New Fertilizer...

[empiref]

I ordered a new Fertilizer that is designed for Orchids, I haven't received the package yet, and I'm not writing this thread to endorse the product. Leaving the fertilizer's commercial name hidden.

It comes in a 60g powder jar and is enough to make 120 liters of fertilizer. here is the composition:

NPK fertilizer with B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Zn, Ca, Vit B1, 20 +19 +20 Naphtac

20% total nitrogen (N)
5.6% of nitric
4.0% of nitrogen
10.4% urea nitrogen

19% phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5)
Water-soluble

20% potassium oxide (K2O)
Water-soluble

Other water soluble:
0.02% boron (B)
0.004% Copper (Cu)
0.06% Iron (Fe)
0.03% Manganese (Mn)
0.002% Molybdenum (Mo)
0.002% Zinc (Zn)
0.22% Naphtac NAA (C12H10O2)
0.22% Thiamin (B1)

Application: continuous fertilization 0.5 g/l in either normal or foliar feeding.

I want to use it with a S/H setup, should I follow the recommended dosage or cut back on it, especially If i am currently using 50mg of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) with each liter of water with every watering.

Thank you for your help.

[Ray]

That rate - 0.5g/L - will give you 100 ppm N, which is fine for S/H culture.

I will also add that the ingredients don't make it stand out as anything special. Likely good, but not unique. The urea will be of little value for root uptake, but will add some foliar benefits the nitrate- and ammonia-based nitrogen will not.

[camille1585]

Sounds like a standard balanced fertilizer to me, with a few other things added in. I believe that the NAA and B1 stimulate root growth, so it's a nice thing to have in the fertilizer!

[Bud]

I have never used powdered fertilizer, diluting my liquid fertilizer from a capful to a gallon is work enough...
But, I wonder if the powdered one has a longer shelf life than the liquid?

[camille1585]

With the powdered forms, you don't have the risk of precipation in the bottle over the long term. I've thrown out countless old bottles because they were full of weird stringy blobs things. As long as you store powdered ferts in a dry place (to avoid clumping), I would assume that it stays good much longer.

[Ray]

Camille, sometimes those "stringy blob things" are bacterial colonies growing on the nutrients.

Skim them off and there's no issue.

[Vanda lover]

I've always used powdered because that's all that is usually available, but I have ordered some Dyna gro after hearing good things about it.

[terryros]

I am using Ray's experimental K-Lite fertilizer that is granular and I am finding that I really like quickly mixing up a new stock solution that will last me about a week. No blobs because the solution is always fresh. I keep the canister with the granular mix in a nearby refrigerator so it stays dry and cool. I think I like this better than working from a big gallon container of stock liquid that eventually is getting old.

Of course, it "made me" get a little measuring scale and more precise volume measuring containers to make a 10% solution (50 g granular plus 450 mL water) but it is good to have more little devices. the process is pretty fast because the K-Lite dissolves quickly.


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[Jayfar]

I'm using Ray's K-Lite too. I'm wondering whether I should stick with the regular MSU fert for my few (well 5) Vandas, since they aren't in a medium and wouldn't be exposed to an accumulation of K in that can occur in a potting mix (actually just coco nuggets for my Phals right now). With the Vandas, I thoroughly wet the roots with fetilizer from a misting bottle once weekly. Thoughts?

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[keithrs]

I am using the K-Lite also. In nature Vandas and most other orchids don't see tons of K. You'll be fine using K-Lite for all your plants.