Here in my area it is the C. cernuum that are in bloom! I have a few that I grew from seed on a Phoenix palm tree, and they are almost all blooming! Most of them with female flowers. They are fertilized by the native doves that nest above them almost all year round!
Those female flowers are so cool looking! Thats awesome! I never had luck with k-lite. It caused massive nutrition deficiencies in my phals and my cattleya! I had huge yellow spots in leaves and leaves fall off phals. I dumped it quickly and went back to Jacks 😂 then my spots went away. Yea better squish that caterpillar if its eating on your blooms! Nasty little fella! 😂 I get asked all the time for a teaspoon measurements for Jacks 2 part system. Im like I cant give it! Has to be figured out with a TDS meter. No way around it. 😊thanks for the update.
Thank you for the video to wrap up catasetum season. I think I’m on the right course but even though I live in sw Michigan, my catasetums are not dropping leaves yet but I have cut back on water. Next year I will go back to Ray’s fertilizer when it’s time. (Thank you for not being scientific!). Most are young plants from SVO earlier this year, and I hope to see good growth next year.
hey svkl, thanks for the deep dive into ferts! im thinking fertilisers are part of the reason we don't get catasetum flowers. we haven't really cared too much about ferts, but given the growth rate and characteristics of catasetums, i think we need to be a bit more diligent with the nutrients for catasetums....so thanks again!
Another informative video Stephen, thanks! I wanted to ask if you could make a video about blooming Cattleya warscewiczii? I’ve read that they require a very particular watering regime to bloom and I’m curious about your experience with this species. Cheers!
It would be interesting to just put water through one of your baskets into a cup and see what you PPM is. I’ve been following your recommendations this year and have big bulbs and a large flower spike! 🎉
Thank you, Stephen! Your videos help me to understand what I should expect from my few catasetums. My catasetum cirrhaeoides is blooming now. I am very excited because It is the first time a catasetum is blooming in my collection. However, it is not because of my care. I got it from SVO in the middle of August. I suppose the real test is whether catasetums will bloom next year.
Thanks,...a couple of mine are starting second round of blooms....that's not 550 ppm of nitrogen but total dissolved fertilizer amount ...all nutrients combined. Seems like mine under lights are still growing...a couple are done out of 10.
I am going totally nuts just like my orchids due to the extreme hot weather we are still having mid 90F with humidity sometimes at 89%. My orchids are outside on a terrace no direct sun after 10am and some filter after 4pm. I just started using MSU😫😫thanks for the info.
my problem with k-lite is that it is based on a really poor "experiment", where there was no control group, no control for confounding factors and no null hypothesis. Basically, it was no better than "this happened so this must be why". They also based it on in situ water collection, which fails to account for nutrient sharing with symbiotic fungi. More recent experiments with epiphytic and haemiepiphytic rainforest plants (including orchids) has shown that a 3-1-2 ratio is more appropriate. If the K-lite is working for you, no reason to change, just putting it out there.
@@michaelmccarthy4077 Sure, but k lite is much closer to 3-1-2 than MSU! It’s a good in between step until we get to the best ratios. Has anyone made a 3-1-2 yet? Seems like that would be a good one for an enterprising orchid chemist to get out on the market.
@@SVKLOrchids there are a number of companies that produce 3-1-2 feed. Dynagro foliage pro is 9-3-6, TPS makes an indoor plant food that is 3-1-2. Both of those are liquids I have used, they are complete (meaning include Ca, Mg and micronutrients), main difference is the Dynagro metals are chelated while TPS are not. I have not found one yet that is that formulation in a dry form, which is more cost effective. The original MSU is actually closer to the 3-1-2 ratio (3-0.7-3.5) than k-lite (3-0.23-0.23) but whatever works is whatever works. I know growers that only use a "bloom" formula (e.g. 10-30-15) and have great success, I've always felt growers try to overthink feeding orchids, most of what we give runs through the pot anyway, they are grabbing what they need. Now if we are talking Anthurium, too much K has very noticeable effects on many of them (deformed leaves, yellow blotches on new leaves, blackened root tips). I'm not sure I've had an orchid display signs of k toxicity.
Very important Information Thank y 🌸🙏👍
@@channeliman521 I’m glad it’s helpful!
Here in my area it is the C. cernuum that are in bloom! I have a few that I grew from seed on a Phoenix palm tree, and they are almost all blooming! Most of them with female flowers. They are fertilized by the native doves that nest above them almost all year round!
@@Naturamorpho oooh, that’s a cool species! I haven’t grown that one before. Where are you that they are growing on trees?
@@Naturamorpho I just remembered that you posted about the cernuum this time last year! Is it raining yet?
Just perfect....what I needed.
@@richardlawton1023 Nice! 🙌
Thank you.
@@sschul5886 😃😃🙌
Great stuff Stephen
@@anamourao2983 thank you! 😊
Those female flowers are so cool looking! Thats awesome! I never had luck with k-lite. It caused massive nutrition deficiencies in my phals and my cattleya! I had huge yellow spots in leaves and leaves fall off phals. I dumped it quickly and went back to Jacks 😂 then my spots went away. Yea better squish that caterpillar if its eating on your blooms! Nasty little fella! 😂 I get asked all the time for a teaspoon measurements for Jacks 2 part system. Im like I cant give it! Has to be figured out with a TDS meter. No way around it. 😊thanks for the update.
@@hillbillyorchids Ya, that caterpillar is no longer in this world 😯😁
Thank you for the video to wrap up catasetum season. I think I’m on the right course but even though I live in sw Michigan, my catasetums are not dropping leaves yet but I have cut back on water. Next year I will go back to Ray’s fertilizer when it’s time. (Thank you for not being scientific!). Most are young plants from SVO earlier this year, and I hope to see good growth next year.
@@judycook4314 No problem! Ray really does have a great product!
hey svkl, thanks for the deep dive into ferts! im thinking fertilisers are part of the reason we don't get catasetum flowers. we haven't really cared too much about ferts, but given the growth rate and characteristics of catasetums, i think we need to be a bit more diligent with the nutrients for catasetums....so thanks again!
@@elpilarorchids Oh, ya they are crazy hungry for fertilizer!
@@SVKLOrchids yep, and I think this is our missing ingredient. gonna try the osmocote next summer like many others use....
@@elpilarorchids that should work well!
Another informative video Stephen, thanks! I wanted to ask if you could make a video about blooming Cattleya warscewiczii? I’ve read that they require a very particular watering regime to bloom and I’m curious about your experience with this species. Cheers!
@@luisortiz-catedral586 Yes, I could do a video about that!
It would be interesting to just put water through one of your baskets into a cup and see what you PPM is. I’ve been following your recommendations this year and have big bulbs and a large flower spike! 🎉
@@beckyschlegel6777 That’s a really good idea!!
Thank you, Stephen! Your videos help me to understand what I should expect from my few catasetums. My catasetum cirrhaeoides is blooming now. I am very excited because It is the first time a catasetum is blooming in my collection. However, it is not because of my care. I got it from SVO in the middle of August. I suppose the real test is whether catasetums will bloom next year.
@@annatydniouk5739 ohhhh, that’s such a great one! I’m jealous because I haven’t grown it or even seen one in real life myself.
@@SVKLOrchidsI love it! I hope I will be able to grow it well!
@@annatydniouk5739 let me know if you ever have questions!
@@SVKLOrchids Thank you so much!
Thanks,...a couple of mine are starting second round of blooms....that's not 550 ppm of nitrogen but total dissolved fertilizer amount ...all nutrients combined.
Seems like mine under lights are still growing...a couple are done out of 10.
@@richardlawton1023 I was thinking that 500 ppm of just nitrogen was pretty strong! lol
I am going totally nuts just like my orchids due to the extreme hot weather we are still having mid 90F with humidity sometimes at 89%. My orchids are outside on a terrace no direct sun after 10am and some filter after 4pm. I just started using MSU😫😫thanks for the info.
@@rutherosado8718 Where are you growing? Also, MSU isn’t bad! Your plants will do well with it and maybe you can get something else when it runs out.
I am in the Caribbean and yes I will finish the MSU before I give a try to the product you showed. ♥️♥️♥️
my problem with k-lite is that it is based on a really poor "experiment", where there was no control group, no control for confounding factors and no null hypothesis. Basically, it was no better than "this happened so this must be why". They also based it on in situ water collection, which fails to account for nutrient sharing with symbiotic fungi. More recent experiments with epiphytic and haemiepiphytic rainforest plants (including orchids) has shown that a 3-1-2 ratio is more appropriate. If the K-lite is working for you, no reason to change, just putting it out there.
@@michaelmccarthy4077 Sure, but k lite is much closer to 3-1-2 than MSU! It’s a good in between step until we get to the best ratios. Has anyone made a 3-1-2 yet? Seems like that would be a good one for an enterprising orchid chemist to get out on the market.
@@SVKLOrchids there are a number of companies that produce 3-1-2 feed. Dynagro foliage pro is 9-3-6, TPS makes an indoor plant food that is 3-1-2. Both of those are liquids I have used, they are complete (meaning include Ca, Mg and micronutrients), main difference is the Dynagro metals are chelated while TPS are not. I have not found one yet that is that formulation in a dry form, which is more cost effective.
The original MSU is actually closer to the 3-1-2 ratio (3-0.7-3.5) than k-lite (3-0.23-0.23) but whatever works is whatever works. I know growers that only use a "bloom" formula (e.g. 10-30-15) and have great success, I've always felt growers try to overthink feeding orchids, most of what we give runs through the pot anyway, they are grabbing what they need. Now if we are talking Anthurium, too much K has very noticeable effects on many of them (deformed leaves, yellow blotches on new leaves, blackened root tips). I'm not sure I've had an orchid display signs of k toxicity.