Worm Tea

[Ray]

Your calculations are correct.

Yes, that holds true for all fertilizers.

All of my plants get treated the same.


Ray Barkalow (via Tapatalk)

[bil]

Originally Posted by Ray

Your calculations are correct.

Yes, that holds true for all fertilizers.

All of my plants get treated the same.


Ray Barkalow (via Tapatalk)

Thanks Ray, appreciate you taking the time.

[Suzanne17]

This is sounding silly to my ears but how do you measure such small volumes? For the K-lite 25ppm would be 0.065 tsp/gallon, correct?


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[Optimist]

I was just talking about this a while ago, Ray. The velemin is so effective that it will pick up its fertilizer and water needs within a few seconds of the first rain, and then shut off. I think what eludes the fact loop is that the orchids are highly efficient xerophytes who get their nutrition from rain and only during the rainy season, and mist during non-rainy season (if any). The rainy season happens because the sun hits certain dark colored sea beds or bodies of floating vegitation in shallow seas warming them, causing the currents that cause rain. Rain and cloud formation is created by evaporation, and the evaporates contain the tiny saltiaion we know as "fertilizer." In many cases the negitive ions pick up positively charged ions. Clouds are heavy and carry a large biomass which floats inland to fertilize orchids. The optimum fertilizer would mimic the content and dilution of the rain water, which is why Ray is using those very small numbers. Water purity is also highly important. Any time you can, use rain or snow water to water. The very first seconds of rain or snow will contain the largest fertilizer load.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Suzanne17

This is sounding silly to my ears but how do you measure such small volumes? For the K-lite 25ppm would be 0.065 tsp/gallon, correct?


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Divide 2 by the %N to estimate the teaspoons per gallon for 25 ppm N. K-Lite is 12.9% N, so that would be 0.16 teaspoon per gallon.

The best thing to do is to make a concentrate. Let's say we want a gallon of concentrate that would allow us to use one tablespoon per gallon for dispensing simplicity. There are 256 tablespoons in a gallon, so 256 x 0.16 = roughly 41 teaspoons, so you just put that in the jug, add water to the one-gallon level, and from that point, you just use a tablespoon of that liquid per gallon of final solution.


Ray Barkalow
firstrays.com

[bil]

Originally Posted by Ray

Divide 2 by the %N to estimate the teaspoons per gallon for 25 ppm N. K-Lite is 12.9% N, so that would be 0.16 teaspoon per gallon.

The best thing to do is to make a concentrate. Let's say we want a gallon of concentrate that would allow us to use one tablespoon per gallon for dispensing simplicity. There are 256 tablespoons in a gallon, so 256 x 0.16 = roughly 41 teaspoons, so you just put that in the jug, add water to the one-gallon level, and from that point, you just use a tablespoon of that liquid per gallon of final solution.


Ray Barkalow
firstrays.com

Ray, how long would that concentrate remain viable?

[Ray]

It is extremely stable.

Keep it sealed between uses to prevent evaporation of the water, and shake it well before dispensing, and it will not "go bad".

[bil]

Originally Posted by Ray

It is extremely stable.

Keep it sealed between uses to prevent evaporation of the water, and shake it well before dispensing, and it will not "go bad".

OK, thanks Ray.

[Jungeoma]

When my DH and I were in Costa Rica last year we saw a lot of orchids in their natural state. Some grew on the trunks of trees and some on branches. I noticed on the ones we could observe, (others were too high up) there was debris caught between the roots, one even had a dead bug.
That made me think that a lot of the nutrients that get washed down from the trees are decomposing insects and their excrement. Nowhere was there any RO water. So I feel that worm juice is a perfectly natural fertilizer to give to orchids.
I put mine in canning jars and seal them well and it keeps. Now this is liquid syphoned off directly from the worm bed and diluded with water when I use it.

[bil]

Originally Posted by Jungeoma

When my DH and I were in Costa Rica last year we saw a lot of orchids in their natural state. Some grew on the trunks of trees and some on branches. I noticed on the ones we could observe, (others were too high up) there was debris caught between the roots, one even had a dead bug.
That made me think that a lot of the nutrients that get washed down from the trees are decomposing insects and their excrement. Nowhere was there any RO water. So I feel that worm juice is a perfectly natural fertilizer to give to orchids.
I put mine in canning jars and seal them well and it keeps. Now this is liquid syphoned off directly from the worm bed and diluded with water when I use it.

Rain water isn't RO, but it is pretty close.