Mixing Magnesium Salts and Calcium Nitrate

[Ray]

It’s all about concentration.

In a 100 ppm N solution, MSU RO contains about 60 ppm Ca and 22 ppm Mg. At that same N concentration, K-Lite has about 77 & 31 ppm, respectively.

The ”K-Lite Knock-off calculator” is intended to give approximate proportions of DRY ingredients (which is the way the fertilizer is sold). You then take a small amount of that and dissolve it in a relatively large volume of water to create your application solution.

It takes 0.77 g/L to make a 100 ppm N K-Lite solution, or roughly 2.9 g in a gallon - that’s a bit over 1/2 teaspoon. I make a concentrate that has that much powder in an ounce of RO water, yet it is still stable and does not form a sludge. Of course, we need to recognize that many commercial fertilizers contain citric acid to enhance solubility.

[MateoinLosAngeles]

Originally Posted by Ray

I make a concentrate that has that much powder in an ounce of RO water, yet it is still stable and does not form a sludge. Of course, we need to recognize that many commercial fertilizers contain citric acid to enhance solubility.

I definitely had no problem when mixing in a gallon of water, especially if the Calcium nitrate was previously dissolved in boiling water and I added the Magnesium sulfate first to the final solution.

Now, citric acid is readily available at many supermarkets. I personally use it as an alternative to the lemon solution that folks use to clean leaves. So now I might start experimenting with adding Citric acid to the MSU+Mg+Ca solution or grinding together the Calcium nitrate beads with the citric acid powder and see if that does anything.

This hobby and all the ideas I get from this board are definitely gonna cost me a divorce. Lol.

[estación seca]

I understand the entertainment value of chemistry lab, but keep in mind fertilizer is not nearly as important for growing orchids as are proper temperatures, relative humidity, light and watering.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by estación seca

I understand the entertainment value of chemistry lab, but keep in mind fertilizer is not nearly as important for growing orchids as are proper temperatures, relative humidity, light and watering.

Two, maybe THREE thumbs up to that!

[estación seca]

You mean the fun of chemistry. I really liked all my lab courses.

[MateoinLosAngeles]

Originally Posted by estación seca

I understand the entertainment value of chemistry lab, but keep in mind fertilizer is not nearly as important for growing orchids as are proper temperatures, relative humidity, light and watering.

100%

[elljorgo]

Hello All.

Not sure if this was mentioned but here it goes.

Epsom salts a.k.a. Magnesium sulfate, (MgSO4) will "react" with Calcium Nitrate if concentration allows it.
What happens is that Calcium and sulfate really dislike hanging with each other in water. So they bind up and coprecipitate as CaSO4 (Calcium sulphate)

If you use precursors such as MgCl2 or Mg(NO3)2, magnesium chloride or nitrate, no whatsoever formation of solids will occur as the CaCl2 or Ca(NO3)2 ( the nitrates and chlorides of calcium) are all soluble. So everyone stays happilly in solution.

If they form, then you were ripped off. As they won't have been the MgCl2 or Mg(NO3)2

Mind you that Chloride is usually toxic to Orchids.

Also as others have said, most likely their needs are met with TAP water or Spring water. 100-200ppm TH.

Cheers.
ell