Does KelpMax contain Urea?

[ChrisMalaga]

I've been reading this forum for a while and I use self-watering and LECA for my orchids.
I read great things about KelpMax and I consider buying it (it's available on Amazon, here in Spain), but at the same time I'm a bit worried about its urea content.
I buy orchid specific fertilizers that are urea-free, and I wonder if this product contains urea, which could be the case, considering it's an extract of Ecklonia maxima (seaweed) and other similar extracts of the same seaweed show urea in their formula.
Does anyone have any reliable information about this? Thanks!

[thefish1337]

Even if it did, it's meant to be applied once a month, diluted 1:250. It's not a fertilizer its a kelp based biostimulant- thats not to say it doesn't contain nutrients (it does). As far as I know only mammals, and fishes produce urea. Kelp is a macroalgae and does not excrete nitrogenous waste so I think you're good.

While urea might not be the *best* fertilizer for orchids, it certainly won't harm them as long as you aren't over fertilizing in the first place. On top of that, the claim that it needs to be converted by micro-organisms is laughable given that it's well documented that orchid roots are evolved to harbor, and rely on microorganisms to uptake nutrients. Think about an epiphytic orchid growing in a fruit tree in the jungle, when the tree is fruiting, birds are eating, other mammals are eating and they are also peeing and pooping on that tree. When the rain comes it washes down all that urea (in the case of mammals) and uric acid (in the case of birds).

[ChrisMalaga]

KelpMax safety data sheet states it's a 35-38% extract of Ecklonia maxima, it's a huge seaweed growing in the southern Atlantic ocean. I took the information from here: https://www.firstrays.com/wp/PDF/SDS_KELPMAX.pdf

By the way, I'm not even considering debating if "a little" urea doesn't harm or not (and I still don't know how much urea it contains, if it contains it at all), because there are lots of articles and discussions about this already. In LECA I really doubt that there are colonies of the bacteria that break down urea and make it available to the plant, moreover we know that salts build up, so accumulating urea could also be a problem over time.

I'm spending more money in fertilizers because I buy those that are marketed for orchids as "urea-free", so I wonder if adding urea from other sources makes any sense, or I'm wasting my money.

I would just like to know if it contains urea, or not, and how much if it's possible

[camille1585]

Kalpmax is Ray's product and isn't sold in Europe, so be sure of what you're buying on Amazon. In Europe you can get it under a different name, Kelpak. I checked my bottle, and unfortunately they don't list the composition.

Even if there was a very small amount of urea in the product, keep in mind that fertilization is not the primary purpose of Kelpmax/pak. You buy it for the bio stimulant properties, and there's plenty of articles documenting the effects of Kelpak, and well as tons of anecdotal evidence on this forum about Kelpmax.

Basically, what I'm saying is that it would be a shame to miss out on the effects of Kelpmax simply because it might (or does contain) a bit of urea.

Ray would be the one person here who would have an answer to your question, and if he doesn't, I know that he does go back to ask the supplier questions.

[Ray]

No, there is no urea in the product.

Urea CAN and will be taken up directly by orchids, but it's a matter of how and to what degree.

Nitrate and ammonium forms of nitrogen are preferentially taken up by roots, but can also be absorbed by the foliar route, but to a much lesser degree.

Conversely, urea is better absorbed through the foliar route and less well through the roots.

I am not aware of any urea production by plants, so I suspect the products you see it in have it added to the kelp extract.

[ChrisMalaga]

Many thanks for the answer!
I'm afraid this could not be the same product? Indeed, the packaging looks different, but the name is the same. It is sold as KELPMAX® on Amazon.es.
What surprises me is that it shows a OMRI registration in California, so it made sense to me since it's made in the US. I don't know if I can post the Amazon.es link but I will add an image.

[Mr.Fakename]

As Camille stated, if you're looking for the OG Kelpmax, it is branded as Kelpak in Europe.

This thread : Kelpmax in Netherlands
contains more info about the product and where to obtain it.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by ChrisMalaga

Many thanks for the answer!
I'm afraid this could not be the same product? Indeed, the packaging looks different, but the name is the same. It is sold as KELPMAX® on Amazon.es.
What surprises me is that it shows a OMRI registration in California, so it made sense to me since it's made in the US. I don't know if I can post the Amazon.es link but I will add an image.

I've never come across this one, so I really don't know, and it doesn't help that there's no mention of the type of kelp used. It could be coming from the same supplier as Ray. Though if I'm not mistaken, Ray chose the name himself, I vaguely recall a thread here asking for opinions as to the name.

[ChrisMalaga]

Thanks Camille, I found some resellers of Kelpak here in Spain, the product is much cheaper than the one I found on Amazon.es anyways, so I'll go for it.

I have a doubt, as Kelpak offers 2 products: one is a fertilizer and one is a biostimulant. What corresponds to KelpMax is the biostimulant, am I correct?

I also think you use this product: could you tell me what dosis is the right one for orchids? I think 1L would give me enough for a year or so (I have about 100 orchids atm)?

[camille1585]

This is my bottle, if it helps you any. Written bioactivator on the label. I wasn't aware that there was a second product.