How to Use Fertilizer in a Potted Orchid Plant

Orchids are truly one of nature's most beautiful flowers. Most people with even a small "green thumb" can grow an orchid as a potted plant. As with any delicate flower, fertilizing an orchid can be key to keeping your potted orchid plant thriving and blooming.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Use normal plant food or plant fertilizer on your orchid just as you would any of your other potted plants. It is a good idea to use the plant food sparingly on the potted orchid plant, as an orchid is a delicate flower. A little plant food goes a long way with the orchids.

2. Apply orchid plant fertilizer or food according to the needs of your particular potted orchid plant. Use an orchid plant fertilizer with a nitrogen content that is 3 times higher than the other chemical ingredients if your orchid plant is growing in some sort of bark mixed base or bark chips. The formula you would look for is a 3 to 1 to 1 ratio. The nitrogen is the first ingredient, with phosphorous and potassium as well.

3. Employ an orchid plant fertilizer that has a higher phosphorous content if you are trying to promote more blooming. Look for a fertilizer formula with a chemical ration of 1 to 3 to 2.

4. Mix orchid plant fertilizer with a standard chemical ratio if your potted orchid plant is in normal potting mix or soil and you are not having any growth or blooming problems. Purchase the plant food with the 1 to 1 to 1 ratio.

Tips & Warnings

• Use all types of the orchid fertilizer very sparingly on your potted orchid plants. Less fertilizer is actually much safer than too much, which can burn the orchid plant or kill it.

• Avoid putting your potted orchid plant in direct sunlight. The orchid plant will do much better with indirect sunlight.