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Foliage Feeding - And fertilizer questions

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phlitrapguy

Hi Again guys (and girls)
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We were talking to some people about organic 'fertilizer' ... and I was thinking. I've read where some CPs do well with 'foliar' feeding... by spraying weak solutions of fertilizer on the leaves... or in the traps.

Well.. this organic company has several varieties of this stuff... its'll all organic (whatever THAT means)... with bat pooh and the like. BUT, some have higher nitrogen levels ... some have higher phosphorous levels (did I spell that right???) and others are absent of nearly all of BOTH.

We're going to get some samples... but I'd be curious to see what the experiences of others are regarding using fertilizer or natural / organic feeding of various brands / mixes.


THanks guys!
 
Well, nitrogen is higher acid, and phosphorous is nuetral- I think. You'd probably have most luck with the latter, or maybe the first. i used to be into vegetable gardening, and it had a lot to do with organic fertilizing, nitro., phos., etc.
just my $0.02
 
I know Tony uses VERY tiny amounts of fertilzer in the greenhouse in the winter mostly. Ask him, his comes through his sprayers and hits every Nep.
 
I did an experiment today.... 2 drops of hasta grow in a big ol spray bottle... (fungus patrol) it was mixed with clearys... I figure it's a tiny amount... but what the hey... sprayed it on one nepenthes... we shall see if it reacts at all...

its such a small amount I am not really expecting effects one way or the other...


I have heard epiphytes delight is a good brand of foliar feed for CP's.
 
O sure drag me into the conversation!

I don't have much experience with 'organic' fertilizer. My feeling about them is that the nutrients often need to be broken down (usually by bacteria) before they become available by the plant. This either doesn't happen quickly as we don't really grow plants in cultivation in true soil and the stuff is mostly just washed out of the pots. Or it promotes the potting mix to decompose faster as it acts to fuel bacterial activity.

The other aspect is many organic and inorganic fertilizers have urea which pose a greater risk of burning the plants.

Perhaps as a foliar feed where the organic material can be broken down more inside the pitchers it might prove more useful. Much like supplimenting the plants with other forms of 'food' such as milk.

Tony
 
I only do have some experience with inorganic fertilizers not with organic ones. The Nepenthes I have applied a very diluted foliage fertilizer did respond well to it. When not diluted enough the leafes will burn. How much a plant can take does also strongly depend on the species. To be safe it is better to dilute it more and apply it more often. And of course not with the plant you do like most ;-)

Nepenthes do hate those inorganic fertilizers in their pitchers which start to die back only few hours after even only small amounts do enter the pitcher.

Another fertilization technique, at least two people I know are practicing, is to add small amounts of slow releasing fertilizer into the soil. The rule of thumb given to me is one of those pinhead sized balls of Osmocote per cm pot-diameter. I've started an experiment with Osmocote but it will take some more time befor I can tell the results.

Joachim
 
I do use fertilizers on my nepenthes and sarracenias occasionally.
Taking a 1 gallon jug of RO water I add 1/16th of a teaspoon of Shultz orchid fertilizer and 5 or so drops of Yamato Green (balanced aquatic plant trace element fertilizer). Neither of which is organic. I occasionally add a few drops of liquidized muirate of potash (potassium). I use this blend as a foliar feed once every week or two and the excess fertilizer water gets dumped into my treefern.

If you try this don't spray any sundews with it!
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I also have used waste water from my aquariums so I suppose that's organic. but I use a mixture of all so I couldn't tell you what's doing what. All I know is my plants look happy to me so I'm happy!
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Organic fertilizers aren't to good for orchids.( I've tried them) It gave mine a little root rot. I had to change the soil switch to an inorganic fertilizer, but I didn't have to change my watering routine. Thats why I believe it was the organic fertilizer.
 
I don't have any 'organic' experience but I use an orchid 30-10-10 diluted to 1/4 strength and I spray all my plants every other week just enough to wet their foliage. I have never noticed any adverse effects and all my plants are happy so...
 
  • #10
can anyone tell me what orchids are, this doesnt seem to be a single species anymore.... or esle everyone loves it
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  • #11
Orchids are a family of plants. This has many genera in it. In each genera there are many species.( generaly there are many species) So anything in the family Orchidaceae is an orchid. There are thousands of species of orchids.( the genus dendrobium countains over 1,000 species)
 
  • #12
im guessing these are plants that flower alot hence people getting all happy about them
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