Overview
Do you intend to grow some new flowers besides your stunning, graceful orchid ones? However, you don’t want to spend too much money buying new fertilizers since you currently have some financial problems.
Suddenly, you thought of taking advantage of the leftover orchid fertilizer for those new ones.
Wait for a second, is this possible? Can I use orchid fertilizer on other plants?, you wonder. Calm your thoughts because this article on gardening101.net is here to help. Take a look and you will find everything you need for your question.
What Is In Orchid Fertilizer?
All orchid fertilizers have three main components: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. They are mixed to form a special formula called the N-P-K ratio.
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a particularly crucial component since it aids in the production of chlorophyll and the development of healthy orchid leaves. Orchids need huge amounts of nitrogen for their growth, much more than other ordinary flowers.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus plays a crucial role in forming strong root development, seeds, and blooms. Similar to nitrogen, orchid plants require a huge amount of phosphorus for its development. Therefore, its food often contains a high density of this component, which can be a serious problem when feeding it to other plants.
Most healthy plants need about 5% phosphorus, while these lovely orchid ones demand 10%.
Once again, you must be extremely careful with the amounts of fertilizer used for other flowers. Or else, you will possibly overdose on them!
Potassium
Last but not least, potassium is also a vital element in keeping a healthy status for orchids. Luckily, the required ratio is quite close to that of other flowers. Consequently, you won’t have to pay too much attention to the amount.
Can I Use Orchid Fertilizer On Other Plants?
Yes, you can use it on other plants. It would be a great nutritious source for other indoor houseplants to thrive.
How is this possible? The answer is quite simple. It is because orchid food products and general plant food share a lot of ingredients in common. For that reason, you can alternate one’s food with another one’s but in different amounts.
Since most current manures and composts are for plants growing from the ground, they have much higher nutritional requirements than orchids.
Orchid manure also encompasses a set of essential nutrients that other house plants specifically need and will benefit from them if fed.
To conclude, orchid fertilizer would be a trusted ally for orchid plants and other indoor vegetables. The only minor thing you need to be cautious about is the amount of it. You will need to modify the amount of fertilizer when feeding other plants to attain the best result.
Here come some candidates that you can feed with orchid fertilizer.
Air Plants
For those pondering, “Can I use orchid fertilizer on air plants?”, the answer is yes. It is unnecessary for you to buy separate food for your orchids and other air plants. The orchid fertilizer works beautifully on both, as long as it contains a low rate of copper. However, to attain the optimal result, you should dilute it before usage.
African Violets
African violets are another great option if you plan to grow some flowers apart from your current charming Orchid. This plant can ingest and flourish on Phalaenopsis fertilizer.
They also share the same living conditions and nutrition with Phalaenopsis. That explains why it is a perfect choice for you.
Succulents
What plants can I use orchid fertilizer on? It should be a miss not to mention the lovely succulents. Popular succulents and their related cousins will all react brilliantly to orchid food. They require a moderate watering schedule, which you can find very similar to many common orchids (apart from ones in high humidity conditions).
Undoubtedly, those beautiful succulents will be so grateful to receive the nutrition from leftover fertilizer for your orchids.
Peace Lily
As mentioned above, the orchid fertilizer is a perfect ratio of N, P, and K. Fortunately, indoor peace lilies are among the flowers that appreciate these components most. They provide tremendous benefits to these delicate flowers without posing any threats or irreparable harm.
Consequently, orchid fertilizer is one of the top-list suggestions from agricultural experts to feed your graceful indoor peace lily.
Roses
Using orchid fertilizer on roses is also a good treatment at the beginning of their growing seasons, from mid to late spring. You can apply it when your roses reach 4-5 inches of new length to make it more precise.
Nitrogen is a crucial element that roses need to grow and thrive during their life cycles. As discussed above, one of the main components in the orchid fertilizer is nitrogen, making it a great alternative food source for roses.
However, you should only apply a quarter amount of the recommended dose in the package for them. Why? Because over-fertilizing your roses can be super detrimental. Roses do not need that much fertilizer compared to orchids.
Do Orchid Fertilizers Have Any Negative Effects On Other Plants?
No, orchid common fertilizers do not negatively affect other plants; just do not overdose on them.
Although they are said to be safe on household flowers; however, it is better to avoid using them on fruits and other garden herbs. Because you will be eating them later, those fertilizers can threaten your overall health and body.
Furthermore, different greeneries have distinct nutritional demands. The majority of garden herbs and blooming plants only consume a small amount of nourishment. Excessive amounts will leave negative consequences.
In the worst-case scenario, giving veggies too much orchid food could kill them. Excessive compost will harm any living thing, whether it’s an indoor peace lily, an orchid, or other green creatures.
For that reason, if you are wondering “Can I use orchid fertilizer on vegetable plants?”, the answer is no.
But apart from veggies and herbs, other plants will benefit from this food.
Nitrogen In Orchid Fertilizers Is Good For Other Plants
Nitrogen is responsible for growing your garden plants healthily and strongly. If you spot any stunted growth or sudden stop in the development of them, consider feeding extra nitrogen.
Orchid fertilizers are high in this element, encouraging new leaf growth and stem branching and speeding up blooming.
In addition to promoting the development of the foliar system, nitrogen stimulates the formation of chlorophyll, which accelerates photosynthesis.
If any other flower appears to be lacking in vitality, feed it orchid manure. You will end up with an unexpectedly outstanding outcome.
Never Overfeed Your Plants
A common mistake that almost all new gardeners often make: overfeeding their beautiful plants. In addition to your knowledge, most houseplants only require fertilizing every 2 or 3 months.
Overdosing on manure might result in pale green leaves and make them more susceptible to infection.
Since the balanced ratio of N-P-K in orchid fertilizer is quite higher than the average levels, a small amount of it is sufficient to cover all of a normal one’s needs.
Conclusion
To sum up, the answer to the question “Can I use orchid fertilizer on other plants’’ is yes in most circumstances. However, with specific flowers and greeneries, you will have specific amounts to use. It is crucial to not overfeed any of them!
Next time, you know what to do with the leftover fertilizer! Have any questions? Comment below and we will respond to you soon!