Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Thanks for the reply folks. I think I am going to give the MSU a try. It is
a bit hard to find in Canada. I did find a source on Ebay, and it is mfg by the "Blackmore Comany", if that means anything. Ray: That pic of the Inobulbon munificum. is beautiful and stunning to say the least. Cheers "Ray" wrote in message ... I have been using the GreenCare RO-water version since April of 2003. It is designed to be used at 125 ppm N for continuous feeding (i.e., at every watering). For about the first three- or four months, I used it at about half that concentration, but ever since I decided to simply go with the stated rate. Since using it, I see faster growth, larger plants - including phals, paphs and phrags with more leaves - and more reliable blooming. Most of my vandaceous plants bloom at least twice a year, many three times, when they were only annual bloomers previously. Of most significance to me was the fact that several plants that had done essentially nothing for extended periods of time sprang back to active growth several months into this period. For example, I managed to "fry" an Encyclia atrorubens when recovering the greenhouse. The pseudobulbs were plump and green, but there were no leaves. For close to two years it stayed that way - not desiccating, but no new growth. About two months after starting with the fertilizing regime, a new growth sprang to life, and it has grown and bloomed reliably ever since. I had a similar result with Inobulbon munificum. It grew very slowly and never carried more than one new pseudobulb to maturity before the last would start to wither, and no blooming. After about a year or so under 'the treatment" it bloomed (photo at a.b.p.o), and has been growing bigger each year. Don't get me wrong. I do not think the MSU stuff is "magic." I switched from using Dyna-Gro "Grow" formula at about 75 ppm N, so a lot of the increased vigor could be merely due to increasing the feeding rate. The use of the RO formula also saves me from making adjustments. Using D-G in RO gives an exceedingly acidic pH, so it was necessary to make an adjustment before feeding, and I did so with Pro-TeKt. With the size of my collection, I feed via a dosing pump, and one cannot add "Grow" and Pro-TeKt concentrates to the same tank, or all kinds of minerals will precipitate. I, therefore, had to have two dosing pumps, monitor the outputs of each, and verify the pH of the output.. With the GreenCare MSU formula, I mix the powder in one tank and I'm ready to water. I do believe that the formulation has an advantage with lower phosphorus. The plants don't need all that much, so there is less being dumped into the environment to potentially cause eutrification in ponds. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (among other states, and all of Canada, I believe) are starting to monitor and regulate phosphate waste in agriculture, so it's nice to know that I'm contributing less to the problem. (I am aware of a drive for phosphate reduction in oil drilling muds in Canada, so I assume the ag part is there, are will be.) -- Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info! "Bryan" wrote in message news:rD32f.118984$1i.74537@pd7tw2no... Hello: Anybody using MSU fertilizer care to comment on it's effectiveness etc... -=Bryan=- |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
MSU fertilizer | Orchids | |||
MSU Fertilizer Article | Orchids | |||
MSU-type Fertilizer with Tap Water | Orchids | |||
MSU-type Fertilizer with Tap Water | Orchids | |||
Ray! About MSU fertilizer! | Orchids |