Seaweeds may drastically lower PH to dangerous levels?

[estación seca]

Under my conditions plants in S/H with monthly Kelpmax/Kelpak grow better than plants in other media.

[tmoney]

you kelp even thru winter? trying to decide what to do with our paphs, to kelp or not to kelp (thru winter) is the question....

[Shadeflower]

I did an experiment comparing orchids grown on mars and on earth. Got a grant from nasa, built a scapeship, spent 6 months comparing them while some other orchids were being grown back home. Came to the conclusion that they grow better on earth but then I woke up so it might have all been a dream after all.
One of the kelp bottles did turn into a gremlin that I had to chase out of the greenhouse during my trip, maybe a sign to lay off the kelp over winter.
Certainly not full strength.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by tmoney

you kelp even thru winter? trying to decide what to do with our paphs, to kelp or not to kelp (thru winter) is the question....

Most of my collection is paphs and phrags - they get a monthly Kelpak treatment all year.

I will be potting up some deflasked paph seedlings tomorrow. They are currently submerged in a Kelpak + probiotic bath overnight.

[DavTom]

Originally Posted by Ray

Most of my collection is paphs and phrags - they get a monthly Kelpak treatment all year.

I will be potting up some deflasked paph seedlings tomorrow. They are currently submerged in a Kelpak + probiotic bath overnight.

Pardon me Ray as probably you have already responded to the same question here or on your website.

Do you apply Kelpak, Quantum and K-lite in the same watering solution, or you prefer to keep Kelpak and Quantum separated?

Thx.

Dav

[Ray]

Originally Posted by DavTom

Pardon me Ray as probably you have already responded to the same question here or on your website.

Do you apply Kelpak, Quantum and K-lite in the same watering solution, or you prefer to keep Kelpak and Quantum separated?

Thx.

Dav

When I still had my greenhouse, K-Lite was automatically metered into my RO water, so I put Kelpak in a hose-end sprayer the first watering of a calendar month, applying both at once, then the second watering of a month, I did the same with the probiotic.

However, I did that only for convenience, as the hose-end sprayer only held enough Kelpak for 64 gallons of solution, or 32 gallons of probiotics.

Now that I have a much smaller collection, and that sprayer has sufficient capacity to water the whole collection while they’re out on my deck in the summer, I feed weekly using only K-Lite, and apply the two supplements together a week later. In winter, when they’re indoors, I water using a 4-gallon, battery-powered sprayer, and I mix all three together one week a month, followed by weekly, fertilizer-only treatments.

Here’s the bottom line - they are synergistic. Sure, we focus on the three components being beneficial to the plant, but the nitrogen in the fertilizer also stimulates growth and reproduction in the microbes, and the Kelpak ingredients feed them as well (kelp extracts are part of the feed stock when producing the products in the first place). By using all three together - or as close to that as you can conveniently do so - you are maximizing their overall benefits.

[DavTom]

Originally Posted by Ray

When I still had my greenhouse, K-Lite was automatically metered into my RO water, so I put Kelpak in a hose-end sprayer the first watering of a calendar month, applying both at once, then the second watering of a month, I did the same with the probiotic.

However, I did that only for convenience, as the hose-end sprayer only held enough Kelpak for 64 gallons of solution, or 32 gallons of probiotics.

Now that I have a much smaller collection, and that sprayer has sufficient capacity to water the whole collection while they’re out on my deck in the summer, I feed weekly using only K-Lite, and apply the two supplements together a week later. In winter, when they’re indoors, I water using a 4-gallon, battery-powered sprayer, and I mix all three together one week a month, followed by weekly, fertilizer-only treatments.

Here’s the bottom line - they are synergistic. Sure, we focus on the three components being beneficial to the plant, but the nitrogen in the fertilizer also stimulates growth and reproduction in the microbes, and the Kelpak ingredients feed them as well (kelp extracts are part of the feed stock when producing the products in the first place). By using all three together - or as close to that as you can conveniently do so - you are maximizing their overall benefits.

Thanks

---------- Post added at 11:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:45 PM ----------

Originally Posted by thefish1337

EM-1 is a good product as long as its manufactured by an approved maker by the EMRO (EM research organization), make sure it has an expiration date as it will not be as effective when older. It's a mixture of lactobacillus, yeasts and photosynthetic bacteria. You can look online how to multiply it by fermenting it with molasses and can amplify 1L into 20L of solution. Keep in mind that you must always ferment with the original manufactured product because the ratios of organisms will drift over time and the product will not be reproducible. The amplified product is good for about 3-4 months in the fridge.

Thanks

[K-Sci]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Under my conditions plants in S/H with monthly Kelpmax/Kelpak grow better than plants in other media.

ES, how do you dose KelpMax in S/H monthly? My intuition, which is certainly not 100% reliable, is that if Kelpmax is in the S/H water, it would be like watering with Kelpmax at every watering. That is, unless you replace the water after a day or so.

-Keith

[Ray]

Originally Posted by K-Sci

ES, how do you dose KelpMax in S/H monthly? My intuition, which is certainly not 100% reliable, is that if Kelpmax is in the S/H water, it would be like watering with Kelpmax at every watering. That is, unless you replace the water after a day or so.

-Keith

Certainly, in S/H, the plant would be exposed to the product longer than if applied to a potful of bark, but if you only apply it once a month, it isn’t anything like using it at every watering. The ingredients are absorbed relatively quickly, those that aren’t decompose, and the next time you water, you’ll be flushing the pot anyway (assuming you’re watering a semi-hydro pot correctly).

[K-Sci]

Originally Posted by Ray

Certainly, in S/H, the plant would be exposed to the product longer than if applied to a potful of bark, but if you only apply it once a month, it isn’t anything like using it at every watering. The ingredients are absorbed relatively quickly, those that aren’t decompose, and the next time you water, you’ll be flushing the pot anyway (assuming you’re watering a semi-hydro pot correctly).

Thanks Ray!
I have two seedlings in S/H as an experiment. I water them the same as the non-S/H except that the pots are sitting in trays of water.

-Keith