Use at 3/4 tsp per Gallon (1.5 g per L).
The best orchid fertilizer on the market! This is our own specialty fertilizer formulated by Xavier G. de Loubresse for Dendrobium, Paphiopedilum, Phalaenopsis, and other orchids. It greens up the leaves quickly, even on slower species, making long lasting deep green shiny leaves. It is a complete fertilizer with Calcium & Magnesium and is safe to use even on fertilizer sensitive species thanks to the Ammonium nitrogen added.
This fertilizer also works great for Nepenthes and Amorphophallus. It is very low urea, unlike Maxsea which is high urea - Urea can be very good for orchids but is a little too strong for Nepenthes which is why Borneo Exotics stopped using it in their nursery. The higher levels of micronutrients like Molybodenum also allow faster growing in both Nepenthes and Amorphophallus and also stops tuber rot from developing in difficult species like A. pendulus. Xavier was the first grower to flower A. pendulus in cultivation!
This fertilizer is a water soluble blend that is dissolved and watered into the substrate. This gives more even fertilization compared with slow release pellets. We always recommend soil fertilizing since orchids can have difficulty properly absorbing low mobility nutrients via the leaves.
For Aroids & Begonias try out our Green Fuel.
The difference:
Unlike other "orchid fertilizers," this one is actually formulated for orchids. Other blends were originally designed for vegetables and contain micronutrient levels that are far too low for optimal growth of orchids. Not supplying enough of these micronutrients like Manganese or Iron results in dull leaf color, chlorosis of new leaves, slow growth, and often stunting.
MSU fertilizer is very commonly used but rarely is it mentioned that it is a blend made by Coic Lesaint in the 70s for hydroponic tomatoes. Tomatoes! Not orchids. Furthermore, MSU did not(!!) use the common "RO Blend" in their university greenhouse at all, their publication was done with the Well Water blend which contains Ammonium and higher Potassium. Their "conversion" for using RO actually is a very different formula producing a lower K, all nitrate fertilizer. Honestly, I think claiming MSU used the "RO blend" is false advertising. All nitrate fertilizers result in poor leaf color, chlorotic and yellowish overall - Ammonium/urea is required to get very dark leaves in orchids. In fact, too high nitrates can be toxic since it requires Molybdenum for proper utilization by the plant, again another nutrient added in insufficient quantities to fertilizer.
You can confirm MSU's use was of the "Well Water" blend, not the commonly sold "RO blend" easily at this link:
MSU Trials
Sadly MSU and similar all nitrate fertilizers are constantly recommended and thus used by many, but where are the results? Today there is actually less mature flowering orchids in cultivation and the leaves are not the dark green that was common a couple decades ago when Ammonium/Urea fertilizers were the standard. This is easily confirmed by looking through AOS awards throughout the years. It is no coincidence that all the major nurseries in the US, EU, and Asia all use fertilizers with higher levels of Ammonium/Urea and have plants with lush growth.
It's time to start growing your plants faster and better, the results of our fertilizer speaks for itself in the photos - incredibly green plants.
13-15-19 ratio. 8 oz size. Select free shipping at checkout.
