Blooming Marvelous - Orchid

Recently my friend sent me this photo of her prolific Phaleanopsis and it got me thinking about the importance of feeding. A happy orchid like this shows how much difference a good orchid care routine makes when it comes to feeding our plant.

 

 

How Important is Feeding Your Orchid?

Feeding  your orchid is the difference between having just a average specimen and something like my friend´s above.

Although orchids tend to need less fertiliser than some other plants, they still need it to flourish. However you need to take care as too much can burn the roots.

Our main tips are:
1. Choose your fertiliser carefully. You want a high-quality balanced one that provides the tree major elements (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), as well as minor nutrients (calcium, iron, manganese, boron, copper, zinc and molybdenum).

2. Do not overfeed!  Synthetic orchid feed contains mineral salts which over time build up and can harm the plant. Another down side to overfeeding can be that your plant grows too quickly, becomes weak and thus more prone to disease.

3. During the growing season. As a lot of the species are dormant in the Winter, or slow down their growth it´s not so important to feed them during this time. It´s best to start again as the plant begins its fresh growth in the Spring.

 

We also offer our own specially formulated
Orchid Feed - Healthy Bloom Formula in 100ml     £1.99

We also offer the following Orchid feeds:

Orchid Focus Bloom 100ml Orchid Feed  £2.99
Orchid Focus Bloom 300ml Orchid Feed  £3.99
Orchid Focus Bloom 500ml Orchid Feed  £4.99

Orchid Focus Grow 100ml Orchid Feed    £2.99
Orchid Focus Grow 300ml Orchid Feed    £3.99
Orchid Focus Grow 500ml Orchid Feed    £4.99

Orchid Ultra 100ml Orchid Feed  £2.99
Orchid Ultra 300ml Orchid Feed  £3.99
Orchid Ultra 500ml Orchid Feed  £4.99

For additional info on the  orchid feed ingredients, please see our Orchid Focus - Bloom, Grow and Ultra Information page.

 



Most Popular Orchid Types

There are many different types of orchid and you should consider carefully which type your home is best suited to, as they all have different requirements depending on where they originate from.

The common species that tend to be suited to a basic home environment are:

Phalaenopsis (also known as Moth Orchids): These tend to be one of the easiest orchids to grow. They like a daytime temperature of 21-27ºC (70-80ºF) and night temperature of 16-18ºC (62-65ºF). Flowering starts in Winter or early in Spring, displaying long colourful sprays of flowers and can bloom for months. Phaleanopsis once mature can bloom 2 to 3 times per year. They do not need too much light to thrive (unlike Cattleyas). If you are going to grow them in a window, East tends to be the best exposure as they don´t like too much direct sunlight, which can burn them.

Dendrobium: Are one of the easiest orchids to care for and normally flower in the Spring. However, their flowers only tend to remain open for 3-4 weeks. They boast lovely long sprays of flowers. They prefer to be grown outdoors during the Summer (June – September), enjoying 30% shade, or filtered sun. Although they enjoy good light at all times, again they should not be in full sun or they might scorch.
Nobile types: 8-25ºC (40-80ºF)
Non-Nobile types: 12-28ºC (53-82ºF), except during their rest period (Coldest part of Winter) when the minimum can drop to 10ºC (50ºF) for a few weeks, which can encourage flowers to form.

  

Cattleya: Are known for their use in corsages. They tend to flower only once a year during the Spring or Autumn, with blooms that can last from 2-6 weeks. They need twice the amount of light (but not direct sun) as Phalaenopsis if they are to flourish. They can tolerate light shade in the Summer, but not in the Winter. Temperatures 12-28ºC (53-82ºF).

 

Paphiopedilum (intermediate growing types): Also known as Lady´s Slipper due to their pouch shaped lip which resembles a slipper. They like good light, but can also tolerate light shade in the growing season. Again, they should not be kept in full sunlight. In the Winter months they like to be in a well lit position (an East, West or shaded South facing window is best). Temperatures 12-28ºC (53-82ºF).

Please feel free to browse our website GardenLuxuries.com and see what we have to offer for Orchids and other plants.