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Fertilized for the first time.

So today i fertilized my Nepenthes for the first time with max strength orchid fertilizer which is 1/4 tsp per gallon, since i saw Phissionkorps had success with this stuff ive had the orchid fertilizer for a few months for my orchids. it is 19-31-17. i will be updating this thread regularly with progress photos and will be fertilizing ever 2 weeks and flushing the soil 72 hours later as Phission described in his description for it. So here we go
week 1: 1-21-09
All nepenthes lightly misted and watered with fertilizer- Schultz Orchid Food 19-31-17
Flush date 1-24-09

next Fertilization date: 2-4-09
 
If you just misted the leaves why flush the pots? I'm myself a bit confused as to what would be the best way to fertilize. Some mist the leaves, some just water with the fertilizer water, and others fill the pitcher with it. I think it would be a good idea to start using some again for my neps, but what way is the question.
 
You definitely need to pour it in the soil composition. Flushing is completely unnecessary if you are foliar feeding (which will not do near the good, if any good at all, as applying fertilizers to the soil and roots.

xvart.
 
Last edited:
xvart i added a little to the roots while i misted
im worried about hurting the plants...
ill do some more then
 
I personally will put a little bit in the pitchers twice a month. I tried into the media, with flushing a day later, and still had a huge out of control algae problem result.
 
im not too horribly worried about algae as i already remove it often enough from some of the ping and drosera pots...its not too big of a deal for me.
 
Don't even worry about the leaves. It's like painting a barn with a paintbrush. I've heard about people having problems with algae, but I have never had a problem. I feel this thread is a good discussion of fertilizer usage in various applications.

xvart.

edit: I just realized that nightsky and I had the same discussion about algae almost verbatim in my linked thread. lol.
 
thanks xvart
i will be using this thread to update on progress of the plants
 
a bit of a delay due to family issues and some other stuff.
Fertilization date 2-8-09
flush date 2-10-09
results from previous fertilization - many leaves on the plants darkened in color, some just to dark green, and some got more red in them. plants also seem to be gaining speed in growth, reacting better than expected to fertilizing.
next fertilization date 2-23-09
 
  • #10
try coffee grinds! they work really well for all my neps, and have absolutely no harmful effects (if applied in moderation).
 
  • #11
obregon, your coffee grounds are prolly working for the same reason my fish fertilizer works darn well even though its quite weak at 5-1-1........the coffee grounds are prolly providing nutrients other than the standard NPK that most ferts are......
 
  • #12
please document on TF how things goes.. none of my fertilizing my nepenthes works ... they suddenly stop growing after i fertilize them and resume after few weeks they produce deformed pitchers.
 
  • #13
How often do you use coffee grinds? And how much do you put per pot? Do you flush the entire pot afterwards? Please include more details, I want to try this on my neps.

Thanks

Melvin
 
  • #14
Fertilized on the 23rd, forgot to post here about it. ive seen dramatic improvement on my plants growth, especially the plants that were rather week like the macrophylla and my young spectabilis pangulobau. I will also fertilize a couple of plants for the first time today. N. rajah, N. jamban, and N. truncata x xTrusmadiensis will be fertilized. :) Also found out my tapwater is suitable for watering my CPs...20-23PPM :)
Todays date 3-11-09
Next fertilization date 3-25-09
 
  • #15
pics? I never get tired of looking at your plants :p
 
  • #16
will post some when my batteries are charged :)
 
  • #17
I'm curious about the coffee too. I roast coffee so I have an unlimited amount of coffee chaff.
 
  • #18
I'm curious about the coffee too. I roast coffee so I have an unlimited amount of coffee chaff.
Dave Evans has written a fair amount on this. IIRC there was some info on the listserver & over here.
 
  • #19
I tried pouring a cup my coffee swill over my N. Ventricosa a few months ago, and did not see any out of the ordinary results. (So much that I forgot that I even did so until I read this post again.) I will probably try it again soon on a plant that could use a boost, and will see what happens.
 
  • #20
Man, I would never fertilize Nep soil. I already combat mosses and invasive fungus' in my potted plants as it is.

I only ever feed directly into the pitchers. Neps, Sarrs and Cephs...
 
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