Botanicare Pure Blend Pro, and Liquid Karma

[razka3]

I have some Pure Blend Pro (3-1.5-4) and some Liquid Karma (I know - hyped up and very commercial) and I was wondering if it was alright to use with orchids instead of buying some MSU ferts.

Also, I have some Botanicare Cal-Mag Plus, is this stuff necessary for orchids? Maybe only with RO, not tap?

[Ross]

While I don't know the answer to your question, I have one in return... Why do you say "instead of buying some MSU ferts."?

[razka3]

1 - MSU is geared towards orchids, no?

2 - I have limited funds, and already have these ferts on hand.

3 - Everyone on here who uses MSU seems to find it works quite well.

[Ray]

Use the Pure Blend Pro at 1 Tbsp/gal, and it will be fine.

Add the Liquid Karma per instructions - it might be of benefit, and surely won't hurt anything.

I would not bother with the Cal-Mag Plus, as Balto water is pretty good with minerals already, and the Liquid Karma also has Ca and Mg in it.

[razka3]

Awesome, that's what I was figuring, but just wanted to double check.

Thanks much.

[razka3]

Ray,

Just calibrated my tds and ph meters and the straight tap water is 208ppm and ph of 7.4. After adding nutes it's 1200ppm exactly and ph of 6.14. The TDS seems kind of high, and ph is right in perfect range... what do you think?

Frank

[razka3]

bump.

New info added to last post. 1200ppm and ph 6.14 after adding nutes.

[phearamedusa]

I'd say ph is good, tds is 1200ppm for full hydroponic system, some consider this a low ppm reading. If your worried, use at half strength, and see how plants react.

What are you growing in? which tds pen are you using?

If you're using HID lights, co2, controlling temps (in other words everything is ideal) you could theoretically run higher tds.

According to my sales rep. @ quality wholesale Liquid Karma is being used by the RBG for their orchids with good results. Did you realize it can be used by its self, or with another fertilizer?
Cal Mag is usually only needed in RO setup, or maybe distilled water.

[razka3]

I have a bunch of plants in S/H now, and some in bark/perlite mixes.. and a few mounted. They all get the same fert solution. I've never used LK by itself, only as supplement to the PBP. I have the cal-mag because of the RO system I was using, but I don't have it hooked up right now, so have just been using tap water instead... with no cal-mag added.

I'm using a Hanna TDS pen, it's been recently calibrated, as has my PH stick.

No C02, just 430w HPS.

I just thought 1200 seemed kind of high, because orchids don't really like much dissolved solids... or salts. But as of so far, they seem to be responding alright (nothing has died)... some new growth, too soon to really see anything though.

[Ray]

Please don't take this as a "jab", I'm really just trying to find out - what makes you think "orchids don't really like much dissolved solids", and what is your basis for thinking 1200 ppm is a lot?

I went for years not thinking about water quality at all, then worried excessively about purity, then found something that seems to work well, so just stick with it. I can honestly say that 1200 ppm seems to me to be high, but that's 1.2 grams per liter, and to mix the MSU RO fertilizer to get 150 ppm N, you have to add 4.3g/gal or 1.14 g/liter.

Granted, the "measured" and the "added" ppm do not equate due to dissolution species that don't contribute to the conductivity, but they aren't THAT far off.

I also wonder if you're being overly concerned about "salts". For practical purposes, all fertilizers are made up of "mineral salts", and it is their ions in aqueous solutions that are the nutrients the plants need (and, for the most part, get in nature). We are NOT talking about chloride salts.

Also, how do you calibrate your TDS meter? I have done so via the published EC of my fertilizer solutions and a known conductivity standard, but I'd love to know an easier way.