The one piece of info I needed was the actual dose per plant, which is NEVER discussed in this video. There is no ratio of eggshell to water provided in the video, so the person who wants to use this method of fertilization is basically flying blind, very much like the presenter, who has a lot of knowledge but is pretty slim on the application. Do I trust this person's expertise? I'll give her a 60 out of 100.
LOL The way the camera lights are set up, I can't shut the door to my office. So as soon as Midnight sees I'm recording, here she comes. I'm glad she is adding to the video and not taking away... I was worried about that. Thanks again for your comments. I appreciate it!
I personally (not criticism against yours or others way) is to purchase a bottle of CalMag to fertilize my orchids. I can measure the ppm with an inexpensive ppm meter and know exactly how much I'm feeding them. I also don't like to attract any unwanted pest by using extra organic materials, with the exception of tea solutions for tannins and crushed oyster shells for very slow release of calcium. Another reason is that calcium can bind other nutrients like nitrogen, making it useless to the orchid if not applied correctly. I love all you videos and your bubbly personally (and your cat). Continue teaching us all about orchid care.
Hi Susan, I have used (and still use) Cal Mag too. A lot of products that are easy to buy in the USA aren't available in other markets around the world and eggshells has it's use in those situations. Except... and here goes the problem area... that I've come across some more recent info (after I made this video) and am slowly changing my mind about eggshells. I'm still putting the article together so it will be a couple months before I release it on the website and another few months before I make a video about it, but I'm now not so sure that this is the best way to go. Besides all the things you mentioned above, the eggshells need to have a special fungus to break them down. How much fungus is present in the orchid pot? In an outside environment (where I evaluated my research on) it is plentiful. But what about inside, in a small orchid pot? There wouldn't be that much. So how much of the calcium would be broken? That is what is getting to me... I'm still looking into further and talking to several growers to see their take on this.
Hi. Amanda it's great that you are talking about egg shells, someone that grows Adenium desert rose plants told me to put egg shells in a blender and and turn your egg shells into fine powder, this works out easier to use in water as a powder so I use a table spoon to 1 litre of water in all my plants orchids and my Adenium desert rose plants when ever I buy a new plant same day I remove it from its old media and replace it with new media and add egg shell powder. Before I do anything I check all my roots then re- pot the new plants with egg shells and now that you explained about Epsom salts for pholanopsis orchids I use that now as well, as you explained about Epsom salts to use 3 or 4 times a year with the orchids food/ fertilizer . So I just use a cheap blender I bought just for this use only. Any other advise will be greatly appreciate it. Thank you Kindly in advance, i must say I am glued to your channel because of your Information but also your so very cute and enjoy watching your videos. Thank you
The leathery stuff in the egg shell is the membrane from the inside of the egg. You can hard boil the egg, and when you peal the shell off, you can see that soft membrane better. To remove the membrane, crush the egg shell (I use a food processor) then dump the shells in a screen sifter and catch the membrane, and only use the egg shell dust.
Hi TLC, Glad it was helpful! After publishing this article, I have changed some of my opinions and would rather go with a product like CalMag or other Calcium. If you do use the eggshells, make sure they are really, really fine, almost a fine powder. Otherwise, they are too big to be absorbed.
@@sharonholmes4444 Hi Sharon, Thanks for commenting! I appreciate it. CalMag has done wonders for me since I started using it. I'm glad you have been using it for 5 years now. That's awesome. May our orchids grow! more and more!!
Hi, my name is Pilar I’m watching you I would like to ask a question my orchids the two leaves fell off, but I still have the roots and I still have some of three stems. I just wanted to know do I leave that there in the stag and moss or the two leaves? I put it in water not touching the water but the like the head of the it’s in a glass water it’s not touching. I think it’ll grow the roots. I’m not sure I’m new to all this and I feel kind of a funny with him but I love them and I want to see if I can get them the right way to do it. Thank you.
Great info, Amanda. It's good to know exactly what I'm giving my plants. Question: Is it ok to feed my orchids eggshells while they're still in bloom or do I wait until the flowers fall? I'm new at orchid growing but have 25-30 other plants that I feed with my own organic fertilizer I make myself, eggshells, banana peels and coffee grinds. And, my other plants love this combination. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your tips. God bless you and happy growing!!😇
Hi Melissa, Orchids will absolutely love the coffee, banana peels, and the eggshells. It's great to supplement their fertilization. Thank you for the comment, and may God bless you too 🙏
Oh, I forgot to answer your question. Yes, you can feed them while in bloom, but it would be more effective to wait until the new roots start. They won't absorb as much fertilizer while in bloom, so if you decide to, just use less.
Hello 😊 Thank you so much. That was a great video. I really appreciate the detailed explanation, I'm learning so much. Warm greetings from Trinidad and Tobago.
LOL...Small world! It is a great mortar and I fell in love with it when I bought it. Except I never use that much garlic for a mortar that size to be practical. A smaller one was much easier to handle. (Garlic is the only thing I use it for.) So it came in handy with eggshells. :) Thanks for commenting! I apprecaite it.
Amanda, I want to use Eggshells for my Orchids to bloom as when I purchased them. I used a mixture of water (not distilled) now I know, Thank You. Honestly, Orchids are not much water plants. Moreso Ice. Would it be possible to just sprinkle a little Eggshells at the corner of the planter? I lost an entire Orchid. Even Green Stems are lost. Now, I have to clean the Moss, and replace with New Moss. Hoping it will regrow. Another question; I have two (2) small Orchids, can I plant both Orchids together in a larger Planter? These look really tight to bloom. Thank You! Excellent Information!🌺
Hi Amanda, my name is Rosemary from New Zealand. Can you please tell me what is the name and type of the orchid that is on your table, looks like paphiopedium family (pinkish).
Is it alright to add eggshells if your fertilizer already has calcium in it? Is the addition of eggshells helpful or necessary? I realize that this is an older video but orchid supplements are becoming very confusing to me. I use the MSU orchid fertilizer and my few orchids have done very well with it. Do they need other nutrients added?
Me again ... love the unedited video!! You had me laughing - at you!!! Love it, shows your human side. Seriously now. You used a gallon water container, but did not specify egg shell quantity (I'm finicky that way - I call it my "Sheldon Syndrome").
Hi Lyn! Thank you for your comment! Sheldon Syndrome... I love it! :) I usually don't measure how many eggshells, but for the past few times, I've used about 8 or 9 forneach gallon. Only once have I used more than 12. I didn't see any change in the orchids with more. I did see a bad change when I used that water too much, as in once a month. So I've backed off now and used less, around 3 times a year.
i found the calcium carbonate can i solve it in water and water indoor terrestials with it followed by epsomsalt or 20 20 20 also for epyfites,,? mounted
Hi Willem! I'd just use 20-20-20 every other week, and in the in between weeks, trade out Epsom once, then calcium. Then next month don't use epsom. The 20-20-20 is the most important. Calcium you can use than 1x a month, no problem.
@@Orchideria thank you so much you gave more info than the other famous you tube ,"orchiders"🤣but my last question soaking in 20 20 20 and epsom or rinsing(flushing) i'm ready💪💪can do this from my🦽♿♿
Hey Amanda when I watch you putting egg she is in the water i thought what not use a blender it's much better quicker and so fine it actually blends into water much easier, or even mixed into your media it does work wonders and quick. I just bought a cheap blender I use that for egg she is and Styrofoam it's mulches Styrofoam up very easy and you can stop at the thickness you need to add to your media .
Hi Mario! 👋 I've slowly moved away from the whole idea of putting eggshell in the media. Now I think that there are other ways to keep the calcium levels higher. The eggshells just take too long to decompose. They will still have benefits, but it takes too long to appear and I have to repot before too long.
@@Orchideria yes you are right I may have to find other ways as well. Because you are correct I does take time to brake down and I agree at times it's a pain to get the blender out than have to clean it. But your right.? Will chat another time.
I saw a video from a Vietnamese man who grinds the crushed (and dried!) eggshells in an electrical grinder for coffee beans, then puts 1 teaspoon of the powder in boiled water, stars, lets it cool off, and then dillutes it to a weak solution of 1L that he poors directly over the roots.
another method to extract water-soluble calcium by soaking shell in vinegar for 4-5 days and it will produce water-soluble calcium to use 1ml to 800 ml water and spray
There are 2 ways, either you can sprinke them on top of the media or mix them together with the media when you repot, so they are scattered around evenly.
Hi Quynh Tong, I haven't made a video about coffee yet, but I did write and article about it. If you go to orchideria.com and type coffee in the search bar, the article will come up. I hope that helps.
Are you saying Calcium in egg shell form is water soluble? you stated that you found egg shells in your potting mix so i think the answer is no. can you show us specific cases of too much calcium in the plants? I think this method of adding calcium is not effective.
After I collect many egg shells I boil them. Then bake them dry before running them into coffee grinder. Put it in a shaker bottle to use on plants. Am I over doing the process to kill bacteria?
Hi Noel, I would chose either baking or boiling but not both. I usually don't do either, but I collect my eggs shells and let them stay a long time to dry before using them, usually two or more months. So the extra boiling or baking is a personal preference, but I wouldn't do both.
Hi Veronica, you can leave it alone. Orchids like to explore outside the pot and the roots that do that are called aerial roots. In nature, they would attach to the tree trunk, but in a pot, they're just gathering more nutrients from the air.
Hi Fortune Cookie Meditation, Thanks for your comment. I'm doing good, just busy. Since December last year, I haven't really stayed still. I had a major surgery, but once I recovered, I went on an internacional trip. Once back, I visited my relatives, toured the Rocky Mountian National park and the capital. Next month, I'm moving back overseas, so right now I'm in the middle of boxing up stuff and selling the house. It's been pretty non-stop and I haven't touched the camera since. Once I'm settled, I'll get back to making videos. Thank you so much for your comment. Made my day.
Hi Amanda, if a person does not use eggs due to whatever reasons, can placing half or fourth of a tablet of calcium supplement (carbonate) within potting medium help? I have added 4-5 granules of slow release fertilizer to my pot, and it has most micronutrients, except calcium.
Just read a comment of yours that calcium carbonate may not be the best form for absorption. I think i'll just get a small pack of calcium nitrate fertilizer, and add a tiny tiny amount to my water once a month or so.
Hi Man Mohan, I'm so sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I have been taking a break from work and that included social media too, so I haven't answered anyone's questions for the longest time. Yes, you're best with adding a calcium that isn't in a tablet because plants don't absorb the calcium the same way we do.
Hi Dina, I don't have a video on eggshells with water culture. I did make one about water culture itself but not fertilizing in water culture. I'll add it to my list. Thank you for the suggestion. I appreciate it. :)
Hi Michael, I've read lots of positive things about it but also negative things. I think it would depend on how often and for what purpose you used the banana water. I'm still looking into that so I don't have an article or a video about it yet.
Hi Jo, This will depend on your preference. Some people bake them for 20 min, others let the eggs sit outside for a number of days in full sun, and I don't do anything. I just gather them after a quick rinse and leave them in a pot. Once I get enough, I grind them. I haven't noticed a smell. If you happen to not like the smell, I recommend baking them for 20 min.
Hi I'm new to growing orchids my question is do you still use chemical fertilizers when you use the eggshells and how much of the chemical fertilizer I only have 2 big phal's & one 1 mini phal
Hi Kathleen, Thank you for your comment. Yes, I still use the store bought fertilizers 3 weeks out of the 4. I take 1/4 the recommended dose (maybe 3 teaspoons) and add it to a gallon of water. That will be entirely too much water for your orchids, but the fertilized water stays fresh up to 2 weeks in the shade, so you can reuse it . After that it loses its purpose. Still, that will be way too much for 2+ phals. You can use that water on other household plants every once in a while to not waste it. I think my next scheduled video is about using leftover water with orchid fertilizer on other household plants. If not this next one, it will be released soon after. Its better to use that water than to throw it away...(in my opinion). Every time I try to use less than a gallon of water, I either get to much fertilizer and cause it root burn, or not enough and it dose nothing. I can't seem to find the right balance with less than a gallon. But that's just me...
Hi Kathy, There Re some products that you can use to induce more roots growth, as in rooting hormones. Depending where you live the brands will be different. Besides that, you can use the sphag-n-bag method. I have a video on that if you type orchideria sphag-n-bag and also an article on the website if you prefer to read it. Those 2.things should be enough to keep the orchid alive until new roots grow.
Hi Amanda, thank you for the information concerning my rootless Orchid. That sounds like a great way to help it. Again thank you for your help. I'm glad to know their is someone knowledgeable in Orchids.
Hi Kristen, Thanks for watching. The color of the eggshell, either brown or white, has no nutritional difference. I've read that the difference is the type of chicken that lays them, but as far as the nutritional value, they are the same.
I was wondering you havent made videos on ROSES , JAAMINE AND BOUGAINVILLEA. We use onion peels, eggshells , banana peels once in a month in summers but in winters these plants go into dormancy , so watering them is enf.
Yeah, I just limit the videos and website to orchid care. I don't know much about other flowers or plants... well, not enough to make videos at least. 😊
Hi C Chung, Thank you for the comment. I don't rinse them off but I've seen many people who do. They say they do this because of the smell. I've never noticed much of a smell, so I don't. As for blooming, Calcium is more for the cell's structural strength and not for blooming. A lack of calcium will make the blooming harder, but it's not used specifically for that.
@orchideria hi Amanda, I’ve started using eggshells and banana tea to fertilize my orchids. I alternated those every 3 weeks. Do I need to use other fertilizer? eggshells and banana tea provides only calcium, magnesium and potassium so what about nitrogen? Don’t I also need that too? Also, I have 2 Phal orchids. The leaves are very droopy and limpy. They looked very dehydrated. I repotted them 2 days ago. Do you recommend I fertilize them with eggshells water or should I just leave them alone and don’t fertilize them at this time? Thank you in advance!!!
Hi C Chung, Yes, you do need to add some other fertilizer on a regular bases. The eggshells only provide calcium, but the orchid needs a lot of other nutrients as well. I have a video on my channel about npk ratios and fertilizing that might help. :) Oh, and you don't need to repot.
Hi again. Sorry, I misunderstood your question. You don't need to fertilize again with calcium for a while, but you do need to fertilize with another product that can help with nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, boron, magnesium, and all the other nutrients that orchids need.
Hi Elsa, There are a lot of factors that go into getting an orchid to bloom again. Is it a Phalaenopsis? I'd start with dropping the nighttime temperature about 10 degrees. Do they have sufficient light? How about fertilizer? I don't have a video about ways to get an orchid to reoom, but I do have a written article about it. You can go to orchideria.com and on the learn page there is a list of articles, and a section about blooming. I don't have the exact URL with me here, but I'll post it after when I'm at my computer. I hope that helps. 🙏
@@Orchideria thanks 🙏 so much for responding to my question. The temperature in my house is 74 degrees at night and 76 at day time. AC on all the time because I live in Florida.
Hi Shamima, I would, yes. It's not necessary, but sometimes the eggshells can have other items on them that isn't the best for the orchid. Thanks for watching my videos.
Hi Kim, I have a Christmas Cactus, but I couldn't tell you a thing about it. It's kind of a mystery to me. My hypothesis would be that they should work since the plant structures aren't that much different, but I really can't say for sure. I don't use eggshells on it and haven't tested it. Sorry.
Thanks for the info, will try the eggshells, can you tell me the name and of the Phal. Purple and white with tiger/ spotted lip? Hope you have a ID on this one.. thanks again🍃👍
Hi Sunnel Koul, Thanks for adding this comment. It's always interesting to see what is available in different parts of the world in terms of fertilizer.
Hi Ferdinand, If I had to give a yes/no answer to this, I would say no. But they need some morning sunlight that isn't hot for about 2 hours. They will die if left in a dark space with no light at all.
In that case, that would be the perfect spot. I have a video about mounting orchids on trees and you might want to watch that to know what side is best for the orchids. Avocado trees have huge leaves and plenty of shade that they'll love it.
Hi Amanda, it's Carole again. Another question: you say it's not good to use crushed eggshells too often but whether you water it on or sprinkle it on dry then water it in, it will remain there for quite a while as it doesn't dissolve. So aren't you actually adding it every time you water and if you have added it one week is it OK to use your normal feed with CalMag the following weeks? Another question is about pH: I killed a Paphilopedilum by adding oyster shell on the surface of the media thinking they all liked it but delenatii likes acidic pH and I didn't realise it affected it by making it more alkaline every time I watered. Does this eggshell method change the pH?
Hi Carole, Hehehe.... Uhm, about this video... I was pretty confident about the eggshell method because I researched the heck out it, so I wrote the article and made the video. I've also used eggshells forever and a day and I've had positive effects with it. Since then (which wasn't that long ago) I've learned more about calcium and now I'm leaning toward taking this video down and making another that is more complete. I'm starting to think its not as as good as I had researched and observed. In any case, I wouldn't mix CalMag and eggshells. Besides the combined methods being too much calcium, CalMag is better. You can bypass the eggshells altogether. If you still want to use the eggshells (for example, there isn't Calmag near you) I'd boil the eggs and use that water, but not the eggshells themselves. The calcium content in this is so low that it really doesn't help much. A little bit is better than nothing, so eggshell method still is "ok". Until the new video comes out, I'll keep this one up, but I'd use CalMag.
Hi Mary, Yes you can use that, too. I find it to be more expensive and more concentrated, but that all depends on where you live and what product you use. Be sure to check the levels (%) because you don't want to use too much. Too much calcium can also harm your orchid. I can't remember right now what the best monthly percentage is for calcium, but I'll get back to you.
The Calcium Carbonate in eggshells can't be absorbed directly by plants. It has to be broken down by microbes in the soil and into Calcium Nitrate. Even outdoors eggshells can take a year to completely breakdown. A small orchid pot especially with bark or moss simply doesn't have the enough microbial life to do so.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful knowledge about orchids , & how to take care of them!
Appreciated 😊🥰
The one piece of info I needed was the actual dose per plant, which is NEVER discussed in this video. There is no ratio of eggshell to water provided in the video, so the person who wants to use this method of fertilization is basically flying blind, very much like the presenter, who has a lot of knowledge but is pretty slim on the application. Do I trust this person's expertise? I'll give her a 60 out of 100.
Keep Midnight as your "Assistant"!! He/She's gorgeous, and loves you - hence the "interruptions".
LOL The way the camera lights are set up, I can't shut the door to my office. So as soon as Midnight sees I'm recording, here she comes. I'm glad she is adding to the video and not taking away... I was worried about that. Thanks again for your comments. I appreciate it!
@@Orchideria ... I'm a big softy for cats and love them. I can't have any of my own, yet!
Thank you, I knew there was a use for my egg shells 😊👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽😘
Your videos actually make sense, thank you so much 💞
Would it be a good idea to dry the shells out in a low temperature oven before using?
Thank you for another informative video :)
THANKYOU VERY MUCH FOR YOU INFO.WATHING FROM MELBOURNA AUSTRALIJA
I love your videos. You’re funny and informative
I personally (not criticism against yours or others way) is to purchase a bottle of CalMag to fertilize my orchids. I can measure the ppm with an inexpensive ppm meter and know exactly how much I'm feeding them. I also don't like to attract any unwanted pest by using extra organic materials, with the exception of tea solutions for tannins and crushed oyster shells for very slow release of calcium. Another reason is that calcium can bind other nutrients like nitrogen, making it useless to the orchid if not applied correctly. I love all you videos and your bubbly personally (and your cat). Continue teaching us all about orchid care.
Hi Susan, I have used (and still use) Cal Mag too. A lot of products that are easy to buy in the USA aren't available in other markets around the world and eggshells has it's use in those situations. Except... and here goes the problem area... that I've come across some more recent info (after I made this video) and am slowly changing my mind about eggshells. I'm still putting the article together so it will be a couple months before I release it on the website and another few months before I make a video about it, but I'm now not so sure that this is the best way to go. Besides all the things you mentioned above, the eggshells need to have a special fungus to break them down. How much fungus is present in the orchid pot? In an outside environment (where I evaluated my research on) it is plentiful. But what about inside, in a small orchid pot? There wouldn't be that much. So how much of the calcium would be broken? That is what is getting to me... I'm still looking into further and talking to several growers to see their take on this.
Thank you so much for your CZcams channel, you’ll probably save some of my plants!
Hi Mzn Y, Thanks for the comment! I appreciate it.
Hi. Amanda it's great that you are talking about egg shells, someone that grows Adenium desert rose plants told me to put egg shells in a blender and and turn your egg shells into fine powder, this works out easier to use in water as a powder so I use a table spoon to 1 litre of water in all my plants orchids and my Adenium desert rose plants when ever I buy a new plant same day I remove it from its old media and replace it with new media and add egg shell powder. Before I do anything I check all my roots then re- pot the new plants with egg shells and now that you explained about Epsom salts for pholanopsis orchids I use that now as well, as you explained about Epsom salts to use 3 or 4 times a year with the orchids food/ fertilizer . So I just use a cheap blender I bought just for this use only. Any other advise will be greatly appreciate it. Thank you Kindly in advance, i must say I am glued to your channel because of your Information but also your so very cute and enjoy watching your videos. Thank you
Hi Mario, Thank you for your comment. I had read about using the blender before but haven't tried it yet. :)
The leathery stuff in the egg shell is the membrane from the inside of the egg. You can hard boil the egg, and when you peal the shell off, you can see that soft membrane better. To remove the membrane, crush the egg shell (I use a food processor) then dump the shells in a screen sifter and catch the membrane, and only use the egg shell dust.
Hi, Tally. Awesome tip! Thank you!!
@@Orchideria 😊👍
wow, excellent video! Thanks so much. Subscriber from Florida.
thank you! I just started saving eggshells for my garden but didn't know it can also be used on orchids too. I can't wait to give some to my phal.
Hi TLC, Glad it was helpful! After publishing this article, I have changed some of my opinions and would rather go with a product like CalMag or other Calcium. If you do use the eggshells, make sure they are really, really fine, almost a fine powder. Otherwise, they are too big to be absorbed.
@@Orchideria Yes, you're right! Calmag does the job. I've used it for 5 years now and all my phalaenopsis leaves are THICK!
@@sharonholmes4444 Hi Sharon, Thanks for commenting! I appreciate it. CalMag has done wonders for me since I started using it. I'm glad you have been using it for 5 years now. That's awesome. May our orchids grow! more and more!!
Hi, my name is Pilar I’m watching you I would like to ask a question my orchids the two leaves fell off, but I still have the roots and I still have some of three stems. I just wanted to know do I leave that there in the stag and moss or the two leaves? I put it in water not touching the water but the like the head of the it’s in a glass water it’s not touching. I think it’ll grow the roots. I’m not sure I’m new to all this and I feel kind of a funny with him but I love them and I want to see if I can get them the right way to do it. Thank you.
Thanks your good information about orchid
Hi Swatzr, Thank you for watching. I appreciate it.
Great info, Amanda. It's good to know exactly what I'm giving my plants. Question: Is it ok to feed my orchids eggshells while they're still in bloom or do I wait until the flowers fall? I'm new at orchid growing but have 25-30 other plants that I feed with my own organic fertilizer I make myself, eggshells, banana peels and coffee grinds. And, my other plants love this combination. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your tips. God bless you and happy growing!!😇
Hi Melissa, Orchids will absolutely love the coffee, banana peels, and the eggshells. It's great to supplement their fertilization. Thank you for the comment, and may God bless you too 🙏
Oh, I forgot to answer your question. Yes, you can feed them while in bloom, but it would be more effective to wait until the new roots start. They won't absorb as much fertilizer while in bloom, so if you decide to, just use less.
@@Orchideria OK, will do. Thank you!😇
Hello 😊 Thank you so much. That was a great video. I really appreciate the detailed explanation, I'm learning so much. Warm greetings from Trinidad and Tobago.
Hi Nicole, Thank you for your comment! I'm so glad that the videos are helping!
Thanks for the info God bless you
This was good information on the orchid plsnts
Thank you!
It's really informative❤❤
Great info! Gonna try it!!! Thank you. Beautiful cat btw, also, i have the same mortar n pestle lol ( im in pharmacy)
LOL...Small world! It is a great mortar and I fell in love with it when I bought it. Except I never use that much garlic for a mortar that size to be practical. A smaller one was much easier to handle. (Garlic is the only thing I use it for.) So it came in handy with eggshells. :) Thanks for commenting! I apprecaite it.
Thank you so much for your info
Amanda, I want to use Eggshells for my Orchids to bloom as when I purchased them. I used a mixture of water (not distilled) now I know, Thank You. Honestly, Orchids are not much water plants. Moreso Ice. Would it be possible to just sprinkle a little Eggshells at the corner of the planter? I lost an entire Orchid. Even Green Stems are lost. Now, I have to clean the Moss, and replace with New Moss. Hoping it will regrow.
Another question; I have two (2) small Orchids, can I plant both Orchids together in a larger Planter? These look really tight to bloom.
Thank You!
Excellent Information!🌺
I had a Midnight. She also was Black. Beautiful Cat!🐈⬛
Awesome, thanks ❤
I thought we're not supposed to use distilled water??? Also do I wash the egg shells and let them dry before I crush them? Thank you in advance 😅
Helpful video.
I heard to use lemon juice to activate the egg shells nutrients for plants.
Ok goodness me i didnot know this thank u for information.
Great.Thanks.From Sri Lanka
Hi Thushara, Thank you for the comment. Sri Lanka!! Wow!!
Hi Amanda, my name is Rosemary from New Zealand.
Can you please tell me what is the name and type of the orchid that is on your table, looks like paphiopedium family (pinkish).
Thanks for the video and sorry for your paper loss.
😊 Thanks for commenting
Excellent video. Pleased to have found your channel. Greetings from Switzerland 🇨🇭
Hi Valentine 3 e, Thank you! I appreciate it. Wow, Switzerland! That's amazing.
Is it alright to add eggshells if your fertilizer already has calcium in it? Is the addition of eggshells helpful or necessary? I realize that this is an older video but orchid supplements are becoming very confusing to me. I use the MSU orchid fertilizer and my few orchids have done very well with it. Do they need other nutrients added?
Wow...i like this video
Hi Chandimal Manoj, Thank you! I appreciate it and am honored!
I love you ❤ thank you
How many times to water orchid in charcoal . thanks
Me again ... love the unedited video!! You had me laughing - at you!!! Love it, shows your human side.
Seriously now. You used a gallon water container, but did not specify egg shell quantity (I'm finicky that way - I call it my "Sheldon Syndrome").
Hi Lyn! Thank you for your comment! Sheldon Syndrome... I love it! :) I usually don't measure how many eggshells, but for the past few times, I've used about 8 or 9 forneach gallon. Only once have I used more than 12. I didn't see any change in the orchids with more. I did see a bad change when I used that water too much, as in once a month. So I've backed off now and used less, around 3 times a year.
@@Orchideria ... sounds good enough.
Thanks.
i found the calcium carbonate can i solve it in water and water indoor terrestials with it followed by epsomsalt or 20 20 20 also for epyfites,,? mounted
Hi Willem! I'd just use 20-20-20 every other week, and in the in between weeks, trade out Epsom once, then calcium. Then next month don't use epsom. The 20-20-20 is the most important. Calcium you can use than 1x a month, no problem.
@@Orchideria thank you so much you gave more info than the other famous you tube ,"orchiders"🤣but my last question soaking in 20 20 20 and epsom or rinsing(flushing) i'm ready💪💪can do this from my🦽♿♿
Hi Willem! 😊😊 Thank you for your comments. I appreciate it. You've got this! 💪💪😊
Hey Amanda when I watch you putting egg she is in the water i thought what not use a blender it's much better quicker and so fine it actually blends into water much easier, or even mixed into your media it does work wonders and quick. I just bought a cheap blender I use that for egg she is and Styrofoam it's mulches Styrofoam up very easy and you can stop at the thickness you need to add to your media .
Hi Mario! 👋 I've slowly moved away from the whole idea of putting eggshell in the media. Now I think that there are other ways to keep the calcium levels higher. The eggshells just take too long to decompose. They will still have benefits, but it takes too long to appear and I have to repot before too long.
@@Orchideria yes you are right I may have to find other ways as well. Because you are correct I does take time to brake down and I agree at times it's a pain to get the blender out than have to clean it. But your right.? Will chat another time.
I saw a video from a Vietnamese man who grinds the crushed (and dried!) eggshells in an electrical grinder for coffee beans, then puts 1 teaspoon of the powder in boiled water, stars, lets it cool off, and then dillutes it to a weak solution of 1L that he poors directly over the roots.
Thanks for sharing
Tums is calcium carbonate. Tums is an acid reducer. Can I use Tums?
I have them in water,how do I use it?
another method to extract water-soluble calcium by soaking shell in vinegar for 4-5 days and it will produce water-soluble calcium to use 1ml to 800 ml water and spray
thank you for your tips... where exactly do you place the eggshells inside the pot, Amanda?
There are 2 ways, either you can sprinke them on top of the media or mix them together with the media when you repot, so they are scattered around evenly.
Can you made a video how to care dandrobium philenopsis?
Hi Amanda
Can you use coffee ground for orchids? How much I should use and how often? Tia
Hi Quynh Tong, I haven't made a video about coffee yet, but I did write and article about it. If you go to orchideria.com and type coffee in the search bar, the article will come up. I hope that helps.
Are you saying Calcium in egg shell form is water soluble? you stated that you found egg shells in your potting mix so i think the answer is no. can you show us specific cases of too much calcium in the plants? I think this method of adding calcium is not effective.
After I collect many egg shells I boil them. Then bake them dry before running them into coffee grinder. Put it in a shaker bottle to use on plants. Am I over doing the process to kill bacteria?
Hi Noel, I would chose either baking or boiling but not both. I usually don't do either, but I collect my eggs shells and let them stay a long time to dry before using them, usually two or more months. So the extra boiling or baking is a personal preference, but I wouldn't do both.
Hi, What do I do with all the big roots that climb out the pot, can I cut it of?
Hi Veronica, you can leave it alone. Orchids like to explore outside the pot and the roots that do that are called aerial roots. In nature, they would attach to the tree trunk, but in a pot, they're just gathering more nutrients from the air.
Hi Amanda, How have you been? I don't see any new videos. Hope you are fine my dear and see your new videos soon. Take care.
Hi Fortune Cookie Meditation, Thanks for your comment. I'm doing good, just busy. Since December last year, I haven't really stayed still. I had a major surgery, but once I recovered, I went on an internacional trip. Once back, I visited my relatives, toured the Rocky Mountian National park and the capital. Next month, I'm moving back overseas, so right now I'm in the middle of boxing up stuff and selling the house. It's been pretty non-stop and I haven't touched the camera since. Once I'm settled, I'll get back to making videos. Thank you so much for your comment. Made my day.
can you crush calcium from our vitamin to give it to orchids
Hi Amanda, if a person does not use eggs due to whatever reasons, can placing half or fourth of a tablet of calcium supplement (carbonate) within potting medium help? I have added 4-5 granules of slow release fertilizer to my pot, and it has most micronutrients, except calcium.
Just read a comment of yours that calcium carbonate may not be the best form for absorption. I think i'll just get a small pack of calcium nitrate fertilizer, and add a tiny tiny amount to my water once a month or so.
Hi Man Mohan, I'm so sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I have been taking a break from work and that included social media too, so I haven't answered anyone's questions for the longest time. Yes, you're best with adding a calcium that isn't in a tablet because plants don't absorb the calcium the same way we do.
@@Orchideria Thanks . 👍🏻😊
Great content subscribed.
Hi BP Y, Thank you. I appreciate it.
Hi dear cAn you pls show egg shell powder, banana peel water fertilizer in water based orchid….should I mix in leave in water?
Hi Dina, I don't have a video on eggshells with water culture. I did make one about water culture itself but not fertilizing in water culture. I'll add it to my list. Thank you for the suggestion. I appreciate it. :)
I wonder if you have any opinion on Banana water for Orchids? My friends claim great blooming success!
Hi Michael, I've read lots of positive things about it but also negative things. I think it would depend on how often and for what purpose you used the banana water. I'm still looking into that so I don't have an article or a video about it yet.
How do you prepare the eggshell?
Hi Jo, This will depend on your preference. Some people bake them for 20 min, others let the eggs sit outside for a number of days in full sun, and I don't do anything. I just gather them after a quick rinse and leave them in a pot. Once I get enough, I grind them. I haven't noticed a smell. If you happen to not like the smell, I recommend baking them for 20 min.
Hi I'm new to growing orchids my question is do you still use chemical fertilizers when you use the eggshells and how much of the chemical fertilizer I only have 2 big phal's & one 1 mini phal
Hi Kathleen, Thank you for your comment. Yes, I still use the store bought fertilizers 3 weeks out of the 4. I take 1/4 the recommended dose (maybe 3 teaspoons) and add it to a gallon of water. That will be entirely too much water for your orchids, but the fertilized water stays fresh up to 2 weeks in the shade, so you can reuse it . After that it loses its purpose. Still, that will be way too much for 2+ phals. You can use that water on other household plants every once in a while to not waste it. I think my next scheduled video is about using leftover water with orchid fertilizer on other household plants. If not this next one, it will be released soon after. Its better to use that water than to throw it away...(in my opinion). Every time I try to use less than a gallon of water, I either get to much fertilizer and cause it root burn, or not enough and it dose nothing. I can't seem to find the right balance with less than a gallon. But that's just me...
Thank you I will try it
Hi Amand, I have a Orchid that has lost a good number of roots gone. How do I regenerate them?
Hi Kathy, There Re some products that you can use to induce more roots growth, as in rooting hormones. Depending where you live the brands will be different. Besides that, you can use the sphag-n-bag method. I have a video on that if you type orchideria sphag-n-bag and also an article on the website if you prefer to read it. Those 2.things should be enough to keep the orchid alive until new roots grow.
Hi Amanda, thank you for the information concerning my rootless Orchid. That sounds like a great way to help it. Again thank you for your help. I'm glad to know their is someone knowledgeable in Orchids.
Hi Kathy, Thank you! I appreciate it
Does the colour of the egg shell matter (ie must it be white eggs only)?
Hi Kristen, Thanks for watching. The color of the eggshell, either brown or white, has no nutritional difference. I've read that the difference is the type of chicken that lays them, but as far as the nutritional value, they are the same.
Use a funnel to pour the crushed eggshells!
I was wondering you havent made videos on ROSES , JAAMINE AND BOUGAINVILLEA. We use onion peels, eggshells , banana peels once in a month in summers but in winters these plants go into dormancy , so watering them is enf.
Yeah, I just limit the videos and website to orchid care. I don't know much about other flowers or plants... well, not enough to make videos at least. 😊
Do you rinse off the egg white before crushing it? And Does it also promote flowers blooming or is it only for growth? Thank you.
Hi C Chung, Thank you for the comment. I don't rinse them off but I've seen many people who do. They say they do this because of the smell. I've never noticed much of a smell, so I don't. As for blooming, Calcium is more for the cell's structural strength and not for blooming. A lack of calcium will make the blooming harder, but it's not used specifically for that.
@@Orchideria thank you, have a nice weekend!!
@orchideria hi Amanda, I’ve started using eggshells and banana tea to fertilize my orchids. I alternated those every 3 weeks. Do I need to use other fertilizer? eggshells and banana tea provides only calcium, magnesium and potassium so what about nitrogen? Don’t I also need that too?
Also, I have 2 Phal orchids. The leaves are very droopy and limpy. They looked very dehydrated. I repotted them 2 days ago. Do you recommend I fertilize them with eggshells water or should I just leave them alone and don’t fertilize them at this time?
Thank you in advance!!!
Hi C Chung, Yes, you do need to add some other fertilizer on a regular bases. The eggshells only provide calcium, but the orchid needs a lot of other nutrients as well. I have a video on my channel about npk ratios and fertilizing that might help. :) Oh, and you don't need to repot.
Hi again. Sorry, I misunderstood your question. You don't need to fertilize again with calcium for a while, but you do need to fertilize with another product that can help with nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, boron, magnesium, and all the other nutrients that orchids need.
I need your help, my orchid doesn’t bloom, what can I do to help it so I have flowers.
Hi Elsa, There are a lot of factors that go into getting an orchid to bloom again. Is it a Phalaenopsis? I'd start with dropping the nighttime temperature about 10 degrees. Do they have sufficient light? How about fertilizer? I don't have a video about ways to get an orchid to reoom, but I do have a written article about it. You can go to orchideria.com and on the learn page there is a list of articles, and a section about blooming. I don't have the exact URL with me here, but I'll post it after when I'm at my computer. I hope that helps. 🙏
@@Orchideria thanks 🙏 so much for responding to my question. The temperature in my house is 74 degrees at night and 76 at day time. AC on all the time because I live in Florida.
Do we need to wash the egg shells?
before dry & crush?
Hi Shamima, I would, yes. It's not necessary, but sometimes the eggshells can have other items on them that isn't the best for the orchid. Thanks for watching my videos.
Will eggshells work for Christmas cactus too?
Hi Kim, I have a Christmas Cactus, but I couldn't tell you a thing about it. It's kind of a mystery to me. My hypothesis would be that they should work since the plant structures aren't that much different, but I really can't say for sure. I don't use eggshells on it and haven't tested it. Sorry.
Thanks for the info, will try the eggshells, can you tell me the name and of the Phal. Purple and white with tiger/ spotted lip? Hope you have a ID on this one.. thanks again🍃👍
Hi Anita, I don't have a name for it, since it didn't come with a name tag. Sorry.
@@Orchideria thank you.
Had no idea abt zinc requirement.
Hi Sunnel Koul, In nature orchids have access to so many nutrients. It's amazing once we start getting more familiar with their care.
IN OUR PART OF THE WORLD SOLUBLE POTASH IS MORE COMMON AS IT PROMOTES FLOWERING
Hi Sunnel Koul, Thanks for adding this comment. It's always interesting to see what is available in different parts of the world in terms of fertilizer.
Hi Amanda, does orchids love direct sunlight or not?
Hi Ferdinand, If I had to give a yes/no answer to this, I would say no. But they need some morning sunlight that isn't hot for about 2 hours. They will die if left in a dark space with no light at all.
@@Orchideria Hi Amanda, Im asking questions like that bccause Im planning to buy orchids to hang them in my avocado tree which has big leaves.
Thanks Amanda.
In that case, that would be the perfect spot. I have a video about mounting orchids on trees and you might want to watch that to know what side is best for the orchids. Avocado trees have huge leaves and plenty of shade that they'll love it.
@@Orchideria Thanks Amanda..
Hi Amanda, it's Carole again. Another question: you say it's not good to use crushed eggshells too often but whether you water it on or sprinkle it on dry then water it in, it will remain there for quite a while as it doesn't dissolve. So aren't you actually adding it every time you water and if you have added it one week is it OK to use your normal feed with CalMag the following weeks?
Another question is about pH: I killed a Paphilopedilum by adding oyster shell on the surface of the media thinking they all liked it but delenatii likes acidic pH and I didn't realise it affected it by making it more alkaline every time I watered. Does this eggshell method change the pH?
Hi Carole, Hehehe.... Uhm, about this video... I was pretty confident about the eggshell method because I researched the heck out it, so I wrote the article and made the video. I've also used eggshells forever and a day and I've had positive effects with it. Since then (which wasn't that long ago) I've learned more about calcium and now I'm leaning toward taking this video down and making another that is more complete. I'm starting to think its not as as good as I had researched and observed. In any case, I wouldn't mix CalMag and eggshells. Besides the combined methods being too much calcium, CalMag is better. You can bypass the eggshells altogether. If you still want to use the eggshells (for example, there isn't Calmag near you) I'd boil the eggs and use that water, but not the eggshells themselves. The calcium content in this is so low that it really doesn't help much. A little bit is better than nothing, so eggshell method still is "ok". Until the new video comes out, I'll keep this one up, but I'd use CalMag.
Amanda can I use store bought calcium for human health? Just curious I'm new at this, I have four Orchids
Hi Mary, Yes you can use that, too. I find it to be more expensive and more concentrated, but that all depends on where you live and what product you use. Be sure to check the levels (%) because you don't want to use too much. Too much calcium can also harm your orchid. I can't remember right now what the best monthly percentage is for calcium, but I'll get back to you.
What about 20-20-20
Hi Florise, since 20-20-20 is balanced, it's fine. I would dilute though just a bit.
Buy a funnel instead of a paper cone
9:20 Can somebody explain the joke?
The Calcium Carbonate in eggshells can't be absorbed directly by plants. It has to be broken down by microbes in the soil and into Calcium Nitrate.
Even outdoors eggshells can take a year to completely breakdown. A small orchid pot especially with bark or moss simply doesn't have the enough microbial life to do so.
Hi Tony, Thank you for adding this. I'll look into that since I haven't read that before. Now I'm curious. :)