--- title: "After years of orchids dying on me, I'm giving this my last try. I…" description: "After years of orchids dying on me, I'm giving this my last try. I just couldn't resist. What's the best food/fertilizer for orchids? Any advice is welcome.…" url: "https://getplanta.com/community/JmTUi1iSQr6-tX35luAMXQ/wqx1uuf4ablmwMXZIZsdJ5" community: "The Orchid Oasis" author: "Floral Budling" published: "2026-03-11T01:56:15.933871Z" language: "en" image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/wAo1eA5gGde7Bc1x-AP8zCiCXxanZ5FTdgemBLvbLT0/YYILSCART5OqTBMJTEALrw.webp?size=large" --- [Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [The Orchid Oasis](https://getplanta.com/community/JmTUi1iSQr6-tX35luAMXQ.md) # After years of orchids dying on me, I'm giving this my last try. I… _Posted by Floral Budling on 2026-03-11_ After years of orchids dying on me, I'm giving this my last try. I just couldn't resist. What's the best food/fertilizer for orchids? Any advice is welcome. I'm really hoping this will survive and need all the help I can get. Thanks ![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/wAo1eA5gGde7Bc1x-AP8zCiCXxanZ5FTdgemBLvbLT0/YYILSCART5OqTBMJTEALrw.webp?size=large) ## 11 comments ### Debi commented on 2026-03-11 Nothing hard about growing an orchid. Just don’t give it ice. They like to be in chunky bark. Plant in a see through plastic pot with drainage holes that fit into another solid pot. I water from the top and let sit for 15 minutes and then I drain. I have two orchids. One is 13 the other is 10 ![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/CnpesAka64su_1vCuLDhM1NWKQ-fjsQz8kxbA4Yq1hQ/OywBK5WmRGSFpbjc4ePBUQ.webp?size=large) #### Floral Budling replied on 2026-03-11 Thanks. I was told to put ice cubes, and it's good timing you told me to water it. I'm just scared because I think I used to overwater them. Thanks #### Errol Savage replied on 2026-03-11 Yeah no on ice it’s a tropical plant. #### The leafy Angel replied on 2026-03-11 Water when the roots are sliver coloured #### Floral Budling replied on 2026-03-11 I can't see it's roots. Top is covered with moss something. I'm too scared to touch or dig in. They're just so pretty to look at, but scared I might kill em. I try my best #### Jen replied on 2026-03-11 Usually inside the outer decorative pot, there is a clear plastic pot. If you lift it out, you can see the roots. You won’t overwater if you wait until the roots are silver. If they’re still green or the moss/bark is still wet, then wait. ### Jen commented on 2026-03-11 My favorite kind of fertilizer (including Phalaenopsis, like yours, which tend to be ‘heavier feeders’ but for ALL my orchids, like Cattleyas, Paphiopedilum, Oncidiums, etc,) is a slow release granule that I add to the pots every 6 months or so. Every time I water, the get a little fertilizer. I know me, and my lifestyle- I KNOW I wouldn’t take the time to mix liquid fertilizer to water every time they needed it. I have like 35 (🤔😳) orchids- it’s just more conducive to their needs and my time constraints. I use repotme.com’s ‘feed me’. Sidenote, if you are concerned about the best way to keep your beauty healthy, Miss Orchid Girl on YouTube is an INCREDIBLE resource, with really reliable advice and a whole playlist of videos specifically geared toward beginners. #### Floral Budling replied on 2026-03-11 Thank you so much these are really helpful. Definitely going to check them out and feel a little better on my orchids chances. #### Floral Budling replied on 2026-03-11 Is this the one you use? Just want to make sure I get the right one. Thanks again ![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/wAo1eA5gGde7Bc1x-AP8zCiCXxanZ5FTdgemBLvbLT0/QGwOG75BTMOyNgFQ5XxuHQ.webp?size=large) #### Jen replied on 2026-03-11 Yep, that’s the one. Works beautifully for me, for them, and how we function together. 😀 ### Elliott commented on 2026-03-12 Just so you know for the future, the orchid you bought is dyed. That’s why it’s blue, it doesn’t naturally grow blue. It doesn’t hurt the plant at all, it just means that after these blooms die, on the next flowering cycle, the blooms will likely just be white, potentially some yellow, but not blue. --- _Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). Reading is open to everyone. To post, comment and like, get the Planta app: https://getplanta.com/download_