11/06/2020
FAQs
ORCHID GROWING MADE EASY THE NATURAL WAY .. bringing you a result driven, high yield nutrient delivery system tailored for newbies with first plant and for pro-organic growers adverse to the use of chemical salts.
FLAWT = feeds, light, air, water, temperature
For a plant to bloom, it needs to first store energy.
How quickly she can ramp up stored energy comes from hitting on the right balance of FLAWT.
Keeping her pest & disease free with a clear focus on root health is a big plus.
When energy level is sufficient, the plant can choose one of two paths .. either produce flower spikes or produce leaves. Which path she takes has to do with the levels and duration of light received.
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THE GOAL
During the growing season, work on increasing root mass the way nature intended .. using microbes.
A large active root mass produces big leaves and holds a high bloom count on the spike for a longer time, extending your enjoyment.
Mass blooming or sequential flowering is within reach for cultivars that come with that genetic trait.
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THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND PLANT HEALTH AND NUTRITION
It is not enough to feed your plant with nutrients. Plants need symbiotic relationships with microbes to thrive, just as Nature intended in the wild.
We want to provide plants with a biologically rich growth medium teeming with microbes that helps inform and charge up their natural immune systems while supercharging and protecting their root systems.
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NUTRIENT SYSTEM BENEFITS .. the natural choice 🌞
1. HPL Hampalang (increases plant vigour & disease resistance, supports thick spikes with high yield bloom count)
2. MCB Microbes Boleh (increases root surface area for fast nutrient uptake, breaks down salts built up in media, mitigates transplant shock, makes hardened soil more porous with long term use)
3. ABC AgroBioComplex (for big leaf, big bulbs, thick canes, high yield sequential growth)
4. OBP Wood Vinegar (for leaf shine, vibrant colour booster on blooms)
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TERMS USED
MEASUREMENT
1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5ml
FEEDSTOCK
HPL = Hampalang
OBP = Amended Wood Vinegar
ABC = AgroBioComplex
HPL Blended = HPL + ABC
OBP Blended = OBP + ABC
LEGEND
MCB = Microbes Boleh
ABM = Abamectin
PHY = Physan20
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GENERAL GOOD PRACTICE
SHAKE BEFORE USE
Give the bottles a good shake before using. You are working with concentrates. Expect the contents to settle into separate layers, it’s a density thing. A good shake mixes them up again.
WHY USE 200ML BOTTLES?
Less air = reduced oxidation = extended shelf life
CHLORINE
Plants dislike chlorine. Stand tap water for 6hrs before feeding to plants. This brings down the chlorine content.
pH LEVEL
Stand the mixture for 15mins after water dilution. This gives pH level time to stabilise before the mixture is fed to your plants.
MORNING FEEDS
Morning feeds for drying out leaves ideally within 2hrs after wetting.
LEAF OR ROOT FEEDS
Apply direct to leaves & roots, more on the roots for higher nutrient uptake.
HOUSEKEEPING
Remove plant debris from the root zone. Fungal spores breed in wet debris.
REPOTTING
Remove old dried wrinkled roots when repotting. This type of debris adds zero value to plant health, acts as sponges that disrupt the wet dry cycles needed for active root growth, sets up conditions for breeding fungal spores.
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LIMITATIONS
AIRPLANTS
Strictly no ABC for airplants, not even in very dilute dosages
Ok to use feedstock OBP or HPL
Ok to use MCB
FUNGICIDE
No MCB on the day you apply fungicide. Save your microbe $.
DO NOT STORE DILUTED FERTS
Use up diluted fertilisers on the same day you mix with water. Left overs after feeding your orchids can go to your ornamentals or edibles.
Fertilisers have organic components that contain natural sulphur. Left in water too long (more than a day), oxidation occurs and produces hydrogen sulphide from sulphur .. toxic to plants. Hence not suitable for hydroponic culture.
HOW TO MANAGE MCB SMELLS?
The food supply that sustains the microbes can oxidise when bottle is opened many times in the course of daily use.
Oxidation produces smells. To manage smells, decant the 200ml bottle into 3 equal parts say A B C aka into smaller bottles.
Use up A, keep B C sealed. Finish A, open B. And so on.
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THE BASIC IDEA
Standard dilution mix of 3 materials ..
1. Water 4L
2. Microbes 1tsp
3. Feedstock 1tsp
Always a “rest day” between feeds when only MCB water is used.
MCB water = 4L water + 1tsp MCB
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METHOD EXPLAINED
STANDARD 2-DAY FEEDING CYCLE (SFC)
Day1 = 4L water + 1tsp MCB + 1tsp FEEDSTOCK
Day2 = MCB Water
If you don’t have MCB (not ideal),
Day1 = 4L water + 1tsp FEEDSTOCK
Day2 = Water
ONE WEEK ROUTINE
SFC can be repeated up to 3x in a week for fast draining media, thereby utilising up to 6 days in the week
For other slow draining media or plants that need distinct dry outs before next wetting, grower’s call to work with either SFC 1x or 2x in the week
WHAT FEEDSTOCK TO USE
Type A for plants in growth stage - HPL or ABC or HPL Blended
Type B for matured plants ready to flower - OBP or OBP Blended
Recommended Simple Practice: alternate the use of Type A and Type B in consecutive SFCs
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METHOD ADJUSTMEMTS
MANAGE TRANSPLANT SHOCK
Use 1x daily MCB(2x) water ... this is double of full strength for higher microbe count
MCB(2x) water = 2L water + 1 tsp (5ml) MCB
VERY YOUNG PLANTS
Apply FEEDSTOCK 1x weekly at 50% strength
Other days, use MCB(2x) water
PAPHIOPEDILUMS
Water/feed 2x weekly
Apply FEEDSTOCK 1x weekly at 25% strength
For regular watering, use MCB water at full strength
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ABAMECTIN BIO-PESTICIDE
6L water to 5ml (1 tsp) ABM
Infested plants - apply alternate days for at least 3 rounds
Special case of mealy bugs - for every bug that is visible, there is one hiding out of sight and out of reach. Apply alternate days into leaf nodes, hollow flower bracts, into the media at root zone (mealys are fond of root tips inside the media) until no baby bugs emerge for 3-4 straight days. Then revert to 1x weekly applications but keep watch for a 2nd wave.
Healthy plants - apply 1x weekly for preventive control
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PHYSAN20
FUNGICIDE BACTERICIDE
1L water to 5ml (1tsp) PHY
Infected plants - apply 2x weekly until condition is cleared. Normally 3 rounds of application does the job.
Healthy plants - apply 1x weekly for preventive control. If very healthy, apply 1x fortnightly.
