Frequently Asked Questions
This is a question we are often asked for orchids that are grown indoors. There are many reasons why an orchid does not flower. One of the more common reasons is insufficient light. Orchids growing indoors should be placed in a position where they receive bright light, not direct sunlight. Direct sunlight may burn your leaves. Your orchids will also benefit from a sprinkling of early morning or late afternoon light.
Light is necessary for photosynthesis to occur. Photosynthesis creates food and energy which an orchid will use for growth, flowering and building cells.
The light requirements for the different orchid genera vary. Some orchids can be grown outdoors in the sun and others that prefer darker or filtered light. For most orchids, a light green colour with slight yellow undertones, similar to the colour of healthy grass, will suffice.
The best way to feed your orchids is to use a very week concentration of fertilizer every time you apply water. For most hobby growers this may not be feasible. The general rule is to feed your orchids once a week with a very weak solution. If you are using a Dyna Gro Nutrient Solution, the dilution rate would be 1ml Dyna Gro to 1.5. If you are feeding twice a week or more, the dilution wouldd be 1 ml to 3 litres of water.
A common saying amoungst orchid growers is to feed your orchids weekly, weakly.
GROW 7-9-5 can be used on all plants grown indoors & outdoors. It has a good balance of nutrients for both leaf growth and flowering. Foliage Pro 9-3-6 has higher nitrogen availability and is best suited for plants that have more leaf. If you wish to use a lower nitrogen formulation then, BLOOM 3-12-6 is the product to use.
You will get good results with from feeding weekly at a dilution rate of 1ml Dyna Gro to 1.5 litres water. If you are going to feed your plants twice a week, adjust your dilution ration to 1ml GROW per 3 litres of water.
During winter you may be watering every 10 days or so and that will be fine to feed your plants on the same watering cycle.
If you have children then chances are that you are familiar with Milton Steriliser Tablets. What you may not know is that Milton tablets can be used to sterilise orchid pots and the equipment we use on orchids. A 15-minute soak will kill 99.9% of all bacteria, viruses, fungi and spores (even tough dormant bacteria).
- To make up the sterilising solution dissolve 1 Milton tablet in 5 litres of water and let the tablet dissolve.
- The solution can be used for up to 24 hours.
- There is no need to rinse your pots and equipment after sterilising it is better if you allow the sterilised equipment to drip dry.
- Milton's is cost-effective. A box of 30 tablets costs about $8 at Countdown.
My thoughts are that it can be safely used as a foliage spray or soak on plants that have disease or rot. I have no experience with using it this way so please be careful when using it on your plants.
