Growing you Orchids in AUTUMN…
MARCH – APRIL – MAY
- These months are the slowing down months. When the growth period of summer, changes over to the start of the flowering period and the preparation for the coming of winter.
- You need to start changing your fertiliser, from the higher Nitrogen type, to the higher Potash/Potassium. This changeover is done during the month of March. Remember the equinox is on the 22nd March. (Equal hours of day and night). I start mixing the two types of fertilisers on the 1st March, decreasing the high nitrogen type and slowing increasing the high potash/potassium, 50% of each is reached about the 15th March. Full change over occurs by the end of March.
- Your watering program will become longer between waters, 2/3 days at the beginning of March, to 4/5 days at the end of May.
- Fertilising is now every second watering ( starting at 4/6 days extending to 8/10 days) at half strength. DON’T FORGET THE SEASOL for the coming winter, use at normal strength. Try to keep the fertilisers within the following ranges: N 8/10 P 8/12; K14/16. Plus trace elements.
