#Orchid Care:Choosing a Balanced Fertilizer
Channel: Orchids for Dummies
Date: 2019-03-22

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*Making Sense of the Numbers
 Fertilizer plays an important role in maintaining your Orchid. But before you run to the store to make a purchase and find yourself overwhelmed with the abundance of different options available, let’s dig a little deeper into the fundamentals of Orchid Fertilizer. Each Orchid Fertilizer product advertises three numbers on the front of its package. These numbers actually provide great understanding as to what the Orchid Fertilizer will do.

The numbers refer to the percentage by weight of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (NPK – always listed in that order) within that particular Orchid Fertilizer compound. A balanced Orchid Fertilizer, such as a 20-20-20, is made up of equal parts of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium each representing 20%.  Anyone who is doing their math will undoubtedly realize that these numbers do not add up to 100%. This is because while Orchid Fertilizers contain more than three nutrients, NPK are the only prominently displayed elements due to your Orchid plant’s need for them in a higher quantity.

*NPK: What's the meaning? Now that you know what the numbers represent, how can you use this information to choose the right Orchid formula? First, it is important to know how these different nutrients affect your Orchid. Nitrogen promotes growth in the parts of your Orchid plant that you can see above your potting mix, such as foliage. Phosphorus is responsible for the part of your Orchid beneath the potting mix. It encourages healthy Orchid root systems and is responsible for beautiful flower blooms. And finally, Potassium is crucial for your Orchid’s overall health. This important nutrient helps Orchid plants deal with the stresses associated with temperature, disease, and insects.

*Aside from Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, healthy orchids require 13 other nutrients. They are categorized as either macronutrients or micronutrients. Elements identified as macronutrients are needed in larger quantities while micronutrients, also known as trace elements, are only needed in small doses.
http://www.orchidplantcare.info/fertilizer-truth-behind-the-numbers/
Author: Melanie Dearringer

*Many people think Orchid Fertilizer is some type of elixir that will save even the most abused Orchid. Actually, if the Orchid is in poor health, Orchid Fertilizers are rarely the answer. Orchid Fertilizers are most useful as a boost to help an already healthy Orchid grow better.
The number and types of Orchid Fertilizers on the market can make your head spin! You’ll hear a lot of mumbo-jumbo about why one Orchid Fertilizer is better than another. Fortunately, the choice isn’t nearly as complicated as some manufacturers seem to make it.
https://www.dummies.com/home-garden/gardening/flower-gardening/how-to-fertilize-your-orchid/

*Orchid Fertilizers used on Orchids should contain little or no urea. This is because soil organisms must first convert the Nitrogen in urea to a form useable by Orchid Plants, and since Orchids do not grow in soil, this conversion does not occur efficiently. The old conventional wisdom used to be that Orchids grown in bark mixes needed to be fertilized with formulations high in Nitrogen, i.e., 30-10-10. We now understand that these high Nitrogen Orchid Fertilizers aren't necessary. 

*Most experienced Orchid growers will agree that observation is the most important key to growing Orchids well. Examining your Orchid Plants on a regular basis will allow you to adjust and correct any problems before they become severe.
http://www.aos.org/orchids/orchid-care/orchids-101.aspx
*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

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