Orchid Fertilizer: Urea Debate with #MissOrchidGirl #OrchidWisperer #MichaelsOrchids #Orchidweb
Channel: Orchids for Dummies
Date: 26/03/2019

#Orchids #OrchidsforDummies #PhalPal
This video is about Orchid Fertilizer and the Lies on Urea NitroGen pertaining to Phalaenopsis(Moth) Orchid. There is so much information but not enough explaining where the information comes from so who do we believe?

Here is the link to the video teaching about NPK fertilizer
https://youtu.be/Y1VO3HtQs7I

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Orchid Whisperer's 
#OrchidWhisperer  Orchid Whisperer is offline
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Urea as a source of nitrogen? 
Troy, this is exactly the way any question should be researched. You did your own due diligence, looking at multiple viewpoints.

I personally believe nitrogen can be utilized from many sources. From an evolutionary standpoint, it would make little sense for orchids (which live in a nutrient-challenged environment in the trees) to turn down nitrate in favor of urea, or to put it another way, to not use urea directly, and instead preferring only ammonia, or only nitrate.
 have personally used urea-based fertilizers with good results.
http://www.orchidboard.com/community/advanced-discussion/66707-urea-source-nitrogen.html

#OrchidWeb
In our continuing efforts to provide education to our website visitors, we have created a list of what are some of the most commonly asked questions for beginners and experienced orchid growers alike.  If there are any other orchid topics that you would like to see covered, contact us and we will try to oblige.

*Why do you recommend urea-free fertilizer?
Urea requires microorganisms to break it down and convert it tonitrogen. Orchids are in soilless mixes so there are not enough microorganisms to do the job. Ammoniac and nitrate nitrogen are immediately available to the plant. Depending on what part of the country you’re in, how much sunlight you receive and what your temperatures are, you may be able to get by with a urea based fertilizer. However, people we know who have switched to urea-free have all said they get much better results. (Urea has been linked to pseudomonas disease in Phalaenopsis orchids.)
https://www.orchidweb.com/frequently-asked-questions-about-orchids

#MissOrchidGirl
The nitrogen source is also important. many fertilizers contain urea as a source of nitrogen, but there are many beliefs, including mine, that this is not appropriate for orchids grown in a home. Also urea has been linked to Phalaenopsis disease, as shown here https://www.orchidweb.com/faq.html#3

I would recommend using fertilizers that contain Nitrate (NO3) and a bit of Ammonia (used to stabilize the fertilizer).

As for organic fertilizers, I personally consider they are not enough to provide the full spectrum of nutrients needed. Many of them contain other things like vitamins and hormones, but these cannot substitute the substances orchids need to grow. There is also the issue of proper breaking down of organic fertilizers in order to reach a consumable state. Synthetic fertilizers contain compounds that orchids can feed on directly, while organic fertilizers usually need to undergo processes, which debatably might not happen in a home environment. #MissOrchidGirl