How to feed your bonsai (Part 1)

Rod Smith has shared his knowledge with us and now it is time for you to learn from the master.

Let's start by learning the basic concepts about the nutrients, and then we will learn how, when and why to use them.

Macronutrients and Micronutrients

Plant need water, air, light, a suitable temperature and 16 nutrients to grow.  Plants get carbon, hydrogen and oxygen from air and water.  The other 13 nutrients come from the soil.  Soil nutrients are divided into two groups according to the amounts needed by plants.  

The macronutrients are Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium and Sulphur.

The micronutrients, which are needed only in trace amounts, are iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, molybendum and chlorine.

These nutrients are essential for plant growth.  Plants will grow normally until they run short of one nutrient.  Then growth is limited by the availability of that nutrient.  Occasionally, two or more nutrients will run short at the same time.  If the nutrients are deficient, or too abundant, then plants will be discolored or deformed.  The deficiency symptoms will indicate which nutrient or nutrients are needed.  However, it is much better to supply additional nutrients before deficiency symptoms appear.  A soil test will tell which nutrients are low before growth is affected.

Macronutrients:

Nitrogen, N : Stimulates leaf and stem growth.  Nitrogen deficiency causes reduced growth and pale-yellowish-green leaves.  The older leaves turn yellowish first since the nitrogen is readily moved from the old leaves to the new growth.  If the soil is cold and wet, nitrogen in the soils is not as available to the plants.  Excess nitrogen may cause potassium deficiency.

Phosphorus, P:  It is important in the germination and growth of seeds, the production of flowers and fruit and the growth of roots.  Phosphorus deficiency causes reduce growth and small leaves that drop early, starting with the oldest leaves.  Leaf color is a dull, bluish green that becomes purplish or bronzed.  Leaf edges often turn scorched brown.  Excess phosphorus may cause potassium deficiency.

Potassium, K: Promotes general vigor, disease resistance and sturdy growth.  Potassium deficiency causes stunted growth, with the leaves positioned close together.  Starting with the older leaves, the leaf tips and edges turn scorched brown and the leaf edges roll up.  Excess potassium may cause calcium and magnesium deficiencies.

Calcium, Ca: It is a major ingredient in cell walls and is important for root growth, especially that of the root tips.  Calcium deficiency causes poorly developed roots with weak tips.  Leaves are distorted, with hooked tips and curled margins.

Magnesium, Mg:  It is a vital for chlorophyll production, and is important in most enzyme reactions. Magnesium deficiency causes different symptoms in different plants, but commonly includes leaf-yellowing, with brilliant tints.  Leaves may suddenly drop off without withering.  Symptoms show first on older leaves.  Excess magnesium may cause calcium deficiency.

Sulfur, S: It is an ingredient in proteins and is necessary for chlorophyll formation.  Sulfur deficiency causes slow growth, with small, round leaves that roll upward and are stiff and brittle.  Leaves drop off and tips buds die.

Micronutrients:

Iron, Fe: It is necessary for chlorophyll formation and for oxygen transfer. Iron deficiency causes leaf-yellowing, while leaf veins stay green.  Younger leaves are affected first.  Excess lime may cause iron deficiency.

Manganese, Mn: It is a catalyst for many enzymes, and is important for chlorophyll formation. Manganese deficiency causes different symptoms in different plants, but commonly causes leaves to turn yellow, while veins stay green.  White or gray specks may appear on leaves.  Older leaves are affected first.  Excess manganese may cause iron deficiency, and may cause symptoms similar to manganese deficiency.

Boron, B:  It is necessary for the movement of sugars, for reproduction and for water intake by cells.  It also tends to keep calcium in a soluble form.  Boron deficiency causes distorted and dead growing tips, hollow stems and deformed fruit.  Leaves are often scorched and curled and are sometimes mottled and discolored.  Young leaves are affected first.  Excess boron may cause scorched leaf edged similar to that caused by potassium or magnesium deficiencies.

Zinc, Zn:  It is necessary for the production of proteins and affects plant size and maturity.  Zinc deficiency causes leaf-yellowing between the veins, usually with purple or dead spots, starting with the older leaves.  Leaves are positioned close together, and are small and deformed.  Fruiting is reduced.  Excess Zinc may cause iron deficiency.

Copper, Cu: It is necessary for the production of proteins and is also important for reproduction.  Copper deficiencies cause bluish-green leaves that may wither or fail to unfold.  Younger leaf tips may be yellow at the edges.  Growing tips may form rosettes.  Excess copper may cause iron deficiency.

Molybdenum, Mo:  It is essential to nitrate enzymes and for the formation of root nodules in beans and peas.  Mo deficiencies cause yellow mottling and dead spots on the leaves.  In some plants, the growing tips are distorted or killed.

Chlorine, Cl:  It may affect carbohydrate metabolism and photosynthesis.  Chlorine deficiencies may cause stubby roots and wilting.  Excess chlorine may cause leaf edges to scorch in a similar way to that caused by potassium deficiency.

(Do not forget to review about feeding your orchids Here!!!!)

Tips & Care: Basic Tools and Equipment for Orchids (Part 3: Mounts)

MOUNTS:

Although most orchids may be successfully grown in pots, certain species prefer to be mounted on a substrate more closely resembling the one they would grow on in nature.  The basic requirements of a mounting material are much the same as a potting material;  it must drain perfectly and not decompose rapidly.

The most commonly available mounting materials are slabs or logs of tree fern, cork bark or cypress.

Occasionally, one can find pieces of Florida buttonwood or other hardwoods that make good mounting materials.  Tree fern is the most moisture-retentive of the three and may also be found carved into decorative shapes and totems.  These materials may be purchased in large sizes and sawed to meet individual requirements or purchased in assorted sizes.

Any hardwood that is non resinous and does not decay rapidly can probably be used for mounting orchids.  Inquire locally to see what local materials other growers might use.  When using tree fern mounts, be sure to orient them so that the fibers are going up and down in order to provide proper drainage.

BASKETS:

A very convenient way to grow orchids is to use baskets.  Often, the plant won't need to be repotted until the basket deteriorates.  If the plant begins to outgrow its home, it can simply be placed, basket and all, in a larger basket.  These containers because of their open nature, also have the advantage of being better able to meet epiphytic orchids' drainage and root aeration requirements.  Some orchids, notably those in the Vanda group, prefer to be grown in baskets because of their rambling aerial roots.  Indeed, most growers in subtropical areas of Florida and the Gulf States use no medium at all when growing vandaceous plants in baskets.  

Wire or plastic baskets are available, but wooden baskets are the most commonly used.  They range in size from 4 to 16 inches (10-40 cms) and are usually sqaure but can be hexagonal.  Cedar and teak are the most common woods and cypress baskets are available from time to time.

Teak baskets tend to last longer and consequently are more expensive.  when using a fine potting medium in a basket, like it first with an old piece of fiberglass windown screen, sphagnum moss , or coconut fiber to keep the medium from falling out.  For more info check the Part 2 of this series

The main disadvantage of baskets is that they must be hung.  also, the display of blooming plants is not as easy as with a pot.  Wide-ranging roots may also be a problem, preventing easy placement in containers for the home.

WIRE PRODUCTS:

Wire is used to fasten, secure, stabilize, and hang orchids.  Although it is easy to make your own, it is more convenient to buy premade wire products.  Rhizome clips are the most straightforward way to stabilize a newly potted sympodial orchid.  Styles are available for both plastic and clay pots.  You have passed the potting test when you can secure a mature cattleya with one properly placed rhizome clip.  

Occasionally, a tall plant needs a little extra support.  The grower can use a straight stake that fastens to the edge of the pot for this purpose.

A ring stake, or hoop, will help contain an unruly orchid as well as provide support.  Single and double pot hangers in an assortment of lengths allow you to place a pot almost anywhere.  Many growers hang their whole collection using "s" hooks of varying lengths to achieve intermediate heights.  Baskets are hung with three or four strands of light-gauge wire.  Fourteen or 17-gauge wire is useful for attaching plants to mounts or engineering a vanda into a basket.

STAKES:

Bamboo and other straight stakes may be inserted into the potting medium to provide additional support for a newly-potted orchid.  They are also used for setting a vandaceous plant into a basket.  Their primary use is to support the inflorescence of an orchid in a more attractive fashion as well as prevent its collapse or breakage.

TIES:

Like wire products, ties are essential ancillary items to orchid growing and potting.  Many growers like to tie pseudobulbs, together to make a neater arrangement when repotting.  Some may tie a plant to a support stake to add additional security.  Plants can be tied to mounts using almost any material including monofilament fishing line or old pantyhose cut into strips.  A basic selection of ties includes plastic ribbon tie, twist tie, bell wire, and perhaps, some monofilament or twine.

NAME TAGS:

Help eliminate namelss orchids; always use a name tag.  There are labels available in a style to suit almost any use, so keep a selection on hand.  Most are plastic; aluminum tags are available for extreme growing conditions or where permanency is desired.  Some provide spaces for bloom and repot information; some are available in colors so that you may code certain plants.  Most simply slip into the pot, while others tie on with wire or loops.

FUNGICIDE:

A wettable fungicide powder should be used to dress freshly cut plant parts.  This provides a barrier to infection until the orchid heals itself.  An inexpensive product such as Captan, Ferbam or Zineb can be made into a paste about the consistency of heavy cream and dabbed onto the cut part using disposable cotton swabs.

Some growers prefer to just dab a little of the powder onto freshly cut orchid tissue.  Fungicide can also be mixed in a quart hand sprayer according to label instructions and used for spraying seedlings or plants that have been bruised during unpotting.

Thanks a lot to Greg Allikas for his contribution on this post.Join Greg Allikas on Facebook

Tips & Care: Basic Tools and Equipment for Orchids (Part 1: Pots)

Few expensive tools are needed for orchids, but growers will need to spend their time, (not their money) making sure they have the correct medium and container to match to the orchid.

POTS:

There are many types of pots available that are suited for the culture of orchids but the basic choice remains: clay or pastic.

Most clay orchid pots are terra-cotta and often have additional drainage either as holes or slots around the bottom edge of the pots.  There are several individuals offering clay orchid pots that are decorative as well as functional and you may find these worth investigating.

The basic characteristics of an orchid pot are that it is shallow in relation to it height and has addional holes for drainage and root aeration.  Plastic pots generally have the same features, but the plastic retains moisture longer than a porous clay pot.  Additionally, plastic pots require specific rhizome clips and stakes that don't always anchor as well as their clay counterparts.  In either case, it is important to choose the type of pot based upon your other cultural factors, such as average temperature, air movement, frequency of watering, and choice of potting medium as well as the genera being grown.

Generally, temperate growers who have greenhouses tend to prefer plastic pots and a moisture-retentive mix such as fir bark or sphagnum. Subtropical growers, whose plants are exposed to the elements, tend to use fast-draining media, such as the aggregates and clay pots.  Subtropical growers, who also often grow their plants outdoors or in areas exposed to the wind, find that clay pots give a weighted, bottom-heavy aspect that does not blow over as easily as plastic.

Both, clay and plastic pots are available in a wide range of sizes from 2 inches (5cms) up to 12inch (30cms) and larger.  Choose the appropriate size to allow for approximately two years' growth.

Drainage:

Whether or not to use additional drainage material in the bottom of orchid pots is a continuing debate.  Many growers advocate putting some sort of drainage material in the bottom, whereas others prefer to fill the whole pot with medium.  Although the choice is ultimately yours, most recommend that you use drainage.  The argument against additional drainage material is that it does not really serve any useful purpose, and that it only provides a good hiding place for pests such as slugs and snails.  If you regularly bait for these pests, this is not an issue.

The purpose of putting pieces of broken crock in the bottom of orchid pots is to prevent the medium from compacting and blocking the drainage holes.  It also serves the purpose of providing aeration to the interior of the pot where stagnant conditions easily develop.  Indeed, certain pot manufacturers have created pots with drainage built in as upside-down slotted cones.  This consideration is more critical as pot size increases and becomes imperative when growing specimen-size plants.  Without drainage, the center of the medium in a 12 inch pot can become very dank.

Any coarse, inert, inorganic material can be used as drainage. Broken clay pots (sterilized), styrofoam, and landscape lava rock are all good choices and are easily available.  Lighter materials can help reduce the weight of large specimen plants, while smooth river rock can add stability to a top-heavy phalaenopsis or dendrobium in a plastic pot.  The most important qualities are that the material is coarse enough to provide adequate air space and not break down in the pot.

To be continued...

How to fertilize your Orhids!!! (Videos)

Hybridization of Orchids

When the Horticultural Society of London (now the RHS) was founded in 1809, it soon began to organize flower exhibitions and competitions with prizes and awards that in due course were nationally an internationally recognized. They played an influential role in the growth of the orchid craze which swept England and continental Europe in the latter half of the century. Awards were often  based on the strange and novel character of these flowers introduced from overseas' and before hybrids made their appearance, they were given to individual species.

When, in 1856 John Dominy introduced the first horticultural hybrid ever obtained by orchid growers, the Calanthe Dominyie, it received the highest award then available. This first hybrid plan, and those which followed, were judged both for their unusual character, which completely upset contemporary attempts at classification, and for the horticultural skill displayed in their cultivation. Their intrinsic qualities were far removed from those recognized today.

Thanks to increasingly successful research into the methods of raising orchids from seed, and following the work of Bernard and Knudsen, crosses became ever more frequent. Uniform tendencies appeared and aesthetic criteria for hybrid (or cultivated) orchids were imposed. Overall forms, mixed and contrasting colours, size of flower, surface proportions of sepals and petals, structure of lip, dimension and shape of tendrils in Phalaenopsis species...these are some of the important criteria by which orchids are nowadays judged.

Apart from purely floral standards, growers also concentrate on other aspects: the harmonious distribution of flowers on the stem, mainly with a view to display, handling and transport by specialized florists, proflific flowering, strength of stem, capable of bearing a large number of flowers without support (often a problem with Cymbidium); flowering season, etc.

Some growers and orchid lovers talk to "creating" new hybrids, but this is really a misuse of language. The term "obtaining" is surely more apt for what is, after all, only a rearrangement of genes, the results of a cross which could not have occurred in nature, given the following insuperable barriers:

• Spatial isolation: separate ecological niches for species
• Temporal isolation: species flowering at different times
• Mechanical incompatibilities: e.g. pollinia too large for dimensions of stigma
• Physiological incompatibilities: only those species not too dissimilar will lend themselves to hybridization.  If the relationships (phlogenetic affinities) are weak, fertilization cannot take place or the seed will not attain maturity.

During the 1940's Carl Withner, taking a lead from methods already used for other plants, overcame this barrier in successful experiments involving the aseptic development of immature seeds, this immaturity being compatible in vitro with normal embryonic development, even though there was no natural development of the seed within the capsule. He thus made it possible to obtain hybrids from two genera markedly removed from each other (e.g. Vanda and Phalaenopsis) and opened the way to a new era in orchid cultivation.

At present, important research on orchid genetics is taking place in many countries. The main difficulty is that there is still no way of growing or multiplying a plant cell in isolation from its membrane (protoplast).

Thanks again Jean Parisot.

Naming the orchids

Since Linnaeus and his binomial system of nomenclature, the habit has been to describe living things by two Latin terms, one being the name of the genus, the other of the species.
But nomenclature is much more than just giving an organism a label: there has to be a large amount of additional information to the chosen name:

• Reference to the common features of all plants of the same genus;
• Recognition of a sufficiently large difference between two specimens to justify the attribution of two different specific names;
• Position of the named plant within its classification, theories as to its origins and its phylogenetic affinities with plants of the same group.

Nomenclature thus reflects, to a large extent, up to date knowledge of the plants in question. This is why published works of botanists often include changes of name, although these are not accepted by orchid lovers, who tend to be creatures of habit.

The rules of nomenclature are extremely precise, being codified by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN). According to the code, plants are given botanical names designed to define their place within the general classification. The following special endings are used to indicate the particular group or taxo concerned:

TAXON            ENDING                    EXAMPLES

Order                 -ales                   Orchidales

Familiy               -aceae                 Orchidaceae

Subfamily           -oideae                Orchidoideae

Tribe                  -eae                    Epidendreae

Subtribe              -inae                   Coelogyninae

The Latin name of the genus is always written with a capital initial letter and the name of the species with a small initial letters. Both are set in italics. The generic and specific nomenclature is usually followed by the name of the author who first described or observed it (set in roman and often abbreviated) (e.g. Coelogyne mooreana Rolfe)

When a specie originally described in one genus is, after subsequent investigation, transferred to another genus, the first author is mentioned in parentheses, e.g. Paphipedilum insigne (Lindley) Pfitz.

The genus and species may be followed by the name of the variety, e.g. Chysis bractescens var. aurea.

The nomenclature of horticultural hybrid orchids is likewise subject to complex rules governed by the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. They are described by three names; thus, for example, for the cultivar Sophrolaeliocattleya Jewel Box "Sheherazade", Sophrolaeliocattleya is the name of the genus (a combination of the generic name of both parents), Jewel Box is the grex epithet and
Sheherazade" is the cultivar epithet.

Classification of Orchids

Every system of classification should reflect a natural order, but in the case of orchids, the situation is unbelievably complicated.
So, How is it possible, by observing and studying the 25000 (yes you read well, 25 thousand) species of orchids that exist worldwide, to form any idea as to how they have evolved and become differentiated in the course of time?
What criteria can be used to group them in such a way as to take into account their potential genetic affinities?
Little wonder that botanists have come up against such a wealth of complex problems in their attempts to formulate a coherent classification.
The task of the taxonomists, the specialists in classification, is all the more difficult because there are extremely few orchid fossils, since for various reasons these plants are highly unsuited to fossil formation. The existence of such fossils would, needles to say, have been invaluable for establishing a so called natural classification, based on archaic forms that an understanding of the genetic affinities of modern forms, Unfortunately, the most ancient orchid fossil dates back no more than 12 million years, all too little in relation to present day notions as to the origins of the species, but too much in the context of ideas prevailing 20-30 years ago.
Orchids in fact, are plants which are still in an active phase of evolution, as indicated by a multitude of species, that are often capable of being hybridized. This might suggest that it is an extremely young family which appeared on  Earth only about 2 million years ago.
This, presents a paradox that must lead us to reconsider many of our conceptions relating to the organization of living things.
In fact, orchids are a very ancient and at the same time, evolutive family. As a result, it is the most diversified of all families of flowering plants.
After a good deal of trial and error, it ow transpires that the most reliable cirteria, for example which best reveal the relationship between species and genera, are the structural features of the sexual organs (anthers and pollinia) and hence, in the case of orchids, the structure of the column, the pollinia, the viscidium and the stigma. Linnaeus, in the early 1800's deserves credit for having underlined the merit of this method of classification.
More recently, the examination of embryonic forms has emerged as an excellent taxonomic criterion (Yvonne Veyret), in accord with the ideas of other authors who have based their classification on macroscopic criteria.
However, one of the most decisive criteria is still the study of chromosomes, particularly their numbers.

Many others criteria may also be utilized as a possible reference for classification, such as the form, function or structure of this or that vegetative or floral organ. But their value is, in most cases, merely complementary. It has often happened, indeed, that the same characteristic will have appeared at different moments in the evolution of different subfamilies or distinct tribes.
This seems to be the case of epihytism but also of numerous other features.
Although, to some, orchid classification may seem a fruitless exercise, the purely intellectual pursuit of grouping plants with common origins and characteristics is in itself rewarding, while for growers the value is immense.  Close relationship points to the existence of close inherited genetic traits and thus important possibilities for hybridization. Moreover, although there are many exceptions, close relationship of them implies common cultural needs.




Dressler's Classification:


Among the principal authoritites in the classifcation fo orchids over the years are John Lindley (1860), Rudolf Schlechter (1926), Robert Dressler (1974) and Peter Hunt (1978). Although all classifications proposed to this day remain the subject of debate and controversy, the one referred to most frequently is that of Robert Dressler.
His method of classification distinguises the following categories of groups or subsidediary groups (taxons):

• Subfamilies (total of 6)
• Tribes
• Subtribes
• Genera
• Species
• Varieties

Much controversy has surrounded this classification and different authors have challenged it on particular points:

• Should one subfamily or part of the subfamily be included in another? Or should 2 subfamilies be grouped to make a third one? (thus, Garay's classification takes a part of the Orchidoideae, a part of the Epidendroideae and the Spiranthoideae to make up the single subfamily Nettioideae
• Should 2 or 3 closely related genera be combined in a single one? (as it happens with Bulbophyllum and Cirrhopetallum)
• Should a variety become a distinct species?
• Should a genus be broken up?

These dscussions are often superficial, not to say irritatin, because they sometimes give impression that, in nature, such precise limitationds and catergories do not exist. But they do have the merit, in many instances, of furthering knowledge of orchids whilst enabling botanists themselves to establish their own rudiments of classification according to their personal preconceived ideas; broadly speaking, they go for lumping or splitting.

It is now generally believed that the orchids became differentiated about 120 million years ago, deriving from the ancestral order Liliales. Of these the Cypripedioideae and above all, the Apostasioideae (an archaic form of orchid) whould seem to be closely related, at least with regard of the structure of the column (2 fertile staments in the Cypripedioideae and 3 in the Apostaisioideae).
According to Dressler, there are 4 subfamilies of orchids characterized by the presence of one fertile stamen, with pollen clustered in masses of pollinia; the structure of the pollinia and of the column distinguishes between these subfamilies:

• Orchidoideae: One anther joined to the column, pollinia divided into packets and linked to a viscidium. These plants are almost exclusively terrestrial.
• Spiranthoideae: The stamen is affixed to the rear of the column; the pollinia are soft and friable; the viscidium is anterior. These plants are also almost always terrestrial.
• Epidendroideae: the stamen is protected by an easily lifted operculum; the pollinia are waxy in texture, with an adherent part but no viscidiu. These plants are either epiphytic or terrestrial.
• Vandoideae: the stamens are protected by an operculum, the pollinia are attached to one or two hard viscidia. These plants are almost exclusively epiphytes.

By taking into account many other features of both, the plant and flower apparatus, the 4 subfamilies are divided into 21 tribes:

• Subfamily Spiranthoideae: 

Subfamily Epidendroideae:

1. tribe Erythrodeae
2. tribe Cranichideae

• Subfamily Orchidoideae:

1. tribe Neottieae
2. tribe Diurideae
3. tribe Orchideae
4. tribe Diseae

• Anomalous tribes

1. tribe Triphoreae
2. tribe Wullschlaegeliae

• Subfamily Epidendroideae:

1. tribe Vanilleae
2. tribe Gastrodieae

• Tribe Epipogiaeae

1. tribe Arethuseae
2. tribe Coelogyneae
3. tribe Malaxideae
4. tribe Cryptarrheneae
5. tribe Calypsoeae
6. tribe Epidendreae

• Subfamily Vandoideae:

1. tribe Polystachyeae
2. tribe Vandeae
3. tribe Maxillarieae
4. tribe Cymbidieae

Enough for today right? too much information in only one post...

Thanks to Gerald Leroy-Terquem & Jean Parisot for this wonderful learning material.

Orchid Time Lapse Bloom Videos

 

Tips & Care: How to fertilize your orchids

In the rainforest, the  orchids get their nutrients from water that runs down the  tree and in between the bark by way of the roots that are attached to the bark. Most of it is fine organic material comes from the parts of the tree of from animal feces washed off of the tree by rain. But in reality, they  make their own food by combining water with carbon dioxide  and the energy they derive from sunlight through a process known as photosynthesis. 


Unfortunately, This would be very difficult to mimic at home. You can use fertilizer to overcome these problems. But orchids require only moderate amounts of fertilizer to naturally grow well.  On the other hand, if you try to speed their growth by fertilizing orchids more than they should, there’s a high chance that the plant’s health will suffer due to the extra chemicals.  The leaf tips will become brown from the excess sodium, and the roots will burn and shrivel.


A good schedule is the commonly known as "a weak weekly approach" to fertilizing orchids. In this case you would follow the instructions from the manufacturer (because the concentration of nutrients vary from one to the other) but I recommend for you to make the solution at quarter strength. The fourth time you are "supposed" to fertilize,  skip it in order to keep the minerals from the fertilizer from building up on the potting medium. You can flush your plant with clean water at least once a month.  Even if you fertilize your orchids lightly, skipping this step will cause salt deposits to build up in the soil and burn the roots.  It will be as if you had over-fertilized your orchids.During the winter or cool months when the plant is resting fertilize half of what you have been doing during the growing season. Water often enough so the plant does not completely dry out. Mist the leaves every other morning if you are using the heating, do not forget that the micro climate can get too dry for the orchids, and they don't like it. 

The new orchid enthusiast may be initially overwhelmed by the many kinds of available fertilizers. Some stimulate growth, others improve blooming, and there are those with extra magnesium, iron, calcium, etc. Despite all these options, fertilizing orchids is a fairly straightforward process, and most orchids (even hybrids) thrive beautifully with a simple fertilizing program.

Any commercial fertilizer should ideally contain,  roughly seventeen distinct elements, divided into Macro and Micro nutrients, where the macro nutrients are: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K). Although they are needed in smaller proportions, orchid plants also need micro elements such as Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), and Zinc (Z). And in even small quantities, orchids need a wide variety of trace elements.

A good orchid fertilizer should have all of the elements I listed above and a commercially packaged fertilizer will denote the percentage of its macro elements in the following order: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K). For example, if the label reads 15-23-40 if means that the said product contains 15% Nitrogen (N) plus 23% Potassium or Phosphates (K) plus 40% Potassium or Potash (K).

Do you know what each macro nutrients is for?...Gladly I will tell you really quick about them. 

First, Nitrogen is the macro element that paints the orchid leaves in their deep green color as it promotes their growth and is also needed for the growth of the stem that will carry the orchid’s magnificent bloom.

Phosphorous is the macro element that promotes the development and growth of the orchid plant’s root system and its breathtakingly beautiful and eye catching flowers.

Potassium is the macro element that is instrumental in building the orchid’s tissues and helps it produce the chlorophyll without which it cannot survive.

If you would like to get more technical and thorough about fertilizing orchids, you may invest in a pH meter.  This instrument is based upon the fact that orchids can only absorb nutrients if the fertilizer mix is within a proper pH range.  

This range is generally 6 or 7 for acidic orchids.  Fertilizer is normally acidic, but the pH level can drop to 6 and below when mixed with pure water.  If your orchid’s growing medium is acidic due to peat, spaghnum moss, or decaying organic matter, this low pH level may interfere with nutrient uptake.   This won’t be a problem if you use water with high mineral content, making the pH level alkaline. When mixed with fertilizer, the naturally occurring minerals in water will balance the pH level out to the optimal level of 6 or 7. However, you can only be sure by testing it, and this is where you’ll find the pH meter handy.

Fertilize your orchids 2-3 times a month during the warmer months (easier for me is to do it every other Sunday morning) and 1-2 times per month during the winter when growth is slower. Unless you are using rain, or reverse osmosis water that is very pure, you should  flush your plants thoroughly with water at least once a month to get rid of excess salts.

Orchids potted in a bark mix, use an orchid fertilizer with a higher nitrogen content (such as 30-10-10) or a 'urea-free' formulation. For those plants in a peat-based mix, or sphagnum moss, a  balanced 20-20-20 formulation or 20-10-20 is fine(see box for more information).

In both cases, switch to a 'blossom inducing' fertilizer (such as 10-20-10) once new leaves have matured, generally in the later summer and continue to use this during flowering.  Alternatively, switch between fertilizers each time you feed.

I hope you found this post interesting enough to start practicing your fertilizing technique.
So, remember how to read the labels, compare them one to the other depending on your orchids needs, specially on the season you are, and then...do not overexpose the orchids to it...just do it regularly with a low strength each time and you will get beautiful blooming season this coming spring/summer.

First Steps to accomplish your dream Balcony Garden!!

Begin by thinking if you are you looking for a relaxation area or just privacy from your neighbors? 

Then, evaluate the climate. Check how much sun your balcony gets and for how many hours a day. Will your plants suffer from winds and scorching sunlight?  Sometimes minor remodeling may be needed in order to make the area inviting.

Once you have evaluated the balcony for comfort and safety, you may start looking for plant materials. Spend some time reading, searching for information which focus on container gardening. Choose plants suitable to your site. Air plants are also well suit for gardening in a limited space.

Container gardening often is the easiest solution. Pots and planter boxes come in many shapes and sizes, take up little space, and are movable and easily maintained. 

Plant the perennials in large wooden planters. The larger the soil volume, the more success you will have at over wintering your plants. 
If you live in any northern city try to avoid small containers as well as plastic or terra cotta that may crack when the water you apply in the winter freezes.

When spring starts, move containers to their permanent location, remove the mulch and water regularly. Vegetables, herbs, roses and even dwarf fruit trees can be grown this way. 

The plants in an outdoor balcony will usually be enjoyed indoors as well, so be sure to plant eye-catching displays where they can be viewed through glass doors. For example, miniature conifers in a wooden trough offer year-round viewing pleasure. Clematis trained up a permanent trellis does wonders to disguise an unsightly view.

Try grandiflora petunias, graced by big, bright flowers, or compact salvias with red blossoms on strong, stocky spikes. Even a shady position still provides a multitude of choices. Experiment with shade lovers including climbing or trailing ivies; year-round, evergreen plants such as boxwood; and annuals like impatiens or browallia to brighten sheltered areas.

One popular way to display a variety of plants in a small space is the "three-tier" design. Upright plants are used against a wall or trellis, or as the centerpiece in a planter box to add height. Bushy, medium-height plants fill in the bulk of the container. The planter boxes come with a lot of sizes and shapes and also bowl which are suitable for shallow rooted plants materials. Trailing plants placed on the edges of the planter tumble over the sides softening the composition.

Balconies have been transformed into the "gardens" for thousands of apartments around the world, just: Try it!!.