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Giving it another go

Discussion in 'Introduce Yourself' started by Jai CG, Jan 15, 2022.

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  1. Jan 25, 2022 #21
    Jai CG

    Jai CG New Member

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    Excellent info..will check and yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking…also about using the Ph Down liquid.
    In this case, since one normally waters a week plain and a week with fertilizer, would it be wise to use the week plain, RO (or distilled) water + CalMax only and the week fertilizing, RO (or distilled) water + CalMax + fertilizer?
     
  2. Jan 25, 2022 #22
    Marni

    Marni Well-Known Member Staff Member Supporting Member

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    The majority of my mounted plants get watered almost every. I prefer to water with dilute fertilizer most of the time rather than hitting them with a strong dose and then plain water.

    I have a friend who grows fantastic plants (not many cloud forest plants) watering heavily every day with city water. In the growing season once a week he waters with 2 tsp per gallon of fertilizer. Then washes the plants off an hour later with plain water. But he has good water.

    Using only RO water can starve orchids. My theory is that when it is raining in situ, the rain is picking up and carrying nutrients with it. If the moisture is only from dew (such as in winter during a dry season) then it is pure water.

    Sorry, I don't know what CalMax is.
     
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  3. Jan 26, 2022 #23
    Tired

    Tired Member

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    Worth noting that even rain which falls directly onto a plant often won't be completely pure. Rain captures dust and pollen from the air, which I'm sure has some amount of nutrition. It is, I assume, a lot of where Tillandsia (air plants) get their nutrients. Paphs probably like a bit more nutrition than that, since they don't grow where they'd only get pure(ish) rainwater and fog.
     
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  4. Jan 26, 2022 #24
    Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    In rainforest environments, where rainfall tends to be torrential, the rain has trace levels of nutrients in them only for the first, brief instant the water falls; after that, it is essentially pure water. Fortunately, velamen has the ability to “trap and grab” ions, so it won’t be washed away, holding them until they can be absorbed.
     
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  5. Jan 26, 2022 #25
    Jai CG

    Jai CG New Member

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    That is a very in depth and interesting analysis of water…
    I meant to say CalMag… a mix with calcium and magnesium in it, especially to be used in combo with ‘poor’ water like RO or distilled water that lacks in basic nutrition.
    Rain is for me no option…it hardly rains here and it is a big city so I don’t trust the quality of it..probably full of smog chemicals and what not..
     
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