KelpMax overdosing and chronic exposure?

[clintonsparsons]

Mods, wasn't sure where to post this so please move if it's the wrong place.

I have been using one capful of KelpMax per gallon of RO water, and I use that every time I water. Is there any risk of overdosing since the reccomendation is 1 tablespoon per gallon applied once monthly?

I'm not concerned about mineral buildup or root burn or anything, I'm just wondering if the hormones can be overdosed by using this concentration this frequently.

I am doing this because it's my understanding that using a concentration less than 1 tbsp/gal wont "step on the gas peddle", also because using a whole capful is easier than keeping up with a tablespoon (dont laugh), and because if I apply once per month I'm just going to forget about it and it won't end up being applied all. I am not concerned about being wasteful and spending more money in the long run.

If this concentration and frequency of application is NOT harmful, can plants become "immune" to the effects by concentrated continuous overexposure?

[DirtyCoconuts]

My understating is that you are accelerating the plant’s metabolism and you can over use it to the point of burning the plant out

[Brian1212]

I don't quite understand your logic in what you are doing or why. Is it to get the maximum growth out of your plants because that is not really how it works, you can't just pump max nutrients into a plant ignoring salt buildup and nutrient burn. Doing so and ignoring the warning signs will do more harm than good.

When it comes to feeding orchids feeding less is better - they need minimal amounts and forcing more on to them will just stress them out, not make them grow faster.

Kelpmax is a booster - I would never use it by itself or to replace nutrients. Orchids can grow just fine without kelpmax but they will struggle without nutrients.

If the plant were a car engine you seem to want to pour only engine cleaner in cause its easier than using petrol and hope for the best. That is my understanding of your question. A car engine will benefit from an engine cleaner once in a while but it certainly won't replace the petrol and neither would any mechanic recommend pouring it in on every refill.

It's up to you what you do with the Kelpmax, I don't think it is toxic as such but Ray would be able to advise you more on the matter. Causing an imbalance - any imbalance is however something I cannot recommend which using that much kelpmax would surely do.

I understand wanting something easy to use so why not use a far more diluted dose on every watering so that overall it works out to what you should be feeding roughly in a month - that won't harm your plant vs feeding it once a month.

[WaterWitchin]

Yep, easy fix. Dilute your Kelpmax. Or pour it into a different bottle with a smaller cap.

[Ray]

1) There are no inorganic mineral salts in KelpMax and the N, P, & K content is are very small and part of organic chemicals. Buildup is not a concern.

2) I just checked and a cap is 5 teaspoons (1-2/3 tablespoons), so in a gallon, that about a 1:150 dilution, which is more concentrated than the 1:250 recommendation for orchids, but less so than is recommended for vegetables, fruits, trees and shrubs (1:125).

3) Will they develop a tolerance? My gut says "no", but without first-hand knowledge, I'll temper that to "extremely unlikely".

4) KelpMax is quite unique in its action. While it does contain auxins, they are at a much lower level than is expected for the response level demonstrated (and lower than any other stimulant, natural or synthetic), so it is assumed (how would you find out?) that its interaction with the polyamines, alginates, and other polysaccharides is why it is so effective. Because of that, hormonal "burnout" is very unlikely.

5) That is not to say that burnout won't happen due to the overall stimulation with frequent use ("frequent" being undefined in this thread) of a greater concentration, but I have never seen nor heard of that happening. If anything, the "canary in the coal mine" will be flower deformities, but that has not been seen, either.

FWIW, there is a gentleman in northern Indiana who applies it at an ounce-per-gallon (1:128) weekly to his "giant" pumpkin vines. They grow, flower, and fruit great. Apparently, the "gauge weight" of a pumpkin - calculated from the physical dimensions - is usually close to the actual weight. His pumpkins were about 30% heavier than their gauge weights, due to extremely thick pulp layers. Great if you need a lot of pies, I suppose.

The bottom line is this, Clint: Your plants are the "guinea pigs", but I am experimenting with weekly application of a 1:80 dilution on a single, immature Phal. basitianiae plant, and have yet to see an issue.

[clintonsparsons]

Thank you all for the detailed posts! I will have to read these in depth later, but I wanted to acknowledge that I appreciate the thorough input!

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Ray

1) There are no inorganic mineral salts in KelpMax and the N, P, & K content is are very small and part of organic chemicals. Buildup is not a concern.

2) I just checked and a cap is 5 teaspoons (1-2/3 tablespoons), so in a gallon, that about a 1:150 dilution, which is more concentrated than the 1:250 recommendation for orchids, but less so than is recommended for vegetables, fruits, trees and shrubs (1:125).

3) Will they develop a tolerance? My gut says "no", but without first-hand knowledge, I'll temper that to "extremely unlikely".

4) KelpMax is quite unique in its action. While it does contain auxins, they are at a much lower level than is expected for the response level demonstrated (and lower than any other stimulant, natural or synthetic), so it is assumed (how would you find out?) that its interaction with the polyamines, alginates, and other polysaccharides is why it is so effective. Because of that, hormonal "burnout" is very unlikely.

5) That is not to say that burnout won't happen due to the overall stimulation with frequent use ("frequent" being undefined in this thread) of a greater concentration, but I have never seen nor heard of that happening. If anything, the "canary in the coal mine" will be flower deformities, but that has not been seen, either.

FWIW, there is a gentleman in northern Indiana who applies it at an ounce-per-gallon (1:128) weekly to his "giant" pumpkin vines. They grow, flower, and fruit great. Apparently, the "gauge weight" of a pumpkin - calculated from the physical dimensions - is usually close to the actual weight. His pumpkins were about 30% heavier than their gauge weights, due to extremely thick pulp layers. Great if you need a lot of pies, I suppose.

The bottom line is this, Clint: Your plants are the "guinea pigs", but I am experimenting with weekly application of a 1:80 dilution on a single, immature Phal. basitianiae plant, and have yet to see an issue.

Ray,
Your response indicates no known negative effects to "frequent" KelpMax application. Do you think there is a benefit? Or would this application level mostly end up on the ground, unused?

[early]

Originally Posted by Ray

2) I just checked and a cap is 5 teaspoons (1-2/3 tablespoons), so in a gallon, that about a 1:150 dilution, which is more concentrated than the 1:250 recommendation for orchids, but less so than is recommended for vegetables, fruits, trees and shrubs (1:125).

Ray, in teaspoons, what is recommendation for Orchids of Kelp-Max? I have only used it once about a month ago
but want to again. I can covert teaspoons to ml and have that for measurement in which I use a liquid med cup.

[DirtyCoconuts]

Early. How big is your sprayer?

I have a two gallon vessel and I do 1/3 tbsp of klite every day

One tbsp of kelpmax per two gallon every 1 time per 15 day

One tbsp of inococur per two gallon ever week

[early]

Thanks DC, I can figure that out for one gal. I only have 15 plants including my two Onc. intergenetics
I am probably just going to start with the KelpMax once a month after a flush and 20-20-20 when I flush and fertilize