home Convectors Ammonia for orchids. Ammonia: a safe nitrogen fertilizer for plants and a pest control agent

Ammonia for orchids. Ammonia: a safe nitrogen fertilizer for plants and a pest control agent

- an important event. The beauty and health of the orchid depends on how moisturizing it is. Not observing it or doing it incorrectly, novice gardeners are surprised at the drying out and death of their pet. Even if it is possible to take timely measures in this case, they will save her, but she will not gain color for a long time.

To water orchids (but as recommended and without fanaticism), it is recommended to use ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, cytokinin paste and yeast, but it is strictly forbidden to use a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Organic fertilizers are also contraindicated for the flower: manure and compost, since their use leads to damage to sensitive roots.

So that it blooms blue

Some gardeners water the orchid with colored water. As a result, the pet acquires a blue tint on the leaves, roots and flowers. They act recklessly, causing her harm. Whether she survives or not depends on how strong he is. Why paint the buds blue using ink or blue for watering if such a procedure is harmful? A natural shade always looks more natural and richer.

What kind of water should I use?

An orchid is a plant that in nature lives in conditions of heavy rain with a relatively small amount of salts. What to water with indoor flower? The best is rainwater, but when it gets into the ground it becomes enriched with salts. It is difficult to predict their concentration, since it depends on the region, type of soil, etc.

Reference. Orchid roots are sensitive to cold water. If you pour water on her that is not at room temperature, she will become stressed.

It also threatens if you do not pay due attention to the quality of water. Tap water is a “storehouse” of unnecessary salts. It is not suitable for watering orchids. To remove salts and improve its quality, there are special methods. Which?

It is not always and not everywhere possible to collect it in order to subsequently use it in watering orchids. When collecting it, make sure that it is clean. The collection is carried out outside the city, where there are practically no cars and where there are no traces of civilization. Having found the ideal place, they always keep it clean.

After collecting rainwater, choose the right place to store it. A dark, secluded and cold corner will do. Darkness and cold help prevent the growth of bacteria in it.

Advantages:

Cheapness.
The naturalness of rainwater.

Flaws:

Difficulty finding a place to gather.
Impossibility of organization special conditions for storage.

Boiled

By boiling water, flower growers achieve temporary removal of hardness from it. Salts turn into scale. If the water hardness in the region is normal, boiling is the ideal method.

Advantages: Simplicity.

Flaws: Ineffective if the region's tap water is too hard.

Distilled

If the grower has two or three orchids, you can buy distilled water at the flower shop. She's being scammed tap water, but taking into account the following nuances:

Very hard water – 1 tsp tap + 2 tsp distilled.
Medium hardness - 1 part each of tap water and distilled water.

Advantages: Possibility of independent control over salt content.

Flaws: High price for distilled water.

Filtered

On a note. Stores sell flow filters and jugs. Both remove salts, making the liquid immediately after filtration suitable for irrigation.

Sometimes one-time filtration is not enough, since the water is hard.

Advantages:

Simplicity.
Low price of filters.

Flaws:

Slow filtration speed.
The need to periodically replace cartridges so as not to harm the flower.

Settled

This method is the least expensive and optimal. A day after pouring water into the bottle, it is ready for use. The main thing is not to shake it, as there is always sediment at the bottom.

Is it possible to use solutions?

Not all solutions that gardeners use to ensure abundant flowering, leaf growth, etc. other plants, suitable for watering orchids. Which ones can and cannot be used?

Hydrogen peroxide is a stimulator of growth and death of pathogenic microorganisms. It is used for soil treatment and substrate disinfection. It saturates the roots and leaves with oxygen, resuscitating a flooded orchid whose roots have begun to rot. In order not to harm, but to help the plant, strictly observe the proportions when mixing peroxide with water.

Pest Control: 2 tbsp. l. 3% water peroxide per liter of water. The resulting solution is sprayed or watered on the orchid.
Resuscitation: for 1 liter of water 3 ml of peroxide.
Regular watering: For one liter of water, 5-10 drops of water.

Potassium permangantsovka

Do not water the orchid with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Yes, it is effective when fighting mold in the soil and fungus, but not in the case of phalaenopsis orchids. Potassium permanganate causes their roots to burn.

Yeast

It also helps to revive the plant if the roots are almost all rotten. The main thing is to make the yeast solution for watering correctly and not to add it more than once a month. Fertilizing is done as follows: dilute one pack of dry yeast (10 g) and 3 tbsp in ten liters of warm water. l. granulated sugar. After stirring, the mixture is infused for two hours, and then the orchid is watered with it.

A new product in flower shops is cytokinin paste. The main active ingredient in it is the phytohormone cytokinin. It stimulates cell division. If desired, make the paste yourself, but at the same time observe all precautions, since it is prepared from dangerous substances. Keep it in a cool and dark place and make sure that children do not play with it. Special properties of cytokinin paste:

The paste consumption is small: 100 grams is enough to process not only home, but also garden flowers. The optimal time for fertilizing is the end of winter - the beginning of spring.

Cytokinin paste is a drug that should not be used at random, without following the manufacturer’s recommendations and without applying nitrogen and complex fertilizers. Otherwise, there is a high risk of the orchid drying out and dying. It is not recommended to use the paste if the orchid is sick, pest-ridden, or under stress.

Ammonia

You can fertilize an orchid using ammonia, i.e. clear white liquid with a pungent odor. It is a source of nitrogen, i.e. the most important element for her. It is needed to establish the process of photosynthesis.

Reference. If there is a lack of nitrogen in the substrate, the production of chlorophyll will be disrupted and chlorosis will develop. The leaves turn pale, turn yellow, and eventually die.

The orchid is watered with an ammonia solution at the root. Dilute 3 tbsp in five liters of water. spoons of ammonia. It is used for watering once every three weeks until alarming signs appear. Sometimes gardeners apply this fertilizer only in February-March once every 15-20 days in order to support the orchid during the period of active growth and before the formation of buds.

Fitolavin

Fitolavin is a systemic drug designed to protect plant crops from bacterial diseases. It is recommended for those who grow fruit trees and seedlings vegetable crops, plants in a greenhouse, open ground. It is not suitable for protecting orchids from bacterial diseases.

What are the consequences of incorrect care?

Orchids die due to improper watering. To avoid this, watering should not be abundant, and fertilizing should be applied carefully.

What to do if you moisturize incorrectly?

If you water your orchid incorrectly, excess moisture will cause root rot., the leaves will wrinkle and the buds will fall off. In this case, the flower is removed from the pot. Sometimes it is easier to cut a plastic container in two than to extract the roots in another way. All root shoots are cleaned of the substrate, and then soaked in water for 15-20 minutes. After complete drying, the soaked roots are removed with nail scissors or sharp pruning shears, and then the orchid is planted in new pot.

Useful video

Watering an orchid, basic rules:

Conclusion

Without proper watering and fertilizing, the orchid will not bloom! The main thing is to take precautions and fertilize it with the correct frequency.

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In nature, this “queen of flowers” is one of the most leisurely. On the one hand, it has a lot of sun, heat and moisture at its disposal. But on the other hand, there is a significant drawback nutrients, for which the epiphytic lifestyle is to blame. In artificial conditions (if we are not talking about an orchidarium and a greenhouse), the growth rate slows down even more. And it is precisely this feature that is extremely important to keep in mind when feeding orchids.

Which fertilizer to choose?

Fertilizers can be mineral or organic; liquid, granular, in the form of sticks or tablets (we wrote about this in detail in the article). In addition, the percentage of minerals varies.

When choosing between complex mineral and organic fertilizers, the choice should fall on mineral. Why? In organic fertilizers, nitrogen often predominates among all possible components. At the same time, nitrogen is found in them in toxic ammonia (NH4) form (although for most other plants, ammonia nitrogen may be more beneficial than nitrate nitrogen). Nitrogen will be converted into an easily digestible mineral form only after processing by microorganisms. The amount, speed and efficiency of processing depend on many factors: temperature, humidity, light level. Thus, it is quite easy to make a mistake with the dosage of organic fertilizers, which threatens to inhibit the growth of roots, and then the entire plant (organic nitrogen - ammonia, initially accumulates in the roots).

The resulting symptoms of organic nitrogen overdose: decreased plant immunity, increased risk of damage by insect pests, delayed flowering up to 1–3 years.

If we talk about choosing the form of fertilizers, it is recommended to focus on liquid concentrates. Sticks and tablets dissolve poorly and unevenly in loose orchid substrate, which can lead to a deficiency or excess nutrients.

ON THE PICTURE: Separate fertilizers for hydroponics are ideal for feeding orchids. During the period of active growth, you can increase the amount of nitrogen (Grow), and during the period of budding - phosphorus (Bloom). Microelements must be added constantly in small dosages (Micro)

An orchid needs a balanced diet. When choosing fertilizers, you should carefully read the label. As mentioned earlier, it indicates the ratio of the main elements: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). The formula may look like NPK 7-3-6. This means that this mineral fertilizer contains 7% nitrogen, 3% and 6% phosphorus and potassium, respectively.

What is this information for? As we have already said, nitrogen stimulates the growth of green mass. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied during the period of active growth. Potassium and phosphorus contribute to the development of the root system and strengthen the plant's immunity. They are used in the formation of peduncles and buds.

Rules for applying fertilizers

Exists two fundamentally different approaches to feeding: constant (with each watering) and periodic (for example, once a week). Both approaches are used successfully, but constant feeding is more suitable for orchids in greenhouses and. For irrigation, only liquid fertilizers are used in a concentration 3–5 times less than the specified one. Approximately once a month it is necessary to “spill” the orchids with clean water to wash away the accumulated salts.

Periodic watering - popular among many fans, when once or twice a month a pot with a substrate and a plant is placed in water with dissolved fertilizers for 15–20 minutes. The rest of the time, water with clean water without fertilizers. This method is convenient because you do not need to prepare a highly diluted solution each time. However, there is information that with this method of fertilization, the number of flowers and the frequency of flowering are 20–30% less than with constant fertilization.

The concentration of universal mineral fertilizers must be reduced by three to four times from the recommended one.

Root feeding can be added in different ways. Basic methods:

Regular watering + watering with fertilizer diluted in water;
Dipping a pot of Orchid into a container with diluted mineral fertilizer.

It is best to apply fertilizers every 20–30 minutes. after watering. This will protect the roots from possible burns.

Foliar feeding necessary for weakened plants (for example, after illness or transplantation with significant root pruning). It is applied by thoroughly spraying the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves, without touching the buds and flowers. If you place the sprayed plant under the bag, the effectiveness of the fertilizer will increase many times over.
ON THE PICTURE: IN THE PHOTO: Foliar feeding of Orchids

It is highly advisable to use water for root and foliar feeding after filtration with a reverse osmosis filter. Distilled water will also work. Remember: the less salts in the water for irrigation, the lower the total salinity of the fertilizer solution will be. In addition, this will get rid of unsightly white streaks on spots and leaves.

Boiled water is strictly unacceptable for irrigation, because... contains insoluble carbonates. If you have no choice, you should use distilled tap water.

During the rest period;
During illness, as well as if plants are affected by pests;
After replanting for one to two months (except for foliar spraying), it is also advisable to avoid the use of nitrogen fertilizers until the first new roots appear;
After the purchase. Flowering plants do not feed until the end of flowering, not flowering - until the end of the acclimatization period.

Features of feeding certain types of orchids

If we talk about specific types, then, most often, each of them requires an individual approach.

So, for example, they feed during periods of active growth, when a new leaf appears and grows. During the formation of the peduncle and flowering itself, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are used for feeding. The concentration of universal fertilizers should be reduced by 4 times compared to the instructions.

Feed from the end of January or after the end of flowering. Fertilizers are applied at every second watering in a dosage of 25% of the recommended dosage for Orchids. The best option will be the use of complex mineral fertilizers with equal parts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (for example, NPK 8-8-8). At the end of August, feeding is completed, the plant goes into a dormant period.

The so-called and other hybrids are based on Odontoglossum and begin to be fed in small doses from about mid-February. The concentration is gradually increased so that by mid-March it reaches the norm recommended by the manufacturer (when using mineral fertilizers for Orchids). In the last month of feeding, September, the concentration is gradually reduced. The frequency of fertilization is approximately twice a month.
ON THE PICTURE: Beautiful abundant flowering- result proper feeding Dendrobium

The main rule: a lack of nutrients is not as destructive as their excess. It is strictly forbidden to overfeed any type of Orchid - the plant may die!

Ammonia: safe nitrogen fertilizer for plants and a means of pest control Material prepared by: Yuri Zelikovich, teacher of the Department of Geoecology and Environmental Management The use of ammonia for plants is based on its high nitrogen content (82%) and the complete absence of ballast substances. In the plant environment, nitrogen can be present in ammonia NH3, amide NH2+, ammonium NH4+, nitrite NO2- and nitrate NO3- chemical forms. In the natural biocycle, the basis of nitrogen nutrition for plants is nitrates, on the left in Fig. A more clearly important part of the nitrogen cycle in this case is given on the right.

Note: ammonia is an aqueous solution of ammonia, or aqueous ammonia. It is often called ammonia or ammonia. To avoid confusion, remember that the chemical substance ammonia is ammonium nitrate NH4Cl. The use of ammonium nitrate in large-scale agricultural technology is very limited, and it is not used in private farms. Features of application Nitrogen is about the same for plants as bread is for us. Plants greedily, in abundance, absorb nitrates and, partially, so to speak, without much appetite, ammonia. This is the first point, important for not very experienced plant growers: fertilizing with ammonia does not cause the accumulation of nitrogen compounds in plants, because There are no ammonia depots in them. Simply, it is impossible to overfeed plants with ammonia. The second important point is of general importance - ammonia is an obligatory intermediate product of the natural nitrogen cycle, and partially transforms into the ammonium form simply in air in the presence of moisture vapor, without the participation of destructor microorganisms. Therefore, the use of ammonia in the garden may be more effective than limitedly available organic fertilizers, because For the formation of nitrates from them, an active soil biocenosis is required.

On a small, intensively used and poorly maintained site, e.g. at the dacha, the community of soil microorganisms is usually weakened. Soil can be reclaimed different ways, eg. humus, but this will take several years and may require certain costs. Feeding with ammonia will allow, in general, without risking an outbreak of pests due to the intensification of the crop with chemicals, to survive the recovery period, receiving sufficient yields during it. Note: aqueous ammonia and ammonium in the form of ions (pure, “metallic” ammonium does not exist) - alkali of medium strength. Therefore, fertilizing with ammonia together with the application of organic fertilizers allows you to avoid acidification of the soil, and liming is carried out only when an acidic reaction occurs. Not only a fertilizer Ammonia, as is known, is a volatile, caustic, unbearably smelly and toxic substance. As a result, fertilizing with ammonia is also a pest control measure. Treatment with ammonia is also possible as a separate specific procedure against some harmful species, see below, but first it is worth mentioning the use of ammonia in the garden against damage to fruits by ants and wasps. To protect the harvest of fruit and berry crops, the smell of ammonia is used; Ants and wasps cannot tolerate it in concentrations that are completely insensitive to us. Fatty acids contained in soap are used to fix ammonia on treated surfaces. To prevent generally useful, but in this case, unwanted delicacies from gnawing on the crop, the fruits are sprayed with a solution. composition: Grate 100-200 g of soap without fragrances, laundry or children's. The best would be 72% laundry soap. Soap crumbs are dissolved in a liter of hot distilled water. Pour the soap solution in a thin stream while stirring into a bucket of tap water until the gray flakes stop falling out and rainbow bubbles appear. The remainder of the soap solution is poured into the water without precautions. A medicine bottle (50 ml) of a 25% ammonia solution is poured into a bucket of soap solution. At a different concentration, the dose is appropriate. corrected. The prepared working solution is used immediately. The advantage of ammonia as a biocide against food poisoning is that it does not penetrate plant tissue at all. However, fruits processed in this way must be washed before consumption; buyers should be warned about this. However, no sensible person will not eat store-bought fruit unwashed. Precautionary measures 546848648 Ammonia is a strong poison for humans. It enters the body through the respiratory tract, through mucous membranes and directly through the skin. Ammonia poisoning due to exceeding traffic limits begins suddenly and requires serious treatment. That is, when working with ammonia, you need to use a full set of PPE: latex gloves, plastic apron, respirator, glasses, plastic cap on the head. If signs of poisoning appear (nausea, vomiting, burning sensation), you should drink warm milk and call a doctor immediately. Ammonia vapors also damage decorative coverings; they can cause cracking and chipping of wire insulation. Therefore, the use of ammonia for indoor plants should be done on an open balcony or veranda. While working, you need to stand to the wind from the table (rack) with the plants being processed. Note: You can use ammonia in a greenhouse only in the warm season, opening the frames or raising the canopy for ventilation. Ammonia as a fertilizer Ammonia as a fertilizer is applied by spraying or watering with a working solution. Resp. Dosages also vary: 1 tbsp. l. 25% solution per 1 liter of water is the maximum dose for emergency watering when signs of nitrogen starvation appear; 3 tbsp. l. the same solution per 10 liters of water - for watering under the roots of fruits and vegetables; 25 ml per 10 liters of water - for watering flower crops and bulbous vegetables; 50 ml per 10 liters of water - for spraying garden crops; 1 tsp. per 1 liter of water - for seedlings and foliar feeding of flowers. How to spray and water Due to the volatility of ammonia, spraying plants with ammonia is best done from a watering can that produces streams with visible splashes (on the left in the figure) along general rules: at sunset after watering or, in cloudy weather, in the morning immediately after dawn. For processing fruits or large areas The sprayer needs to be switched from mist to spray. If you use a “cool” watering can that produces drizzle (on the right in the figure), then most of the active substance will be lost in the air. Correct and incorrect spraying of plants with ammonia

Watering seedlings and indoor flowers should be done using a watering can without a sprinkler, see next. rice. below. Water with a weak stream from a low height directly under the roots, avoiding the solution getting on the green parts of the plants. To prevent chemical burns, it is useful to spray the plants with a misty stream of clean water after watering with ammonia. Who will benefit from it? Plants vary significantly in their ability to absorb ammonia nitrogen, regardless of their overall need for it. Ammonia is well consumed by any seedlings, and from adult plants - onions, garlic, cucumbers, tomatoes, and vegetable (sweet) peppers. Fertilizing flowers with ammonia is effective for any bulbs, dahlias, clematis, nasturtiums, peonies, roses, garden violets (pansies), zinnias. Strawberries stand apart; they need ammonia more as a preventative against ants and slugs; Strawberries absorb ammonia nitrogen poorly. Seedlings Containers for seedlings are washed with a solution of ammonia to remove ants and wasps to prevent diseases and fungi. Water with ammonia solution No. 5 (see above) once, 2 weeks after picking or unfolding the 4th true leaf.

Onions and garlic Feeding onions and garlic with ammonia is done first with solution No. 2 once during planting, 0.5 liters per hole. A week after the plants sprout, weekly spraying with solution No. 4 begins. Suddenly signs of nitrogen overnutrition appear (dark green glossy foliage), spraying is stopped. If the onion is not on the feather, but on the head, after 2-3 sprayings they are stopped and weekly watering with solution No. 3 begins. Cucumbers and nightshades are watered with Solution No. 2 3-4 days after planting. At the beginning of budding and flowering, feed the leaves with solution No. 4. Flowers Ammonia for flowers is used in the form of solutions No. 1, 3 and 5. The flowers are watered first after the leaves bloom (perennials) or planting 0.5 liters per hole (annuals). Then, before budding begins, spray with solution No. 5 once every 2 weeks. If the bud formation is weak, water it once or, after a week, again, with solution No. 3. When signs of nitrogen starvation appear during flowering, water with solution No. 1 into soil that has been well-diluted with clean water in advance. Strawberries Ammonia for strawberries is used once, after the leaves bloom, in the form of solution No. 2, and then, at intervals of 2 weeks, solution No. 3. Both rows are watered in the evening. From pests In conclusion, we give well-known recipes for using ammonia from insect pests: Weevil - 50 ml of a 25% solution per bucket of water. Water at the roots weekly until the pest disappears. Drosophila (fruit fly, often found on indoor flowers) - single watering with solution No. 5. Medvedka - preventive watering of cabbage seedlings with a solution of 10 ml of ammonia per bucket of water. Water 0.5 liters per hole when planting. Onion and carrot flies - 5 ml of 25% ammonia solution per bucket of water. Single watering between rows. Wireworm on nightshades - 10 ml of 25% ammonia solution per bucket of water. Water 0.5 liters per bush when planting. Secretive proboscis on a bow - medicine bottle (25 ml) in a bucket. The first watering - as the plants shoot arrows; 2 weeks later another one. Aphids - one-time spraying with a solution of wasps and ants with soap. If necessary, repeat after 2 weeks. Video: using ammonia in the country and in the garden

Orchids should only be watered with soft water as the soil dries. During the active growing season, watering should be plentiful, and during the dormant period - moderate. It also depends on the room temperature, humidity, pot size, type of soil, and the type of orchid itself.

Along with watering, you can simultaneously feed the plant with nutrients:

So, you can acidify the substrate with coffee or tea.
Quite a lot of potassium is contained in onion peels. It needs to be crushed, boiled, steeped well and cooled. Water, diluted with water.
They also use strained water after boiling potatoes; it contains potassium.
You can feed with infused tree bark, but with a very weak solution.
Many people use water from washed meat with blood and diluted manure for rare waterings, but it is still better not to do this, since there is a high risk of infecting the orchid with dangerous microorganisms.

You cannot water flowers with running tap water, as most often it is hard and contains many different harmful impurities.

How to feed the plant so that it blooms blue?

How can you treat an orchid to make it blue? Need to remember! There are no blue orchids! If one is sold in a store, then it is most likely white, simply painted with a chemical dye that will wash off over time.

For the first time, blue phalaenopsis was presented at an exhibition in the USA in 2011. Then, a few months later in Holland, the famous nursery "Geest Orchideeën" presented to the public the Royal Blue Phalaenopsis (Phalaenopsis Royal Blue), colored using a patented technology.

This dye is natural and does not harm the plant. The secret of this technology is not disclosed. But many sellers, wanting to make good money and not caring about the health of the orchid, try to paint it the desired color without any technology. Most often this is simply an injection of ink or blue into the stem or root of a plant. After purchasing the orchid, it may simply die.

Japanese breeders have bred the only truly blue species of orchid by introducing the blue-eyed gene, but, unfortunately, it is not commercially available.

If you still really want to try “coloring”, it is better to use food coloring. Dissolve the paint in water for irrigation. The richer the color of the water, the brighter the color of the plant. The procedure is simple, but not very effective and not durable.

If you stop watering the dye, the orchid will return to its original color. Flower growers recommend using water in which aluminum alum was soaked for safe coloring. The injection is more effective, but the damage to the plant is enormous. Most likely it will get sick and require constant care.

You need to think carefully about whether it is worth subjecting the orchid to such tests for the sake of temporarily changing the color of the orchid.

What kind of water should I use?

To water orchids, use soft, settled tap water, as well as boiled, rain, distilled water, and melted snow.

Rainwater and melted snow collected in the city will not benefit plants due to the content of large amounts of gases and dust. Country snow and rainwater are stored in a cold place.

If there is no such water, you can boil tap water to make it softer and remove bacteria. The water filtration method is also suitable. Oxalic acid helps make water softer. You can remove high acidity with a few drops of lemon juice.

Distilled water is considered dead, it does not contain salts, so it is diluted with tap water: if the water is very hard, then take 2 parts distilled for one part of tap water, with medium hardness - one to one.

It is recommended to enrich any water with oxygen, pouring it before watering from one dish to another.

Can I use supplements?

Hydrogen peroxide

In small quantities, hydrogen peroxide accelerates the flowering of the orchid and its growth, gets rid of bacteria and pests, saturates the soil with oxygen, prevents the roots from rotting, and strengthens them.

More often, peroxide is used for disinfection and as fertilizer during illness., various damage to the plant. First, dry leaves and rotten flowers are removed from the orchid, and the soil is loosened. Then pour in a solution of hydrogen peroxide (30 ml per full glass of water).