“A regimen for growing excellent plants” sounds pretty bold, so let me start by stating that I absolutely hate those that claim that “this is the best way” to do anything related to orchid growing. There are just too many variables in the needs of the plants, individuals’ growing conditions and their willingness/ability to dedicate time and effort to growing them, for a single methodology to be universally appropriate.
That said, in the 50+ years I’ve been growing orchids, I have grown (and killed) a large number of different kinds, and have had my growing regimen evolve to the following parameters, and have found it to be excellent. As many others have adopted this and gotten similar results, I believe that if you are able to put these into practice, you too will have a similar experience, but I will not go so far as to guarantee it. I will add that even if you are unable to incorporate all of the aspects into your growing regimen, the more you do, the better your plants will be.
I know there are folks out there who will feel that I am promoting this cultural approach because I sell the products, but trust me when I tell you that the converse is true; I sell the products because they work so well together. When I retired from my “real job”, I contemplated retiring from First Rays as well, but found out that if I discontinued retailing these products, they would disappear from the retail channel altogether, and I simply couldn’t let that happen.
First, here are the components of that regimen, which aim to mimic-, yet improve upon what the plants see in nature:
- Use a potting medium and container that allows frequent watering without suffocating the roots.
- Use a pure water source – collected rainwater, distilled, or reverse osmosis.
- Water frequently – the more, the better.
- Thoroughly flood the pot at every watering.
- Use K-Lite Fertilizer, (12-1-1-10Ca-3Mg) @ 25 ppm N (about 1/6 teaspoon/gallon) at every watering.
- Add Kelpak Superior Plant Growth Stimulant @ 1:250 (approximately 1 tablespoon/gallon) once per month.
- Use a broad-spectrum plant probiotic regularly. We have used Inocucor Garden Solution in the past, but find that Quantum Total @ 1:125 every 2 or three weeks (approximately 1 ounce/gallon) is just as good, if not better.
Now let’s look into why they are so fruitful:
The first four items combine to prove a moist, airy environment for the root system that remains clean of mineral buildup and plant wastes, much as the detritus that collects around the roots of epiphytes in tropical forests are thoroughly flushed and aerated by the typically torrential rainfall that is common in those regions.
K-Lite’s formula mimics the nutrient mix provided by host plant exudates and accumulated airborne particulates that are flushed down from the forest canopy whenever it rains in tropical rainforests. It is also a complete formula, containing important minor, and trace elements. The low dosing provides plenty of nutrition for these slow-growing plants, while avoiding root damage or the buildup of mineral residues and wastes. Studies had also proven that the use of a low-potassium diet leads to a less-brittle, more-supple root system, enhancing the interaction with beneficial microbes.
Kelpak stimulates the plants into faster growth, but it also provides a wide array of vitamins and amino acids that fertilizers do not. In nature, these are usually provided by indigenous bacteria and fungi which, unfortunately, are typically not compatible with our pot-culture techniques.
The Quantum product serves several purposes: the live microorganisms populate the potting media and the plants themselves, stimulating growth, absorbing and converting otherwise unavailable nutrients into usable compounds, and transferring them directly into the plants. They also “beef up” the plants’ natural defensive capabilities, prey directly on pathogens, and secrete antibiotics that can quell future infections, all resulting in plants that are unstressed by diseases. Quantum-Total is also unique in that it contains some nitrogen-fixing bacteria, creating “fertilizer” from the air, and photosynthetic ones that produce fuel (sugars) – both right inside the plant.
You don’t have to take my word for it either. Here is a nice article that outlines how this regimen has worked for an in-home grower in Maine.