Some people in our orchid group water their orchids thoroughly with plain
water before watering with a fertilizer solution. Is this necessary and a
generally recommended procedure?

Thanks

Charles VanDyke

Oh, boy. Now you've done it, Charles! It's the "wet sponge/dry sponge"
discussion. I think you'll find two sides of this argument.

Some growers (including commercial growers with whom I am familiar) insist
that watering before fertilizing is the way to go. Others, like Martin
Motes, as an example, reject that method out of hand. And you can't argue
with Martin Motes' success.

Here's what I think. It may be true that the initial burst of water won't
penetrate the roots of the plant, and hobbyists often don't water as
thoroughly as commercial growers. So maybe for those folks a shot of water
before fertilizing won't hurt anything. But if we are good at drenching the
plants, it just makes sense to me to fertilize on the first pass. Think
about that sponge. If you soak it to sopping, how much more can it absorb?

The "water first" contingent argues that a dry sponge needs to be wet down
in order to absorb anything. Well, why not wet it down with fertilizer?

I don't water first. Just my opinion. Group, I have my flame retardant suit
on.

Diana

"Charles VanDyke" wrote in message
...
Some people in our orchid group water their orchids thoroughly with plain
water before watering with a fertilizer solution. Is this necessary and a
generally recommended procedure?

Thanks

Charles VanDyke

On 2006-10-12 15:39:09 -0400, Charles VanDyke said:

Some people in our orchid group water their orchids thoroughly with plain
water before watering with a fertilizer solution. Is this necessary and a
generally recommended procedure?

Thanks

Charles VanDyke


If you feed every watering with a diluted solution it should not be a problem.

It is, if you need a reason to stay away from the wife and kids

Weng

Charles,

My understanding is that the wet-then-feed methodology came about due to the
old practice of feeding infrequently, but heavily. When I first got
involved with the orchid collection at what is now the Atlanta Botanical
Garden in the mid-'70s, feeding was done every three or four weeks, and the
solution used was four- to five times that commonly used today.

If you feed a dry pot with that solution, you'd kill roots like mad. By
first using clear water only, you essentially saturate the velamen, greatly
limiting the minerals that can be absorbed - in essence diluting your
fertilizer mixture in the velamen rather than in the bucket. A ridiculous
process that wastes time and chemicals, in my mind.

The concept that a dry sponge needs to be wetted before it can absorb fully
is just another one of those poorly-thought-out scenarios to try to explain
something in orchidom. It's hogwash. That would only be true if you wring
the now-wetted sponge out before that second soaking. Anyone watering, then
squeezing their plants' roots before feeding?
--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"Charles VanDyke" wrote in message
...
Some people in our orchid group water their orchids thoroughly with plain
water before watering with a fertilizer solution. Is this necessary and a
generally recommended procedure?

Thanks

Charles VanDyke