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04-08-2008, 11:53 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Zone: 5a
Posts: 9,277
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The pH meter may not be calibrated correctly, or even calibratable? I get 5.5-6.5 using MSU in RO water.
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08-03-2012, 07:23 AM
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Jr. Member
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 8
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How Do You Make a Stock Solution So That You Add 1Oz / Gal?
Quote:
Originally Posted by newflasker
I did the same way that Ray said. I mix a large amount of fertilizer in a liter of water then dilute to the specific concentration for watering. By doing that way you may reduce some problems of small fertilizer company (or home made fertilizer). How can you mix up a tiny amount of micro-elements into a large amount of fertilizer and make sure that tiny amount distribute all over the fertilizer? Take a look at the fertilizer of a big company like scotts you will see all particles have the same size and the same color. Another problem: hold a mixture of different size of particles and shake it you will see the small grain go to the bottom (or up). You no longer have a good mixture. That is the problem when fertilizer is moving from one place to another. So one teaspoon of fertilizer you use today could be much different than a teaspoon you dissolve in water tomorrow. Dissolve a large amount of fertilizer then dilute to use may reduce the problem. BTW, I dissolve 1.5 gram /liter my MSU and got pH = 4.25 . I raid pH using ammoniac to see the solution is a good buffer than my fertilizer 20-10-20 or not: a little bit better but not much. I use it to water my young seedlings: so far my seedlings seem they like it (not yellow or black yet, ).
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OK you may have the ANSWER I have been trying to solve: I have a 1 lb container of the MSU GRANULES from which I would like to make a 1L or 1 Qt Stock Solution so that I need to add 1 Oz of the final Stock Solution per Gallon of Water?? How much of the MSU GRANULES do I need to add either to 1 L or 1 Qt to yield a final concentration so that I need add 1 Oz per Gallon of water?? In case it is important I am using the MSU Tap Water (Well Water) Special [19-4-23]. I have found that the the granules tend to be very hydroscopic, and using a Stock Solution seems to make more sense. Hope You Can Help
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08-03-2012, 11:18 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oak Island NC
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It depends upon what you want your final as-applied concentration to be.
The MSU WW formulation (19%N) requires 2 g per gallon for 100 ppm N. If you want to make up a concentrate to be used at one ounce per gallon, your concentrate would have to have 2g/ounce, or 256g/gallon.
A pound is 454g, so you would need to make up 454/256=1.774 gallons of concentrate with your pound.
Personally, I'd go with 1#/2 gallons, as using it at one ounce per gallon will result in a final concentration of roughly 89 ppm N, which is just fine.
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08-03-2012, 12:22 PM
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Jr. Member
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 8
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Seems
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray
It depends upon what you want your final as-applied concentration to be.
The MSU WW formulation (19%N) requires 2 g per gallon for 100 ppm N. If you want to make up a concentrate to be used at one ounce per gallon, your concentrate would have to have 2g/ounce, or 256g/gallon.
A pound is 454g, so you would need to make up 454/256=1.774 gallons of concentrate with your pound.
Personally, I'd go with 1#/2 gallons, as using it at one ounce per gallon will result in a final concentration of roughly 89 ppm N, which is just fine.
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Seems I was unclear: rePotme offers a LIQUID MSU formula -- which they call "Feed Me" -- in a 1 Qt size. From this concentrate you take 1 Oz and dump it into 1 Gallon of water for watering your orchids. I have no idea how much of the solid form -- ie the granular form -- was used to make the liquid form. This formula is ultimately what I would like to achieve. Are you suggesting that that to make that Qt I take 2 grams and and add it to each ounce of water or adding a total of 64 grams of solid to 1 Qt of water, shake it up and then dispense by dumping 1 Oz of my concentrated liquid into each Gallon of water I use for watering?? Sorry for being so obtuse.
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08-03-2012, 02:58 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oak Island NC
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I don't understand why you care how much powder was used, as how you use any fertilizer will be determined by its concentration. Anyway...
According to their website, you use one ounce per gallon for 125 ppm N, which means they must have used 2.5g of the powder per oz of liquid, or 80 grams per quart bottle. 125 ppm N is a reasonable concentration to use on a wide range of plants, so I'd stick to their one ounce-per-gallon recommendation.
I will seize this opportunity for a plug:
First Rays sells liquid versions of the MSU fertilizers in quart bottles, as well.
Repotme's "Well Water" product will give you 32 gallons of 125 ppm N solution for $12.75, or just under $0.40/gallon.
The First Rays' product is more concentrated and costs less. A $10.00 quart of it will give you 76.8 gallons of 125 ppm N solution, at $0.13/gallon.
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08-03-2012, 03:50 PM
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Jr. Member
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 8
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THANK YOU!!!! I think you just answered my question!! I just ordered some MSU granules (not from them) and want to make a Stock Solution that I simply dump into the water. I have a 1 Qt bottle. There are two reasons for making a stock solution vs dumping in the granules 1) MSU granules tend to be hydroscopic 2) Like others I have found they don't dissolve very well. A third reason is that I can make a weaker solution. So to recap: I dump 80 g into a 1 Qt. bottle, add 1 Qt of water, shake like mad and I have my stock solution. When it is time to feed the orchids I add 1 Oz of the Stock Solution to 1 Gal of water. I THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH!!! For future reference WERE DOES ONE BUY A POUND OF MSU GRANULES FROM RAY?!? It sounds like a good price.
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08-03-2012, 06:10 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Zone: 8b
Location: Camano Island Washington
Age: 42
Posts: 1,113
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You can buy MSU fertilizers of all kinds on Ray's site. His website is listed at the bottom of his posts.
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08-04-2012, 06:06 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Zone: 6a
Posts: 464
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You need to remember that not all ingredients are soluble at all pH's. If you are using tap water it's entirely possible that one or more ingredients is not completely dissolved resulting in that component being short in the solution. Water should be pH 6.0+/-0.5 and preferably in the bottom half of the range.
The problem with stock solutions is that you can easily exceed the solubility limits of the lesser soluble components and get the same unbalanced result as above. The more dilute you make the solution the better off you are. I use rainwater that is usually 5.5-6.0 pH due to dissolved CO2. I only make the solution that I use (about 2/3 teaspoon per gallon) and I don't see undissolved solids.
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