Misting an orchid can raise the chances your orchid will develop a fungal or bacterial infection. Misting orchids is very controversial for this reason. Further dilute the prepared fertilizer with additional water to create a 25% strength fertilizer. To do this, mix one part of prepared orchid fertilizer with three parts of water. You can use Superthrive as a mist spray (on the leaves) or as a poured solution (on the orchid roots). It can supplement your orchid’s weekly fertilization sessions. It can also be used on your other plants in addition to standard plant fertilizer. I also want to mention Superthrive, which is not exactly an orchid-specific fertilizer, but a vitamin for plants. It is popular in some circles of the orchid community.

All that said, if you have extra, leftover orchid fertilizer and don’t want to just pour it down the drain, then yes, use the rest up on your other plants. They will get a light feeding from this. However, you will still need to use a standard fertilizer on your houseplants, roses, or vegetable garden, simply because they will need more nutrients than what a diluted orchid fertilizer can provide. Final ThoughtsThe higher phosphorus levels will help support your orchid as it gears up for bloom production. It will allow your orchid to produce more plentiful, healthier blooms during the next blooming season. I would suggest using a 10-30-10 fertilizer, with the higher, middle number representing the phosphorous concentration in the fertilizer. Applying orchid fertilizer as a mist spray is also known as foliar feeding. The orchid food is typically misted onto the underside of orchid leaves for best results. The orchid leaves will then absorb the fertilizer.

If you choose to feed your orchids using a mist spray, it goes without saying that you need to use an orchid-specific fertilizer to do this. For best results choose plants which are suited to the conditions in your home. Most plants are labelled indicating their likes and dis-likes. Oftentimes, fertilizer burns on the leaves are a result of over-fertilization. To prevent this from happening, make sure you use a weak orchid fertilizer, meaning dilute your orchid fertilizer down to 25% strength before using it. I went over how to do this above, in the section “how to apply orchid fertilizer as a mist spray.” Yes and no. Yes, you can mist your other plants with leftover orchid fertilizer, but don’t expect it to meet your other plants’ fertilization needs. Remember, orchids prefer weak fertilizer. This means you are probably using a 25% strength orchid fertilizer to feed your orchids. While this is perfect for your orchids, it is too diluted for other plants.

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The simple act of fertilizing an orchid doesn’t cause fungal infections. Rather, it is how you do it. Note: If you know what kind of orchid you have, be sure to look up the growing requirements for that particular species. That way, you’ll be aware of its particular fertilization needs. Fungal Problems

For more information on choosing an orchid fertilizer, read this guide on how to fertilize your orchid. That guide will walk you through the NPK ratios and the other, more common methods of fertilizing your orchid. Popular Orchid Fertilizer Mist Sprays When wiping down the orchid leaves, also make sure the cloth is not overly damp. You don’t want to leave residual wet streaks or water on the leaf. Overly wet leaves can end up with fungal infections. Fertilizer Burn While many orchid growers might not feed their orchids this way, it is a fairly common way of fertilizing vegetable plants, roses, and other garden plants. Materials needed:Use water at room temperature. Water early in the morning allowing water to dry before cooler night time temperatures.