Dyna-gro Zyme for Algae and Pro-Tekt
 

Does anyone have experience using Dyna Gro's (Soon to become Superthive) Zyme to control algae?

I'm also curious about Pro-Tekt, especially with the boost of Potassium which seems contradictory with the logic behind other low potassium solutions such as K-Lite. Has anyone found more robust and less disease prone growth after using Pro-Tekt?

Dyna Gro has been bought out? Just that product? What do you mean, soon to become Superthrive?

I found pro-tek to be more trouble than it’s worth. It would cause wild pH swings into the alkaline range with only a tiny amount used. Trying to correct the pH got tedious vs the ease of my regular fertilizer mix, so I stopped using it.

Dyna-gro and Superthrive have been owned by the same parent company for some time and some upper echelon has chosen to market the Dyna-gro products under the Superthrive brand.

See here: Nutrient - SUPERthrive

Where are you seeing algae? I'd be surprised to see it in Los Angeles unless you keep your plants very moist.

Catasetum in aircone pots have some algae as well as the japanese terrestrials in kanuma+grodan cubes and also aircone pots.

But the only plant I actually have some concern about is an Oncidium in S/H that I have next to a window and takes almost Cattleya light. The pot looks pretty taken over, I’ve proceeded to place it inside an opaque pot but wonder it there’s a way to reduce the residue without having to repot, the plant has been doing well in the pot and taking over with new roots so I want to leave it alone if possible.

Dave Neal, who founded Dyna-Gro, retired several years ago. Apparently, the investment bankers that funded the buyout decided to sell.

I cannot address the “Zyme” product, as I don’t consider algae to be a huge issue unless I’ve been overfeeding.

As far a Pro-teKt is concerned, I have learned quite a few things:

• Outside of grains like rice, the demand for silicon is minimal and no deficiency has ever been proven.
• Enhancement of temperature tolerance - hot or cold - to the best of my knowledge, has never been proven in orchids. In other plants, it is questionable.
• Potassium is one of those minerals that the plant takes up as much as it can get. It is easily translocated from old to new tissues, so doesn’t consume it very quickly, storing the excess in cell vacuoles. Supplementing is unneeded.

When I first started using RO water, I used and distributed Dyna-Gro products. “Grow” was my fertilizer, but that, when mixed with RO, caused the pH to plummet. I bought a second metering pump and injected Pro-teKt to offset that.

I continued doing that for several years before the simplicity of just using a single product, meant for RO (MSU), was available. Never did I see an advantage - just cost and hassle.

I also later learned that pH adjustment of the solutions applied to the plants is unnecessary.

I ignore the algae. I don't think it's at all harmful. Cyanobacteria are different. If they're growing it's too wet and there's probably not enough air circulation.

I guess can't fully know without touching it and seeing the structure but it might be cyanobacteria. The plant is growing so well, however.

Whatever it is, it's become more of a dark mud since I placed the plant inside of an opaque pot. Definitely concerned about buildup but not eager to repot and disturb this very well established plant. It came full of bush snails that decimated every single new root tip. So seeing how it has taken over the pot is encouraging and wouldn't like to set back this plant at all :/