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#1
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Honey / Sugar fertilizer
Hello,
I have seen a few people mentioning adding honey and sugar to the water as a fertilizer. Is that effective? What is the recommended dilution ratio – honey to water? Regards Gal |
#2
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Honey / Sugar fertilizer
sounds to me like a recipe for a mess...
"gal" wrote in message om... Hello, I have seen a few people mentioning adding honey and sugar to the water as a fertilizer. Is that effective? What is the recommended dilution ratio - honey to water? Regards Gal |
#3
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Honey / Sugar fertilizer
Sounds like an excellent way to attract insects - along with their
usually-accompanying bacteria and fungal spores. -- Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info! .. . . . . . . . . . . "gal" wrote in message om... Hello, I have seen a few people mentioning adding honey and sugar to the water as a fertilizer. Is that effective? What is the recommended dilution ratio - honey to water? Regards Gal |
#4
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Honey / Sugar fertilizer
The ants'll love it.......
"Jerry Hoffmeister" wrote in message s.com... sounds to me like a recipe for a mess... "gal" wrote in message om... Hello, I have seen a few people mentioning adding honey and sugar to the water as a fertilizer. Is that effective? What is the recommended dilution ratio - honey to water? Regards Gal |
#6
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Honey / Sugar fertilizer
Hi, here a newbie speaking
I don't agree with the rest of you. I've experimented with this for over a year now. No bug problems or fungus invasions to report. I use sugar to give weaker plants a boost. (abused supermarket plants) That is a one time treedment. Only the plants not with potmedia!!! The honney on the other hand is used regularly. It contains a natural antibiotic and that prevents the fungus invasion, it also has a big nutritional value for the plants. I use honney for plants that like a lot of fertilizer. (pleione, catasetum, zygopethalum) But also for the other plants when they are actively growing. Chemical Fertilizers can damage the roots when you aren't carefull, honney doesn't. When I really started growing orchids in 2000, I found that the roots didn't do very well. I don't have rainwater and the water I use is pretty hard. I used different fertilizers but nothing helped. Than I tried a fertilizer from Akerne (B, once every 14 days 2ml/litre) and I started leaving my water in a bucket overnight. That did help a lot, but still because many of my plants were in a windowsill at the time, I needed to give my plants an extra boost during growth. (in the livingroom with a low humidity) Extra fertilizer is out of the question and sugar does atract insects and fungus!! So I started reading and asking for alternatives, and honney came up several times, after asking a friend at the university I disited to try it. Now I have used it in the windowsill and my mini greenhouse (higher humidity). For over a year I have had no problems what so ever. Maybe I might get problems in the future I don't know. Right now I take it one step at a time. When I get a good result with an experiment or tip from a friend I tend to stick with it. So until I get a better alternative or a bad experience I'll keep on using it. I use a teaspoon in 3 liters of water every 14 days. My routine is basicly first weekend fertilizer and the next honney. And during the week when nesessary just water. This is just my own experience, not scientific facts. If you are interested just try it on a cheap plant and wait and see what will happen. If you do try, let me know how it works out. Who knows, maybe I'm just very lucky for once Good luck whatever you desite, or good growing as I've read several times. Peter |
#7
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Honey / Sugar fertilizer
Xref: kermit rec.gardens.orchids:47335
As will any bacteria/fungi... K Barrett "Diana Kulaga" wrote in message rthlink.net... The ants'll love it....... "Jerry Hoffmeister" wrote in message s.com... sounds to me like a recipe for a mess... "gal" wrote in message om... Hello, I have seen a few people mentioning adding honey and sugar to the water as a fertilizer. Is that effective? What is the recommended dilution ratio - honey to water? Regards Gal |
#8
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Honey / Sugar fertilizer
Part of the problem with sugars is that they are sources of carbon, oxygen,
and hydrogen only - all of which the plants get routinely from water and air - so provide very little of the 17 other ions the plants really need. Honey may contribute more stuff, but I don't know that they are significant. There's lots of info on plant nutrition on the web. I placed a brief summary in the free info section at the URL below. -- Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info! .. . . . . . . . . . . "Boystrup Pb, ann,..." wrote in message e... Hi, here a newbie speaking I don't agree with the rest of you. I've experimented with this for over a year now. No bug problems or fungus invasions to report. I use sugar to give weaker plants a boost. (abused supermarket plants) That is a one time treedment. Only the plants not with potmedia!!! The honney on the other hand is used regularly. It contains a natural antibiotic and that prevents the fungus invasion, it also has a big nutritional value for the plants. I use honney for plants that like a lot of fertilizer. (pleione, catasetum, zygopethalum) But also for the other plants when they are actively growing. Chemical Fertilizers can damage the roots when you aren't carefull, honney doesn't. When I really started growing orchids in 2000, I found that the roots didn't do very well. I don't have rainwater and the water I use is pretty hard. I used different fertilizers but nothing helped. Than I tried a fertilizer from Akerne (B, once every 14 days 2ml/litre) and I started leaving my water in a bucket overnight. That did help a lot, but still because many of my plants were in a windowsill at the time, I needed to give my plants an extra boost during growth. (in the livingroom with a low humidity) Extra fertilizer is out of the question and sugar does atract insects and fungus!! So I started reading and asking for alternatives, and honney came up several times, after asking a friend at the university I disited to try it. Now I have used it in the windowsill and my mini greenhouse (higher humidity). For over a year I have had no problems what so ever. Maybe I might get problems in the future I don't know. Right now I take it one step at a time. When I get a good result with an experiment or tip from a friend I tend to stick with it. So until I get a better alternative or a bad experience I'll keep on using it. I use a teaspoon in 3 liters of water every 14 days. My routine is basicly first weekend fertilizer and the next honney. And during the week when nesessary just water. This is just my own experience, not scientific facts. If you are interested just try it on a cheap plant and wait and see what will happen. If you do try, let me know how it works out. Who knows, maybe I'm just very lucky for once Good luck whatever you desite, or good growing as I've read several times. Peter |
#9
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Honey / Sugar fertilizer
Hi Peter,
Since you have been doing the experiments I reckon _you_ have the one up on most people. It is a subject I have a keen interest in too. A number of years ago the RHS Orchid Review published an article about South American studies where it was found that epiphytic orchids are constantly drenched with a dilute solution of simple sugars from the leachate of other plants especially the mosses, liverworts, and ferns growing on the trees. The levels of sugars and nutrients was considered significant as a nutritional souce. It seems everytime there is a rain shower these simple sugars are released during the natural breakdown of cell wall and decay of plants, they flow down the tree trunks feeding the orchids with sugars. I can imagine some bromeliads might be significant in South America as the sugary flowers decay and go into solution. It is also well known that often protocorms are to be found growing in this moss forest. Here they have a ready sugar supply. Interstingly it is mainly simple sugars such as fructose. Some people believe it might be a reason for the jungle vigor of collected plants ..namely their sugar diet amoung other factors. I used to work with an orchid grower John Banks of Zygopetalum John Banks fame who grew orchid commercially all his life. He and a number of our customers believe that a bit of moss or liverwort did no harm and may indeed have been beneficial on the top of the pot. Could this be a sugar source or realease mechanism for other growth regulators? I have observed how well sometimes pots of rockwool grown orchids grow with a colony of moss on the top...maybe similar mechanisms are at play? My interest was trying to identify possible growth regulators or dormancy breakers of seed naturally found in the moss substrate colonised by germinating seed, however the route to moss leachate research in the field dried up when I last tried a few years back. Keep up the good work Best regards Alan L Winthrop. www.tissuequickplantlabs.com "Boystrup Pb, ann,..." wrote in message e... Hi, here a newbie speaking I don't agree with the rest of you. Peter |
#10
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Honey / Sugar fertilizer
Xref: kermit rec.gardens.orchids:47403
Your post is very interesting Alan & to Peter, didn't see your post again? Alan, you mention the moss growing with plants. My mentor grows all his Paphs & Phrags with moss growing on the top of the mix. (they bloom!) I tried this & my moss just turns an orangy brown, any ideas? Thanks, Cheers Wendy "TQPL" wrote in message ... Hi Peter, Since you have been doing the experiments I reckon _you_ have the one up on most people. It is a subject I have a keen interest in too. A number of years ago the RHS Orchid Review published an article about South American studies where it was found that epiphytic orchids are constantly drenched with a dilute solution of simple sugars from the leachate of other plants especially the mosses, liverworts, and ferns growing on the trees. The levels of sugars and nutrients was considered significant as a nutritional souce. It seems everytime there is a rain shower these simple sugars are released during the natural breakdown of cell wall and decay of plants, they flow down the tree trunks feeding the orchids with sugars. I can imagine some bromeliads might be significant in South America as the sugary flowers decay and go into solution. It is also well known that often protocorms are to be found growing in this moss forest. Here they have a ready sugar supply. Interstingly it is mainly simple sugars such as fructose. Some people believe it might be a reason for the jungle vigor of collected plants ..namely their sugar diet amoung other factors. I used to work with an orchid grower John Banks of Zygopetalum John Banks fame who grew orchid commercially all his life. He and a number of our customers believe that a bit of moss or liverwort did no harm and may indeed have been beneficial on the top of the pot. Could this be a sugar source or realease mechanism for other growth regulators? I have observed how well sometimes pots of rockwool grown orchids grow with a colony of moss on the top...maybe similar mechanisms are at play? My interest was trying to identify possible growth regulators or dormancy breakers of seed naturally found in the moss substrate colonised by germinating seed, however the route to moss leachate research in the field dried up when I last tried a few years back. Keep up the good work Best regards Alan L Winthrop. www.tissuequickplantlabs.com "Boystrup Pb, ann,..." wrote in message e... Hi, here a newbie speaking I don't agree with the rest of you. Peter |
#11
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Honey / Sugar fertilizer
Hi Wendy.
Good observation about your friends Paphs and Phrags. Mosss does grow best if you use high quality water. Rainwater or RO. I find I can grow moss with feeding my plants but I don't overdo it. Sphagnum is very fertilizer sensitive but often it is other species of moss that grow best. It seems to grow better on some bark composts than others and that might be a tannin thing, not quite sure. Certainly it grows well on rockwool which needs feeding. Sometimes it is a mix with algae. Good moss growing Alan L Winthrop "Wendy" wrote in message news:c0xSa.6076$Ne.3382@fed1read03... Your post is very interesting Alan & to Peter, didn't see your post again? Alan, you mention the moss growing with plants. My mentor grows all his Paphs & Phrags with moss growing on the top of the mix. (they bloom!) I tried this & my moss just turns an orangy brown, any ideas? Thanks, Cheers Wendy "TQPL" wrote in message |
#12
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Honey / Sugar fertilizer
Brown moss suggests one or more of the following:
Not wet enough Too much fertilizer pH too high -- Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info! .. . . . . . . . . . . "Wendy" wrote in message news:c0xSa.6076$Ne.3382@fed1read03... Your post is very interesting Alan & to Peter, didn't see your post again? Alan, you mention the moss growing with plants. My mentor grows all his Paphs & Phrags with moss growing on the top of the mix. (they bloom!) I tried this & my moss just turns an orangy brown, any ideas? Thanks, Cheers Wendy "TQPL" wrote in message ... Hi Peter, Since you have been doing the experiments I reckon _you_ have the one up on most people. It is a subject I have a keen interest in too. A number of years ago the RHS Orchid Review published an article about South American studies where it was found that epiphytic orchids are constantly drenched with a dilute solution of simple sugars from the leachate of other plants especially the mosses, liverworts, and ferns growing on the trees. The levels of sugars and nutrients was considered significant as a nutritional souce. It seems everytime there is a rain shower these simple sugars are released during the natural breakdown of cell wall and decay of plants, they flow down the tree trunks feeding the orchids with sugars. I can imagine some bromeliads might be significant in South America as the sugary flowers decay and go into solution. It is also well known that often protocorms are to be found growing in this moss forest. Here they have a ready sugar supply. Interstingly it is mainly simple sugars such as fructose. Some people believe it might be a reason for the jungle vigor of collected plants ..namely their sugar diet amoung other factors. I used to work with an orchid grower John Banks of Zygopetalum John Banks fame who grew orchid commercially all his life. He and a number of our customers believe that a bit of moss or liverwort did no harm and may indeed have been beneficial on the top of the pot. Could this be a sugar source or realease mechanism for other growth regulators? I have observed how well sometimes pots of rockwool grown orchids grow with a colony of moss on the top...maybe similar mechanisms are at play? My interest was trying to identify possible growth regulators or dormancy breakers of seed naturally found in the moss substrate colonised by germinating seed, however the route to moss leachate research in the field dried up when I last tried a few years back. Keep up the good work Best regards Alan L Winthrop. www.tissuequickplantlabs.com "Boystrup Pb, ann,..." wrote in message e... Hi, here a newbie speaking I don't agree with the rest of you. Peter |
#13
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Honey / Sugar fertilizer
Thanks much Alan, my mentor does use rockwool & I haven't?
We both use the same regular street water from the same district. Fertilizer is different, he uses some kind of tablets in a glass holder which is on the front end of the hose? He waters once a week? I shall have to research the "tannin" thing. Isn't it in tea? Cheers Wendy "TQPL" wrote in message ... Hi Wendy. Good observation about your friends Paphs and Phrags. Mosss does grow best if you use high quality water. Rainwater or RO. I find I can grow moss with feeding my plants but I don't overdo it. Sphagnum is very fertilizer sensitive but often it is other species of moss that grow best. It seems to grow better on some bark composts than others and that might be a tannin thing, not quite sure. Certainly it grows well on rockwool which needs feeding. Sometimes it is a mix with algae. Good moss growing Alan L Winthrop "Wendy" wrote in message news:c0xSa.6076$Ne.3382@fed1read03... Your post is very interesting Alan & to Peter, didn't see your post again? Alan, you mention the moss growing with plants. My mentor grows all his Paphs & Phrags with moss growing on the top of the mix. (they bloom!) I tried this & my moss just turns an orangy brown, any ideas? Thanks, Cheers Wendy "TQPL" wrote in message |
#14
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Honey / Sugar fertilizer
Thanks Ray, could be the fertilizer (1/4 strength), see my reply to Alan.
Cheers Wendy "Ray" wrote in message ... Brown moss suggests one or more of the following: Not wet enough Too much fertilizer pH too high -- Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info! . . . . . . . . . . . "Wendy" wrote in message news:c0xSa.6076$Ne.3382@fed1read03... Your post is very interesting Alan & to Peter, didn't see your post again? Alan, you mention the moss growing with plants. My mentor grows all his Paphs & Phrags with moss growing on the top of the mix. (they bloom!) I tried this & my moss just turns an orangy brown, any ideas? Thanks, Cheers Wendy "TQPL" wrote in message ... Hi Peter, Since you have been doing the experiments I reckon _you_ have the one up on most people. It is a subject I have a keen interest in too. A number of years ago the RHS Orchid Review published an article about South American studies where it was found that epiphytic orchids are constantly drenched with a dilute solution of simple sugars from the leachate of other plants especially the mosses, liverworts, and ferns growing on the trees. The levels of sugars and nutrients was considered significant as a nutritional souce. It seems everytime there is a rain shower these simple sugars are released during the natural breakdown of cell wall and decay of plants, they flow down the tree trunks feeding the orchids with sugars. I can imagine some bromeliads might be significant in South America as the sugary flowers decay and go into solution. It is also well known that often protocorms are to be found growing in this moss forest. Here they have a ready sugar supply. Interstingly it is mainly simple sugars such as fructose. Some people believe it might be a reason for the jungle vigor of collected plants ..namely their sugar diet amoung other factors. I used to work with an orchid grower John Banks of Zygopetalum John Banks fame who grew orchid commercially all his life. He and a number of our customers believe that a bit of moss or liverwort did no harm and may indeed have been beneficial on the top of the pot. Could this be a sugar source or realease mechanism for other growth regulators? I have observed how well sometimes pots of rockwool grown orchids grow with a colony of moss on the top...maybe similar mechanisms are at play? My interest was trying to identify possible growth regulators or dormancy breakers of seed naturally found in the moss substrate colonised by germinating seed, however the route to moss leachate research in the field dried up when I last tried a few years back. Keep up the good work Best regards Alan L Winthrop. www.tissuequickplantlabs.com "Boystrup Pb, ann,..." wrote in message e... Hi, here a newbie speaking I don't agree with the rest of you. Peter |
#15
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Honey / Sugar fertilizer
Hi Wendy,
Yes tannins are in tea but also they are in most barks too. Especially noticable in conifererous barks such as Pine, Redwood etc as used for potting orchids. They are all mixed in with resins/terpentines etc to give that 'pine' smell. Best regards Alan " I shall have to research the "tannin" thing. Isn't it in tea? Cheers Wendy |
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