How to feed a phalaenopsis orchid, when and how to apply fertilizer correctly?

What is glucose used for?

One of the important factors for the normal growth of an orchid is an active respiratory process. For its uninterrupted operation, the plant consumes a large amount of resources, which must be replenished constantly. Energy is supplied by glucose .

In close union with other nutritional compounds, it forms complex organic substances necessary for the formation of plant tissues.

Glucose is a complex organic substance that reacts with other compounds with the participation of carbon dioxide.

Glucose is a direct participant in the formation and development of floral organs . The orchid spends the most nutrients on these processes. If there are not enough of them, the flower stalks grow weak, the buds become small, and the flowers become pale. Glucose is not just a source of nutrients, it ensures the delivery and maximum absorption of useful elements.

In terms of its composition, glucose is a complex organic substance that reacts with other compounds in the presence of a sufficient amount of carbon dioxide CO2. If there is not enough of it, glucose is at best useless. The worst option is when it fills the substrate with dead weight and becomes a favorable breeding ground for pathogenic microorganisms that cause diseases of orchids.

Carbon dioxide is one of the waste products of plants. If the respiratory process is normal, then CO2 will be enough to convert glucose. Thus, the circle is closed.

“Non-standard fertilizers for orchids”, author – V. Kolyvanova, “World of Orchids” magazine, No. 4, 2008.

In order for sweet nutrition to be beneficial and not serve as a source of disease, it is better to use it together with EO preparations. They contain effective microorganisms that convert the substrate into nutrients. At the same time, their active growth suppresses the development of pathogenic flora that causes orchid diseases.

Among the popular EM products, they are often used in the care of orchids.

"Baikal EM - 1". In its presence, glucose “works” with maximum efficiency.

What kind of water should I use?

To water orchids, use soft, settled tap water, as well as boiled, rain, distilled water, and melted snow.
Rainwater and melted snow collected in the city will not benefit plants because they contain large amounts of gases and dust. Country snow and rainwater are stored in a cold place.

If there is no such water, you can boil tap water to make it softer and remove bacteria. The water filtration method is also suitable. Oxalic acid helps make water softer. You can remove high acidity with a few drops of lemon juice.

Distilled water is considered dead, it does not contain salts, so it is diluted with tap water: if the water is very hard, then take 2 parts distilled for one part of tap water, with medium hardness - one to one.

It is recommended to enrich any water with oxygen by pouring it from one container to another before watering.

Where to buy

Buying a sweet remedy is not a problem. It is sold in every pharmacy in tablets.

Glucose tablets are sold in pharmacies.

In addition, it is produced in liquid form in bottles or ampoules.

Glucose is sold not only in pharmacies. It is available in grocery stores and supermarkets, in confectionery departments. There it can be purchased under the names:

• “Confectionery glucose” in the form of a snow-white fine-crystalline powder,
• "Glucose syrup" looks like a viscous transparent liquid,
• “Glucose molasses” is a thick amber-colored mass.

Each species is quite suitable for feeding orchids.

Advice from experienced flower growers

There are certain rules that should be followed:

• feed flowers only when they are not in the dormant stage;
• a month should pass after transplantation and only then begin watering with nutrient solutions;
• if the orchid is weakened by disease or parasites, then it should not be fertilized.

IMPORTANT! You need to listen to these small rules to make the flower feel comfortable.

How to prepare glucose correctly

The easiest way is to make fertilizer from tablets. The pharmacy sells tablets

0.5 g.

For the nutrient solution you will need:

• Glucose tablets – 1 pc.,
• Water – 1 l.

The tablet should dissolve completely. To do this, it is better to take warm water +300 – +380.

When the liquid becomes clear, it can be used for feeding.

Instead of tablets, you can use liquid glucose in ampoules or vials.

The amount of active substance depends on the percentage of glucose in the pharmaceutical solution.

To prepare a nutrient solution from glucose in ampoules of 40%, 1 piece is enough. for 1 liter of water.

Tip #1 . Liquid glucose from the bottle can be measured using a medical syringe.

If you can’t buy glucose, it doesn’t matter. There is always a substitute for it in any home.

What types of yeast can be used

To prepare yeast nutrition, you can use raw compressed yeast or dry concentrate. Raw yeast provides the strongest fermentation, containing about 70% moisture. Fresh compressed yeast can be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature not exceeding 10 degrees for about 12 days. High-quality compressed yeast should have a uniform gray or cream color and should break when pressed and not smear. Fresh yeast quickly deteriorates without access to air, so it cannot be stored in airtight containers.

Dry yeast, which has a granular appearance, is obtained through a dehydration process. They contain only 8% moisture. They do not require a refrigerator for storage; the shelf life of dry yeast in original packaging without damage reaches 1-2 years. After opening the package, it is reduced to 1 month. In order for dry yeast to show its properties, it is recommended to sprinkle it on the surface of the water and, without stirring, leave for 10-15 minutes, and then stir until smooth. 30 grams of dry yeast can replace 100 grams of raw pressed yeast.

It is important to note that expired yeast (live or dry) is not suitable for feeding. Fungi are unpretentious and resilient, but in the vicinity of more aggressive bacteria they can simply die.

Features of application

Sugar has long been used by flower growers to feed houseplants. Its undeniable advantage is that it is always at hand. But before you feed your orchid with sweet syrup, you need to remember some nuances.

Once in the soil, sugar supplies the plants with glucose, but fructose also appears with it. This substance is completely useless for the orchid, but it is food for pathogenic microorganisms. That's why you shouldn't get carried away with sugar. That is, it must be used in strictly dosed quantities and not too often .

The plant uses the most nutrients during active growth and flowering. With good care, orchids can bloom twice, or even three times a year. That's when they need to restore resources in large quantities. But, even then, frequent application of fertilizer should not exceed once every four weeks.

For feeding, prepare a solution in the following proportions:

The resulting solution is poured over the orchid substrate.

Important! Fertilizer is applied so that it does not fall on the axils of the leaves. Stagnation of liquid in the recesses can cause rotting of plant tissue.

Some gardeners advise feeding the orchid with dry granulated sugar. It is poured onto the surface of the substrate in a thin layer. This can be done only after the soil mixture is abundantly moistened. It is best to use bottom watering, or as it is commonly called - bathing. Then, the substrate in the flower pot is wetted completely and evenly.

To fertilize an orchid after watering:

• Take 1 - 2 teaspoons of sugar, depending on the size of the pot.
• The grains are evenly scattered over the surface of the substrate.
• Sprinkle generously with water until the crystals dissolve.

Organic fertilizers

How to feed geranium - means for abundant flowering and growth

How to feed an orchid at home with organic matter so that it grows well, blooms profusely, and also holds well in a pot with a light substrate?

Preparing yeast feed

Rotted manure and wood ash are considered the best fertilizers.

Manure

Rotted horse manure is considered the best for feeding orchids. It must be dissolved in water (1 kg per 10 liters of water) and watered the flower during the period of active leaf growth.

Ash

The ash obtained after burning wood is diluted in water (200 grams per 1 liter of water) and used for watering orchids. This product will compensate for the lack of phosphorus, potassium, calcium and other nutritional components in the soil.

The process of feeding an orchid in a transparent flowerpot

This fertilizer can prevent damaged areas on the plant from rotting.

Foliar feeding of orchids

In addition to traditional watering, you can treat orchid leaves with a solution of glucose or sugar.

The procedure is simple, but it must be done correctly:

• Prepare a solution - glucose - 1 tablet per 1 liter of water (or 1 teaspoon of sugar per 1 liter of water).
• Clean the orchid leaves from dust with a soft, damp cloth and rinse under running warm water. After bathing, the water that has accumulated in the axils of the leaves must be removed using cotton pads.
• And only after this, wipe the leaf plates with glucose solution . This is done with the same cotton pads or a soft cloth dipped in sweet syrup.
• When wiping, you need to make sure that the liquid does not flow into the sinuses. If this happens, then the excess moisture needs to be blotted off.

Before wiping the leaves with glucose, they need to be cleaned of dust and drops of water.
This procedure is carried out not only for planned foliar feeding, but also for resuscitation of orchids damaged by diseases or pests.

Methods of application

The orchid can be fed either by the traditional root method or by foliar feeding. Below we will look at both methods in more detail.

Root feeding

This method of application is traditional and cannot be done without it. In this case, fertilizing fertilizes the roots of the plant directly.

Before applying, it is important to water the soil so that the roots do not get burned. All dry fertilizers are diluted in room temperature water according to the instructions. Feeding is carried out using the submersible method, just like regular watering of an orchid. To fully nourish the roots, a 20-minute immersion is enough. Simultaneously with immersion, you need to scoop liquid fertilizer from the container and water the soil from above. After the procedure, the pot must be placed on a tray and allowed to drain excess liquid.

Foliar

Also a common method of fertilizing, but used less frequently than root fertilization. More often, foliar feeding is used when it is impossible to carry out root feeding: for example, when the roots of the plant are sick or there is chlorosis of the foliage.

This application method should be used with caution and by preparing a weaker working solution. Spraying is carried out from a spray bottle: it is necessary that the liquid gets on the foliage, and not on the inflorescences. It is recommended to spray the orchid in the morning, when there is still no bright sun that can leave burns on the leaves of the plant.

Use against diseases and pests

I plan to use glucose and or sugar to resuscitate a sick orchid, remember that this is not a medicine, but a supportive and restorative agent. Lotions are made from it. The procedure is similar to wiping the leaves. A cloth soaked in a glucose (or sugar) solution is applied to the leaf plates, wrapping them. Press lightly and leave for several minutes.

Lotions are required for leaves affected by diseases and pests. But, it is advisable to wipe and wrap all the plates so that the infection does not spread to healthy tissue. After such treatment, a thin nutrient film is formed, which prevents the spread of pathogens and repels pests.

After this procedure, it is better to spray no earlier than a month later.

What are the results of improper watering?

Improper watering can lead to the death of the orchid. Although this plant is moisture-loving, it is still better to underwater than overwater. Otherwise, the roots will simply rot. After all, in nature, orchids grow on stones and tree branches.

Do not allow water to stagnate in the tray and in the orchid pot. This will lead to rotting of the roots and death of the plant. When there is an excess of moisture, swelling appears on the leaves , which cannot be treated; they only need to be removed.

We must not forget that an orchid is a capricious plant, and proper watering is one of the important conditions for its health. If you follow simple rules, the orchid will delight you with its flowering for a long time.

Category: “Question and answer”

Question No. 1 . If the leaves of an orchid have turned yellow, can you feed it with sugar?

Answer.

First you need to establish the reason why the yellowing occurred.

• Perhaps the bottom leaf has turned yellow from age and needs to be removed so that it does not take away nutrition from young organs.
• Sometimes leaves change color due to lack of nutrients. And glucose alone will not cope with the problem. Here you will need a complex set of elements.

Glucose lotions will help when the leaves can absorb moisture and nutrition. In damaged integumentary tissues, this ability is sharply reduced. In this case, glucose will not help. Treatment will have to be carried out using fungicides against diseases or insecticides and acaricides against pests.

Reviews

Valeria, Saratov. “It’s clear that everyone is trying to find the best for both themselves and their plants. And some, being in search, resort to such exotic things as yeast as a supplement. I don’t know about the effectiveness - I haven’t tried it, but as for me, this is wildness given the current level of technical progress. I heard one woman place moistened pieces of bread under a peony bush. So then for several years I tried to get rid of the fungus that had grown there.”

Natalya, Voronezh. “My grandfather told me about this method of feeding plants. At the dacha he fertilized tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables with yeast. I also water my flowers with diluted yeast. They really like it. But this only applies to those plants that grow in the ground. I don’t feed orchids this way, because they grow in the bark and there’s no point in it. I fertilize orchids with regular orchid fertilizers, using the dipping method.”

Anastasia, Kerch. “I feed homemade flowers with yeast, since I always have it on hand. I don’t use other fertilizers (except organic), as I try to use only natural ingredients. In principle, I'm happy with everything. I conducted experiments, compared how plants behaved with and without such feeding, and there was a difference, so I have no doubt about my actions.”