3 Ways To Feed Orchids Organically
It’s easier than you think
Orchids have gained a reputation as being mysterious and difficult to grow. They really aren’t, once you learn the best way to feed them. Orchids will survive in the potting medium they arrive home in, but to really thrive and flower, they’ll need to be fertilized. Organic fertilizers are always best, because they provide much-need minerals and vitamins in trace amounts, easily absorbed and utilized by your plants.
Feeding Tips
- Orchids need calcium and potassium to thrive, just as we do. A terrific source of these elements is eggshells. Simply save broken eggshells and crush them using a blender or a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, you can put the eggshells into a sturdy resealable bag and roll a small jar over them until crushed.
- Calcium and magnesium are also important for optimum orchid growth. An interesting and nutrient-filled concoction can be easily made in your kitchen with very little effort. Dry chicken bones and pulverize them until they’re the consistency of sand. Put this bone sand into a bowl and add a teaspoon of molasses and green tea leaves. The leaves can be easily procured from green tea teabags and add much-needed nitrogen. Add a teaspoon of milk to supply your plant with potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. Stir together until it all turns brown. Add rice water to provide thiamin, riboflavin and niacin.
- Bananas are an excellent organic additive for your orchids. When you’ve finished snacking on the banana, chop the peel into small pieces and gently mix it into the soil of the orchid. The peel provides phosphorous, nitrogen, magnesium, potash and of course, potassium. But the best part is that the trace elements are released slowly, enabling the plant to utilize them more thoroughly.
Experts recommend fertilizing weekly with a weak, diluted liquid fertilizer such as I’ve described above. Too much all at once can irreparably harm or kill an orchid, so don’t do that! But if you follow the steps I’ve outlined above, and are patient, you’ll see a remarkable transformation in your orchids. In fact, using the steps I’ve discussed above, I brought an orchid back from the brink of death!
Tell me about your experiences with orchids in the comments section!
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