Trisha ! 🤗💐 I really appreciate your feedback! Thank you very much 😊 the ‘clear’ word ... that’s a big relief, thank you!

Anne! 🤗💐 really? Snow?? Acidic? Well well well, who would have thought! Thank you for that nugget! And thank you so much for watching 💐

@@NinjaOrchids There are still many coal burning power plants in the states and a few remaining out west. The sulfur components of the coal are released in the sky as sulfuric acid, thus, acid rain.

Preben!! I’m going to pin your comment because it’s very important for beginners to know the bicarbonate of soda as a pH up and citric acid, as pH down! 🤗💐 I wanted to keep it as simple as possible for beginners, for that reason I didn’t go into alternative details because... when I went to upload my clips I saw how long the video already was 😑 and I was focusing on the importance of knowing water quality and the up / down you mentioned could be a subject for a later date if I were to be asked. I can’t get citric acid in my supermarket 🤷‍♀️ I’ve looked everywhere! Right now I’m using lemon juice from the supermarket to get my pH to an acceptable level, but I didn’t want to bring that up either because of what too much potassium in water for orchids could mean for the balance of other nutrients! It’s a very complex subject, but I hope with this video & the links I left on the description, a beginner will at least understand why it’s important to know what comes out of the tap. I’m no scientist ... I need to keep things simple and I hope this is what I achieved with this video. Thank you so much for sitting through this 🤗 I really appreciate it!

@@NinjaOrchids Hi Nina I know that was a long explanation! I apologize I wrote this because! I feel sorry, many people do not know this! many buy expensive PH up PH down, they can save money, yes Nina lemon juice, works good ! I have set growers that squeeze a lemon in the water! Have a great afternoon! Stay safe!

Preben Busk the time you took to make that comment is very much appreciated and I hope many people read it! Thank you so much for your input 👍🏼 enjoy your afternoon 😊

Preben!! I am such an idiot!! I just ordered powdered citric acid from amazon 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ I cannot believe how much of an old horse attitude I had regarding looking for it in the supermarket instead of going the amazon route! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️😅😅😅 d’ohhhhh!! Thank you for the jolt ! Much needed!! 😑

Hi Nina! Thanks so much! You are welcome I understand you my friend! I was born in 1946 ...... Preben ....@@NinjaOrchids

Ariel 🧜‍♀️🤩 I know right? So... my principle regarding, ‘but I’ve always done it this way’ is out the window, because I can get stuck in that thought process very easily! Thank you for taking the time to watch my video 🤗

Danny!! 🌸 I am soooo happy to hear that!! Job done! I can ‘go home now’! 😅 no, really!! Thank you for your feedback! I really appreciate it! 🤗💐

SueLee, you are giving your toddler a head start 👍🏼👍🏼 thank you very much for watching!! 🤗💐

Maria 🤩💐 I am so glad that this video was interesting and gave you the answers to make a calculated decision! I LOVE your play on words TeDiouS!! 👍🏼👍🏼 because, there is a lot of truth in that, until one day, you can gage your TDS based on what you do so often without having to measure at all. I use my TDS meter a lot, if we have not had a lot of rain, just to see if the water in the mains is still consistent and again, if we had a lot of rain. My RO system has to work hard to get the nasties out of what comes from the mains, so, there are fluctuations in my case. I get well water... other than that, after a month, or less, the TDS meter wasn't a daily requirement anymore. Thank you so much for taking the time to watch this video. Really appreciate your feedback 🤗🌸

Fernanda 🥰💐 thank you so much for for encouraging feedback! Keeping it simple was the biggest challenge regarding this video! It took me days to break it down before filming and talking about it. I was so glad to see the 3 requests... it motivated me to no end! So ... if I achieved that simplicity, diluted vanilla content, job done! ... Spanish water quality can be a hit / miss depending on where you live and it’s strongly advised to not drink the water coming out of the tap! I do anyway ... I’m from Kenya .. I’ve drank stuff that wasn’t even looking pretty when you opened the tap 😅 (maybe that’s what’s wrong with me!) 🤣 in my quaint early 70s community, we have well water and if it doesn’t rain a lot, that affect everything! One day of rain & things change again 🤷‍♀️ these two gadgets ... so important and I hope it helps someone 😊

Fariba, hi 😍💐 it is good to see you! I hope you are doing well 🫶🏼 thank YOU so much for watching and for your comment. I appreciate your time! Wishing you a wonderful rest of your day / evening 🥰🌸

Good morning, Todd! 🤗💐 thank you for taking the time to watch vanilla ... and not the orchid kind 😬👍🏼

Dee!!! 🤗💐 can I link it in my description when you publish it? As a starter kit video, I only emphasized why these 2 gadgets are fundamental (IMO) but I’ve linked Fernanda’s & The Orchid Room’s next level videos in the description ... may I add your’s? 🙏🏼 this way, any beginner can find more sources quicker 😃

Ninja_Orchids yes of course! If it ends up any good!! It goes in to calibration and cleaning my ph meter. I’ll likely link back to yours as it’s a wonderful example of how media plays a big role in considering what solution ph you should be targeting

Oh that’s great!! I won’t get much reach with this video, but if it helps ONE person, then JOB DONE and the links are such a boost for anyone who wants to venture further! Thank you 🤗

Hello Margaret 🤗💐 and it took me a long time to figure out that it was my water that changed when I first moved house after starting to grow orchids in a pot! It was so very frustrating! I was spoiled from slapping the orchids into trees and leaving them be! I guess I got lucky with the water source of my first property but then.... a frustrating learning curve to say the least! Thank you so much for watching and yes, check your rain water... I’m sure it’s fine! But... if the water but is emptying and then new rain collects in it, that new rain could bring the first dust and debris along with it and it may raise the TDS ... not by a detrimental amount, but it sure is interesting to know 😊

Danni... gimme vanilla or I loose interest! It’s good in coffee as well 🤗💐 thank you for taking the time to watch 😊

Ninja_Orchids yes it does go well with coffee. The flavor I use is Oreo! It is the best

HI Arash 😍💐 welcome! I have not seen you here before, so first of all, allow me to extend a warm warm welcome and a massive thank you for being here, for watching and commenting! I appreciate it very much 🫶🏼 being that my set up is leca and self watering or other combinations of inorganic media in semi hydroponic set up variations, I fertilize when the reservoirs are absorbed and only depending on what the orchid is doing. i.e. in active growth or resting (that is when I only provide clean water) this season (2023) I uploaded this video kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hcx9p7ScztW5pX0.html in which I explained what I was planning for my fertilizing regime based on size of orchids and what I was hoping to achieve by increasing my nutrients concentration. Maybe you would like to have a look at the video? Here is the link kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hcx9p7ScztW5pX0.html I don't want to bombard you, but this video link kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ib5dgrd9mcuUcnk.html will take you to the most recent update of how things are going / growing, with a little focus on the flushing in between. I hope my reply wasn't too lengthy. I tend to feel the need to elaborate when it comes to some questions 😬 really appreciate you watching, I hope your Sunday is already off to a great start and once again, welcome 🫶🏼❤️🌸

Thank you so much . Yes new persian subscriber here. So happy i came across your channel there's so much to learn from you. Greetings all the way from Iran🌱🪴

Woohoo!!! Amazing that you found my channel! I have been watching the history of Persia videos recently. All I can think of is the wonderful food you have in your country 😋 the dishes and ingredients look amazing. I had a few dishes when I was in Dubai, but I do not remember all the names unless I see a menu! Just delicious 🫠

HI Tina 😍💐 I very very rarely calibrate my pH meter! I know, right? I do not follow the regular calibration recommendation anymore, because the meters usually start to report errors, seeing as these pH meters are not the high tech ones. The more I fiddled with the calibration, the worse the readings got. So, the pH meter I am using now has not been calibrated in over a year. If you know your fertilizer's behavior, based on how much you put into the water on a regular basis, and know your readings based on these repeated concentrations, you will not need to calibrate these cheaper meters that often. I hear you, ... buying all the expensive solutions are a pain and in my opinion, totally unnecessary for the cheap meters we use for our hobby. I hope this puts your mind at rest that your pH meter will not fail you just because you don't calibrate it often 🫶🏼 thank you so much for watching this video, Tina ❤️🌸

Cheery 🤗💐 I’m going to answer question by question and will edit as I go, so that I can see the full comment. You are mainly growing in organic media, check your tap water pH for regular watering and if it’s any higher than 6.8 I would suggest bringing it down to 6.5 for regular watering. Tap water can have chlorine and other chemicals in it (depending on regions) so, I would suggest to fill watering cans or buckets with tap water and leave for several hours before using, this way things can ‘leave’ the water before using, especially chlorine. Your TDS when fertilizing is a personal preference. Vandas can take it, smaller orchids can’t (seedlings etc) and it depends if the orchid is growing something or blooming.. if there is nothing going on with dendrobiums etc, then the TDS is too high and should be diluted. If you don’t fertilize at every watering, then your TDS levels are fine, seeing as your orchids also get rained on? In the growing phase of my orchids, I do not go above 350, my vandas being the exception, they get 400 everyday except in winter when I drop it to 200. For flushing etc, your tap water TDS is fine. I’m jealous 😅 I don’t want to ‘preach to the choir’, so please do not think I’m trying to be patronizing, but I wanted to answer some variables in your questions as well. Let me know if this helps 🤗💐

Ninja_Orchids thank you so much Nina!😀❤️ I will check our ph. Some of my orchids get rained, others don’t. When leaving tap water for few hours to get rid of chemicals, do I have to leave it open or is it ok to close the container?🙂

Leave the container open... chlorine, for one needs to ‘evaporate’ 😊 💐

Ninja_Orchids thank you Nina!😀❤️ you’ve really helped me a lot!❤️

Cheery Colors 🤸‍♀️🤸‍♀️🤸‍♀️🤗🙌🏼💐

Megan! 🤗💐 you are very welcome!! However... maybe your tap water isn’t as bad and all is trickety boo 😃 it’s good to know though 😊 I hope this wasn’t an all over the place video ... and thank you again for your request and for watching! 🤗💐

@@NinjaOrchids I did look up the water quality of the tap water in my council area and I know the TDS is in an acceptable range without fertiliser, and the pH is around 7. So, theoretically in my organic bark and spagnum set up I would be kinda ok if I never used fertiliser. But I do use fertiliser, and I have had problems in the past with root burn from salt accumulation. So I'm better off checking to be safe, and keep my orchid babies happy. Thank you for the great video content 💖

Obrigado 😊

Carmen, hi 😍💐 at one point, 500ppm will be necessary when the orchid has grown to size. This year, is the first year that I am fertilizing my large complex hybrid phals, my large angraecoids, and large cattleyas etc, with 500ppm. These are orchids that I got in 2018 and up until this year I was fertilizing a maximum of 300ppm, sometimes repeat applications / day, or every day for the vandaceous orchids. So, now that some orchids have grown to size, they do require higher quantities of nutrients to accomodate their development. BUT, if I ever see salt build up on the surface, then I will drop the amount to 400 and stay conservative. Seedlings and high fertilizer... and yes... 'I'm gonna die'! 👍🏼👍🏼 thank you so much for watching, lovely lady! I hope that Rome is drier than Spain today... it has rained non stop since we stopped the live stream yesterday and the forecast is the same for another couple of days 🙄❤️🌸

@@NinjaOrchids hi again nina and yes it still raining here, and btw do you flush right away after you fertilize/supplementing?

I was looking for this comment, but only found it again just now 😬 sorry! Flushing should happen after the reservoir has been absorbed, is empty, BEFORE the next nutrient solution goes in. So, what I do is, every time a reservoir is empty, I flush the pot through 2x with the outer pot a clean water, so depending on the size of the pot, I use that amount of water 2x before filling the reservoir with nutrient or supplement solution. Then wait for the reservoir to empty again, and flush before filling it again 😃

@@NinjaOrchids no worries nina 😊😊😊 and thank you