What do you use to fertilize your Neos?

[LinhT]

Originally Posted by coffeecup

Where are you guys getting HB-101?

I ordered a big bottle from California Bonsai Studio this year. It was on sale so I got it for a pretty decent price.

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by coffeecup

Where are you guys getting HB-101?

I'll probably buy it from the manufacturer's US website; they offer a free sample there, which I submitted a request for.

HB-101 Sample | Natural plant food, nutrient solution for plants | HB-101 Plant Vitalizer

HB-101 Products | Plant Vitalizer, Garden lover, Home gardener | HB-101 Plant Vitalizer

EDIT: Posted that before seeing Tracy's note. I'll have to check there and see how their price compares.

California Bonsai Studio | HB 101

Yes it is maybe less depending on shipping charges. I see free shipping on orders over $89.

[coffeecup]

Thanks to you both. I didn't even know they had a US site. The bonsai store has a sale going on and its a bit cheaper.

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by coffeecup

Thanks to you both. I didn't even know they had a US site. The bonsai store has a sale going on and its a bit cheaper.

And I see a little goes a long way, so no need to buy the big, expensive 1 liter bottle. The maker has a dilution guide. Basically for a 1000th dilution, 1 cc (1 ml) of HB-101 in a quart of water.

http://www.hb-101usa.com/How_to_make..._solution..pdf

Tracy, do you also use it as a foliar spray? I see the manufacturer suggests using it both to irrigate and as foliar spray. I probably wouldn't use it on the leaves myself unless I know others are with positive results.

[LinhT]

Originally Posted by Jayfar

And I see a little goes a long way, so no need to buy the big, expensive 1 liter bottle. The maker has a dilution guide. Basically for a 1000th dilution, 1 cc (1 ml) of HB-101 in a quart of water.

http://www.hb-101usa.com/How_to_make..._solution..pdf

Tracy, do you also use it as a foliar spray? I see the manufacturer suggests using it both to irrigate and as foliar spray. I probably wouldn't use it on the leaves myself unless I know others are with positive results.

I use the diluted solution to water through the foliage, roots and moss. I don't get a enough time to do foliar spraying in between waterings due to the number of plants I have. I'm sure it's fine though if you just want to do foliar spraying since you are using your other regular fertilizer.

[Ray]

Several years ago, the HB-101 US distributor sent me a whole boxful of their samples, "cold". I decided to experiment with it, and damned near killed every plant I treated. I don't know if it was the shock of going from regular fertilizer to it, or what, but out the door it went.

FWIW, I have some neos in plastic mesh pots of sphagnum. They received 50 ppm N MSU RO for about 3 years, and have been switched to the K-Lite formula at that strength since early December 2011, and I have yet to see any signs of burning.


Ray Barkalow
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[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by LinhT

The HB-101 is a liquid. I put about 10 drops per gallon of water and water the plants with this about once a week, on the weeks I do not use the Biogold.

Glenn at NWO uses the Biogold pellets on the plants at his nursery. and Satomi from SE suggested the HB-101 to me.

I just received the tiny sample bottle (probably a small fraction of an ounce). When you says drops, do you mean like drops from an eyedropper? The sample bottle is like an eyedrop bottle, i.e. I can squeeze out a single little drips. I just put about 3 drips in a quart of water, sprayed the foliage lightly and then poured a little into each pot after a regular watering.

They included an instruction sheet. Under potted foliage & other ornamental they list Orchid, Rose, Camellia, Cyclamen and Bamboo "Dilute HB-101 by 5,000 to 10,000 times of water, irrigate and spray on foliage once a week around the year." Under 1000x dilution instructions, they say to use 1cc (1ml) for a quart of water.

Thanks.

[LinhT]

Originally Posted by Jayfar

I just received the tiny sample bottle (probably a small fraction of an ounce). When you says drops, do you mean like drops from an eyedropper? The sample bottle is like an eyedrop bottle, i.e. I can squeeze out a single little drips. I just put about 3 drips in a quart of water, sprayed the foliage lightly and then poured a little into each pot after a regular watering.

They included an instruction sheet. Under potted foliage & other ornamental they list Orchid, Rose, Camellia, Cyclamen and Bamboo "Dilute HB-101 by 5,000 to 10,000 times of water, irrigate and spray on foliage once a week around the year." Under 1000x dilution instructions, they say to use 1cc (1ml) for a quart of water.

Thanks.

I just squeeze the bottle and count the drops. I have never used this in conjunction with a regular fertilizer such as MSU or Green Jungle so I do not know if the dilution needs to be adjusted. You may want to check with Ray on that to prevent the same damage he got on his plants.

[Ray]

Let me start by saying that I have been absolutely terrible at growing neos. The hybrids with vandaceous plants, no problems, but the species has always been a road to certain death.

About 2 years ago, I picked up one in a plastic mesh pot of sphagnum, hung it up near the vandas (just under them, as shade), and like everything else, it has been fed K-Lite, and it has doubled in size.

[Pilot]

I need to go back and read through this thread but something I noticed with my neos is that they are not heavy feeders at all. Hopefully I don't regret this but I've not been feeding mine much at all. They get two-three fresh water flushes a week and if I happen to remember, i'll mist them heavily with quarter strength fertilizer.

I do this mainly because I noticed many of my new root tips browning and stopping growth when I fertilized them the same way I fertilized my other orchids, like phals and other vanda-types.

I use grow more urea free but I also use Solo (sold by Ray), and my gut tells me the Solo fert is gentler than even the urea free grow more variety. No evidence to back this up but my own obersvations. Growing neos on a moss mound and fertilizing as I normally would for orchids would give me a deep, rich green....moss mound. So i go crazy light on the fertilizer. I'm still seeing growth, though-- so I'm unsure if my regimen will be detrimental in the long-run or not.