What Four Things Can Kill Your Orchid

Exotic plants like Orchids must have the right mixture of minerals in their food.

Most people understand that plants need nitrogen. However there are other chemicals necessary for healthy plant growth and orchids are no exception to this rule. But potassium isn't safe. Unlike certain other elements, potassium has to be applied in just the right amounts.

Too much potassium will result in a chemical burn, and your orchid will resemble something held too close to the fire.

Not enough potassium and your orchid will become dwarfed, more suited for a bonsai pot than an elegant decoration in your home.

This is one reason to stay away from the run-of-the-mill standard fertilizers, from the all-purpose generic houseplant brands and from any that aren't made specifically for orchids.

Orchids are exotic plants and need to be treated as such. They are exotics with specialized needs.

Most places that sell orchids will also sell orchid fertilizers but they might be more expensive than your budget allows. However, before you concoct your own, please make sure you follow a few tips.

Orchids grow best in bark. So make sure you start with shredded bark as your base. The elements you need to include are:

20% or less nitrogen. Look for "Nitrate" or "Ammoniacal" on the label. Do not use any that contain Urea. 1% or more phosphorus 5% to 15% calcium, and make sure it's not only powdered up,but dissolves well in water. Calcium that just sits in the bottom of the bowl and doesn't dissolve won't be very useful to your orchid. between 1% and 8% magnesium. A mixture of trace elements such as iron, copper and so on. Ask your nursery for which elements an orchid needs and make sure you don't include any that it doesn't do well with. And potassium. But, remember, too much or too little is not healthy so speak to the nursery or local orchid growing group for specific information.

Of course, the easiest, and probably healthiest thing for your orchids when you're new to growing them is to purchase a ready-mixed orchid fertilizer and follow the directions it comes with for feeding your plants.

Now, here are important never-do tips for healthy orchids:

1 Never over-do it. If the package says to dissolve 1 teaspoon in a gallon of water, then dissolve ONLY 1 teaspoon in a gallon of water. Any more than that, and your orchid will suffer.

2 Don't feed a cold or a fever. Orchids get sick just like people do but unlike people, feeding them when ill isn't a good idea. They are already stressed out enough and don't need to devote any energy to dealing with the food. Figure out what's ailing them and fix it, then allow them to recover before you feed again.

3 Blooms mean hands off. Orchids in bloom should never be moved and should never be fed. Feeding an orchid when its blooming is one of the best ways to ensure it'll drop the blooms and concentrate on food.

4 Don't step on my toes. That's what your orchid will be thinking if you feed it while it's trying to fight off root rot. Think how you would feel if you cut your finger and then someone came along and poured lemon juice on it. You'd be much less than happy, and so will your orchids if you fertilize them when their roots are damaged. And if you have orchids with damaged roots, you should be repotting them and cutting away the damage, so please do so and then let them heel before pouring on the fertilizer