Speak up if using K-Lite/Low K ferts…

[froglet]

I don't use K-lite myself. I talked to someone who has won several AOS awards and he was kind enough to share his recipe with me so I've been using that since I started.

He told me amongst other things to use a lot of potassium so that is what I have been doing.

Is this the wrong thing to do? His plants look amazing which is why I thought I would copy him.

This k-lite seems very popular here so I am hoping someone can show me an orchid grown using K-lite so I can maybe compare the results?

I can see people seem to be getting good results otherwise they wouldn't carry on using it.

I'm a bit confused. I compared the K-lite at 25 ppm Nitrogen concentration to what I use and my formula contains exactly 90x more K than K-lite.

So it's actually currently phalaenopsis spiking season in the northern hemisphere at the moment and my phal is producing 2 spikes which I am happy about.

Can someone show me what their phals are up to compared to my phal being grown using 90x less potassium, ie using K-lite at 25 pm N? I assume everyone here grows a phalaenopsis or two?

Maybe I will be convinced to try this K-lite formula. If my phal can produce 3 spikes next year that would be even better.

This is my phal which I have been fertilizing daily for the past year.

I hope it is ok to show the opposite of what is being discussed here? And if anyone could show a plant grown using K-lite to compare to that would help me decide the most what I want to use.

Thank you. Happy growing everyone.

[SandLotus]

I’ve been using k-lite for the past 6 months or so

[Ray]

@froglet

First and foremost, I think it’s pretty clear that the specific formula is relatively unimportant as long as it’s complete with everything plants need.

I also think people have forgotten the basis of the K-Lite concept, so let me delve into it a bit, as I am one of the two that conceived of it.

• N, Ca, Mg, P, and K can compete for uptake - or maybe a better way to state it is that an excessive level of one or more can interfere with the uptake of the others.
• P & K are absorbed far in excess of the plants’ need for them, with the excess stored in cell vacuoles.
• P & K can also accumulate in potting media relatively rapidly.

The idea behind K-Lite was to forestall the accumulation of those minerals, both in the plant and it’s growing environment, as a way to prevent potential deficiencies or toxicity, NOT as a way to grow plants better.

That is controlled by genetics and overall culture, and as I stated earlier, fertilizer formula is a minor part of that. Extra P or K is not going to affect that.

There is a grower of many spectacular, award-winning orchids I know that regularly feeds only calcium nitrate. About once a quarter, uses a single dose of a 10-10-10 blend (those elements only), and once a year applies a soluble trace element mixture.

[isurus79]

I use K-Lite and have done so for enough years that I can't remember when I started.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by froglet

...
This k-lite seems very popular here so I am hoping someone can show me an orchid grown using K-lite so I can maybe compare the results?

...Can someone show me what their phals are up to compared to my phal being grown using 90x less potassium, ie using K-lite at 25 pm N? I assume everyone here grows a phalaenopsis or two?

...This is my phal which I have been fertilizing daily for the past year.

I hope it is ok to show the opposite of what is being discussed here?

There are many threads here where folks show blooming orchids and use KLite. Also many threads here where folks show beautifully blooming orchids using other fertilizers. Just browse through, or click on a person's name who says they use it (like me) and you can view their pictures in the threads, or some (like me) have a gallery that you can go through.

Fertilizer is one very small aspect of good growing. So comparing someone else's phal to yours is apples and oranges. Could be different climate, different culture, different genetics of the plant.

And fertilizing your phal on a daily basis? I don't think there are many here who could show you an orchid, phal or otherwise, that is fertilized daily. That's a lot of wasted fertilizer in my opinion.

Of course it's okay to show the opposite of what's being posted here, but do note that the original poster was specifically asking for answers to two questions 1) Do you use KLite and 2) for how long, instead of a discussion of the pros and cons of KLite. If you want to do that comparison thing, I think you'd get better results starting a new thread instead of on this specific one.

[Califoutdoors]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

…Of course it's okay to show the opposite of what's being posted here, but do note that the original poster was specifically asking for answers to two questions 1) Do you use KLite and 2) for how long, instead of a discussion of the pros and cons of KLite. If you want to do that comparison thing, I think you'd get better results starting a new thread instead of on this specific one.

Thanks, WaterWitchin! 👍

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Califoutdoors

Thanks, WaterWitchin! 👍

[Johndeaux22]

Yes, for about two years. Results have been great.