MSU Fertilizer-where to buy, who to trust

[Arven]

Does anybody know how to find msu fertiliser in Europe?

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Arven

Does anybody know how to find msu fertiliser in Europe?

You can only get the pure water version in Europe, called RAIN MIX. http://www.akerne-orchids.com - RAIN MIX. The product is originally from Akerne, but they now have distributors in many EU countries, see the link above for the list.

I do wish that they would make the tap/well water version. Back when they launched RAIN MIX, the tap water version was supposed to be in the works, but apparently they abandoned that idea. I wish I had easier access to rainwater, but I'm in an apartment.

[Ray]

Camille, unless your water is really hard, there is nothing wrong with using the rain mix with other than pure water.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Ray

Camille, unless your water is really hard, there is nothing wrong with using the rain mix with other than pure water.

Really? When I saw them at a local orchid show last fall I asked if my tap water was suitable for it, even giving them info on the water quality. They said no, that my water wasn't 'pure' or soft enough to use MSU.

Hardness is 4.7 °DH (german degrees) which is considered soft according to the report.
pH is a bit high at 7.9
EC is at 16.5 mS/m, which I think is on the low side.

[Arven]

I see... I have Akernes rain mix. I use it with Ro water. But I have to go to my father in law to get Ro water every time before watering or I have to buy distilled water.

[naoki]

With the stock solution of MSU, CaSO4 is the most likely precipitant. There are more molecules of Ca than S in MSU, so sulfate deficiency is likely to happen. But if CaHPO4 precipitate, then Ca deficiency can happen, too, since here is abundant phosphates.

Haifa Group - A leading supplier of specialty fertilizers - Interaction among Fertilizers (Compatibility)

[Elialit]

There is a good edition from rePotme "Feed ME!" FEED ME! MSU Orchid Fertilizer

– rePotme. They provide MSU fertilizers and food mists for orchids. I've never tried their food sprays but as for fertilizer, I'm using Feed ME! MSU RO/Rain/Tap Water. I'm satisfied with this fertilizer and can recommend it to others. And it was a surprise for me that it is available on Amazon.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Elialit

There is a good edition from rePotme "Feed ME!" FEED ME! MSU Orchid Fertilizer

– rePotme. They provide MSU fertilizers and food mists for orchids. I've never tried their food sprays but as for fertilizer, I'm using Feed ME! MSU RO/Rain/Tap Water. I'm satisfied with this fertilizer and can recommend it to others. And it was a surprise for me that it is available on Amazon.

I recommend against buying from them.

First and foremost, there is no formula that is appropriate for RO, rain, AND tap water. Using the manufacturer's names, there is the "Orchid Special for RO" which is intended to be used with any water source that does not contain dissolved minerals - RO, rain, distilled or DI. Then there is the "Orchid Special for Well Water" intended for water supplies that DO contain dissolved minerals, such as well water and most municipal tap water supplies. Certainly, there ARE municipal supplies that are pure enough to use that formula, but they are rare.

Second, there is their ridiculous pricing. On their website, that ranges from $7.95 for 3 ounces up to $51.95 for 40 ounces - PLUS SHIPPING. There are other vendors on Amazon that charge $23.97 for two pounds (36 oz), including shipping. I am very pleased with K-Lite, a derivative of the RO formula, made by the same folks, and I sell it for $22/2#, delivered, after a recent price increase courtesy of the shipping cost.

I also question if RepotMe's "Well Water" formula is even the original. Greencare, the manufacturer, uses an indicator dye that makes the dry powders look blue/green, while RepotMe's photos show pink.

I wouldn't bother with the mist fertilizer at all. Orchids are not particularly efficient at foliar uptake of nutrients, and all they've done is dissolve the powder in water and repackage it, making it even more expensive.

[Mountaineer370]

Well, I guess I'm confused. I thought the MSU formulas were pretty well-regarded. I've only ever seen two different formulas, one for RO/rain/tap, and a separate one for well water. I've been using the RO/rain/tap version for several years for watering with my "city" water. It's tinted a bit blue. I do see on the repotme.com site that the well water formula appears pink.

Yes, the cost of small quantities plus shipping is high, but my biggest reason for buying it from repotme.com is that they are the only place I have found where I can buy a small enough supply. My collection is very small, and I don't want fertilizer sitting around for years before I use it.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer370

Well, I guess I'm confused. I thought the MSU formulas were pretty well-regarded. I've only ever seen two different formulas, one for RO/rain/tap, and a separate one for well water.

Yes, they are well regarded, but the addition of the "tap water" designation to the pure water formula might be misleading.

This is a direct quote from the AOS Orchids magazine article in April 2003:

The nutritional program at Michigan State University is vastly different from the majority of recommendations circulating within the horticultural world about the fertilization of orchids. This fertilizer is now being referred to as "Michigan State University's Magic Fertilizer." In fact, there were two formulas originally produced for the university that have been shown to work well for orchids. The first, called RO Water Special or 13-3-15, was designed for a pure water source like rainwater or reverse-osmosis (RO) purified water. Due to the extreme variability of well water mineral content, the RO Water Special formula is the preferred choice for the home grower. The second formula, called Well Water Special or 19-4-23 was designed to complement the well water found at Michigan State University.

That leads me to partially correct my earlier statement. Using the RO formula with tap water is OK, but can become a problem when your water supply already contains a fair high amount of calcium. In that case, you could be overdosing it, which can block the uptake of other nutrients.