ comes in a large cereal box. And I was surprised to find how fine the shells were grounded up. It’s basically a powder. I use this generously quarterly over the year, hitting the solstices and equinoxes. Probably a teaspoon and a half for the 1 gallon pots and a bit more for the larger baskets.
Sounds like the change in fert fixed your ph and slid that window so the plants could get access to the micronutrients needed. I rotate fertilizer for this fear, trying to cover all the bases incase I missed something.
Thanks for sharing!
I also add oyster powder. Well it was sold as Oyster shells under the brand ‘Down to earth all natural fertilizers’ comes in a large cereal box. And I was surprised to find how fine the shells were grounded up. It’s basically a powder. I use this generously quarterly over the year, hitting the solstices and equinoxes. Probably a teaspoon and a half for the 1 gallon pots and a bit more for the larger baskets.
Sounds like the change in fert fixed your ph and slid that window so the plants could get access to the micronutrients needed. I rotate fertilizer for this fear, trying to cover all the bases incase I missed something.
Thanks for sharing!
1 teaspoon around the outer surface near the rim. Not piled near the plant base.near
Happy Winter Solstice! Btw as I dump oyster shells on the phrags.
Stunning kovachii!
