O R C H I D HE A L T H

Your Guide to Orchid Fertilizing:

WHEN, WHY &

HOW OFTEN
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This guide aims to take the mystery out of orchid fertilizing, so you can feel confident giving your plant the nutrients
it needs to flourish in a home environment. Read on to learn the why, when, what and how of fertilizing your orchid.

One of the biggest draws to keeping Phalaenopsis orchids

– besides their undeniable beauty – is the ease of care. Thanks
to a simplified watering schedule of just three ice cubes per week,
even the most novice of plant owners can raise a thriving orchid
that reblooms for years to come. However, as your orchid
completes its blooming cycle, some additional care is
needed to generate regrowth during the resting period.

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Why Do Orchids Need Fertilizer?

With their variety of colors and sizes, orchids make a beautiful addition to just about any style
of home décor. However, as beautiful as an orchid may look on your mantle, your home is
not a natural environment for such a tropical plant. Occasional fertilization helps compensate
for the nutrients your orchid would normally receive in a rain forest or greenhouse.
Additionally, media loses nutrients over time, so fertilizing replenishes the nutrients in
your potting media, too.

Fertilization is an important step to keeping your orchid strong and healthy through the reblooming
cycle, which gives your plant the best chance of flowering again. Providing your orchid with the
nutrients it needs helps ensure you can enjoy its beauty for more than one season.

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When Do I Need to
Fertilize My Orchid?
Orchids don’t require regular,
year-round fertilization, but the
occasional supplement of nutrients helps
give your plant the energy it needs to create new blooms.
To create an effective fertilizing schedule, there
are three important rules-of-thumb to follow:

• Begin fertilizing regularly once the last bloom has fallen

off and your orchid enters its resting period.

• Over-fertilizing your plant can have dire consequences

on its health. Aim for at least once a month and at
most every other week, depending on how
your orchid is responding.

• Remember, you should not water your orchid the

weeks you fertilize.
Keeping these three hard-and-fast rules in mind will help
get your orchid fertilizing off to a good start.

Is It Ever OK to Fertilize While

an Orchid is in Bloom?
Yes, it is OK to fertilize your orchid while it’s in
bloom, but it isn’t really necessary. Once your plant has
entered into its resting period, fertilizer is one way you
can help your orchid store up energy for reblooming.

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What Type of Fertilizer Should I Use and How Much?

Choosing an orchid fertilizer can be an overwhelming task, especially if you don’t know
what you’re looking for. If you can’t find a fertilizer specifically labeled for orchids, search
for an all-purpose flower fertilizer that fits the following qualifications:

• Three macro-nutrients. While there are 17 nutrients essential to optimal orchid development,
there are only three critical to supplement your orchid: nitrogen, phosphorous
and potassium.

• Equal parts. The healthiest fertilizer for your orchid will have equal parts of all three
macro-nutrients. This will usually be denoted as 10-10-10 or 20-20-20.

• Plus micro-nutrients. In addition to the three critical macro-nutrients, your fertilizer should also
include micro-nutrients, or “trace elements.”

• Non-urea. Urea is a nitrogen component that can take up to a year for your orchid to break
down. By choosing a non-urea fertilizer, your orchid can immediately receive 100% of
the nitrogen it needs.

Once you’ve selected your fertilizer, it’s time to measure out a quantity
safe for your orchid. This requires the fertilizer to be diluted. For granular
fertilizer, use the instructions on the package to dilute with
water and then apply.

Can I Use Fertilizer Cubes?

While it is a logical jump to assume you can freeze your fertilizer solution to make
fertilizer ice cubes and water your orchid as usual, we don’t recommend this
method. Fertilizer cubes may put your household (children and pets, specifically)
at risk of ingestion.

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How Does Fertilizing Affect

My Orchid’s Watering Schedule?
On the weeks when you give your orchid
fertilizer, additional watering won’t be
needed. The fertilizing process takes the
place of the standard three ice cubes.
Since your fertilizing solution is already
half water, any additional watering
would run the risk of overwatering.

To integrate your fertilizing schedule with

your watering schedule, aim for consistency.
For instance, if you normally give your orchid three ice cubes every Sunday, designate
the first Sunday of every month for fertilizing. By sticking to the same day, you can make
fertilizing just another part of your routine.

Remember:
You can sign up for watering reminders or download our
free desktop calendar on JustAddIceOrchids.com!
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Step-By-Step: How to Fertilize an Orchid

Now that we’ve gotten all the details out of the way, let’s get down to the how of the
process. Here’s a step-by-step guide for how to fertilize your orchid.

Wait for the last bloom to fall off of your orchid. This signals your plant is
STEP entering a resting period and will need the added support of fertilization to
ONE have the best chance of reblooming again.

Select a fertilizer that is compatible with your orchid’s needs.

STEP Look for a balanced orchid fertilizer or an all-purpose

TWO flower fertilizer that contains equal parts nitrogen,

phosphorous and potassium.

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STEP Dilute your fertilizer to be half strength by mixing equal parts

THREE water with the fertilizer.

Find a pitcher or watering can with

a narrow spout to use as a dispenser
STEP
FOUR for your fertilizer mixture. You want
a container that can get as close as
possible to your orchid’s bark, while
simultaneously avoiding contact with
the leaves. This keeps the leaves from
getting “burned” by the fertilizer solution.

Remove your orchid from the

decorative pot so only the clear
STEP
FIVE grower pot remains. Hold your orchid
over the sink and slowly pour the fertilizer
solution onto the bark, being careful to
avoid the leaves.

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Allow your orchid to drain over the

STEP sink so no standing water remains
SIX when you return it to the decorative
pot. Make sure the drainage holes in
your clear grower pot aren’t obstructed
so the water can fully drain through the
bark and soil.

Repeat this process at least once a month

STEP and at most once every other week until your
SEVEN orchid begins to rebloom. Remember to watch your orchid for
signs of overwatering to make sure the fertilizer solution is properly draining.
To review signs of overwatering, click here.
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Fertilizing Your Orchid: In Conclusion

With the right care and attention, your orchid can live through several blooming cycles.
Getting in the routine of regularly fertilizing your plant helps give your orchid the nutrients present in its natural
environment but are not easily accessed in a home environment. However, similarly to how your orchid likes
to receive water, remember that less is more. Don’t fertilize your orchid more than every other week and
allow the solution to fully run through the drainage holes before returning your plant to the decorative pot.

If you are ready to repot your

Phalaenopsis orchid, check out
our short how-to video here.

It’s Just That Simple.

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