Amazing New Fertilizer

[SJF]

Originally Posted by Pilot

I wonder where k lite falls in terms of composition to rays SOLO fertilizer. I've had awesome results from it, too.

Ray has added an additional formula of Solo called: SOLO-E Nutrient/Growth Stimulant for Epiphytes. I believe it is based on K lite and the original is based on the MSU type formula.

[ALToronto]

Originally Posted by DavidCampen

I am criticizing the article; it is pseudoscientific nonsense with no supporting evidence.

But that's my point - there IS no evidence. K overload is a hypothesis, but it's based on observations and experience of a very knowledgeable person. Rick and Ray are not being evangelical about this - try it, see if it works for you. It didn't work for one person, so she's had to add some K to her fertilizer. If I see any deterioration in my plants, I'll switch back to Dyna - Grow.

[DavidCampen]

Originally Posted by ronaldhanko

You can argue the science of the article all you want (and I don't see any arguments, just accusations), and though I don't know enough science to argue either way, for me it was one of the best articles I've found in Orchids.

Yes , I accuse the article of not having any basis in fact. For example, you got this from the article:

The article stated that potassium is very rare in nature

That statement is not correct, where in the article is the relevant citation for that "fact". There isn't any because it is not correct. The article is riddled with these inaccurate and misleading statements.

---------- Post added at 06:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:40 PM ----------

Originally Posted by ALToronto

But that's my point - there IS no evidence. K overload is a hypothesis.

And that is my point, the AOS article was written as if it were presenting scientific evidence for this potassium toxicity thesis, that is what Ronald and others have thought when they read the article but as you say there is no evidence. It is fine to write a speculative article but not to disguise it as a presentation of fact.

[Jayfar]

I've been using K-Lite myself irregularly for about a year, but began alternating its use with a regular MSU well water formulation (used with tap water), so I can't really remark one way or the other as to results with my Phals (and a few Vandas). Of some concern to me is a study on possible effects of Potassium deficiency in Phals, which seems to run counter to the thinking behind low potassium fertilizers.

HORTSCIENCE 42(7):1563–1567. 2007.
Potassium Nutrition Affects
Phalaenopsis Growth and Flowering
Yin-Tung Wang1,2
Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University System, Texas Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 2415 East Highway 83, Weslaco, TX 78596

http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/.../1563.full.pdf

[ALToronto]

Originally Posted by Jayfar

I've been using K-Lite myself irregularly for about a year, but began alternating its use with a regular MSU well water formulation (used with tap water), so I can't really remark one way or the other as to results with my Phals (and a few Vandas). Of some concern to me is a study on possible effects of Potassium deficiency in Phals, which seems to run counter to the thinking behind low potassium fertilizers.

HORTSCIENCE 42(7):1563–1567. 2007.
Potassium Nutrition Affects
Phalaenopsis Growth and Flowering
Yin-Tung Wang1,2
Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University System, Texas Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 2415 East Highway 83, Weslaco, TX 78596

http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/.../1563.full.pdf

This study is very flawed - the dosages used were all absurdly high. It’s what commercial growers use to make phals bloom as quickly as possible. If you used these concentrations longterm, you'd kill the plants.

[DavidCampen]

Originally Posted by ALToronto

This study is very flawed - the dosages used were all absurdly high. It’s what commercial growers use to make phals bloom as quickly as possible. If you used these concentrations longterm, you'd kill the plants.

The dosages were not "absurdly high".

Nutrient solutions were made from KH2PO4,
KNO3, NH4H2PO4, NH4NO3, CaCl22H2O,
and MgSO47H2O to provide (in mg/L)
200 nitrogen (N), 200 phosphorus (P), 100
calcium (Ca), and 50 magnesium (Mg), with
K concentrations at 0, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400,
or 500 mg/L
Your attempt to discount this study is very weak.

Can you show me some evidence as good as this in support of this potassium toxicity thesis.

[orchidsarefun]

I am going to stick to alternating different brands of fertiliser because its the middle of the road option - not the high road nor the low road !

[ALToronto]

Originally Posted by DavidCampen

The dosages were not "absurdly high".

Nutrient solutions were made from KH2PO4,
KNO3, NH4H2PO4, NH4NO3, CaCl22H2O,
and MgSO47H2O to provide (in mg/L)
200 nitrogen (N), 200 phosphorus (P), 100
calcium (Ca), and 50 magnesium (Mg), with
K concentrations at 0, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400,
or 500 mg/L
Your attempt to discount this study is very weak.

Can you show me some evidence as good as this in support of this potassium toxicity thesis.

Where in nature do orchids get 500 ppm of anything other than maybe calcium?

[professor plant]

I agree with both sides. If the product helps miniatures like masdies and other plueros I am willing to try it, but I haven't yet. What I have had luck with is alternating fertilizers, org and chem, ratios ect.

Did I misunderstand the article, but didn't it base the low K arguement on not the rain water, but the river run off. I would imagine that changes things as well. I took another look at it, but I don't feel like rereading it.

What I am willing to do is give it a shot and provide some feedback. If the switch works, even temporarily, I don't think I would complain.

[DavidCampen]

Originally Posted by professor plant

Did I misunderstand the article, but didn't it base the low K arguement on not the rain water, but the river run off. I would imagine that changes things as well. I took another look at it, but I don't feel like rereading it.

The article rarely states anything outright but there was at least the implication that the composition of river water could inform as to the composition of the water that epiphytic orchids get but this is just another of the article's blatant misrepresentations. Epiphytic orchids do not get their nutrient water from rivers, what is in rivers is what is left after the plants have scavenged what they need. To see what epiphytes are getting you have to look at the composition of stemflow and throughfall and those tell a different story.

---------- Post added at 08:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:07 PM ----------

Originally Posted by ALToronto

Where in nature do orchids get 500 ppm of anything other than maybe calcium?

This is close to what many people feed. This is much better evidence in support of the necessity for relatively large amounts of K than anything in support of this potassium toxicity thesis.