Orchids Need Food Just Like People Do!

Plants, just like people, need food -- and they need good food. While orchids don’t eat the same foods as people, they still need to be fed diets that are high in the specific nutrients they need. To grow the strongest, most beautiful orchids, pay close attention to what and when you feed them.

Feed Orchids When You Water Them
Orchids should be fed when you water them, which will likely work out to about once a week. To see if your orchids need food and water, just check their media. If it’s dry, then they’re thirsty -- and probably hungry, too. If the soil’s still damp and it hasn’t been a week since their last meal, then they might not be hungry quite yet. Let them go a little longer before you bring their next meal of plant food and water.

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Feed Orchids Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium
Orchids don’t have nearly as diverse a diet as people. They primarily need four things: water (of course), nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

• Nitrogen promotes green growth. It will help the orchid’s stem grow tall and strong, and its leaves mature to full size. You might think of nitrogen like protein for orchids (even though it’s not a protein). It’s the basic nutrient they use to grow.  
• Phosphorus adds beauty and color. It mainly enhances the flower, making the petals brighter, but it is also important for stem strength and in stimulating root production. For orchids, phosphorus might be akin to omega-3 fatty acids, which enhances skin and complexion in people.  
  
• Potassium is essential to maintain plant growth and cell turgor while building disease resistance. In a sense, it helps build the orchid’s immune system and ensure healthy growth.
  

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At Better-Gro, we’ve made feeding orchids the nutrients they need easy. Simply give them a meal of our Better-Gro® Orchid Plus® Plant Food once a week when you water your flowers. This is a specially formulated plant food that has the nitrogen orchids need to grow tall and big. Every fourth watering, substitute our Better-Gro® Better-Bloom® Plant Food when you feed them. We also recommend using it for 2-4 weeks after repotting your orchid. This food is higher in phosphorus, so it will ensure that your orchids have beautiful flowers once they’re fully mature and bloom.   Feeding orchids is one of the most important aspects of taking care of them, but it’s hardly the only one. For more information on orchids or orchid care, visit EasyOrchidGrowing.com.