Okay, hypothetically, I want to add methanol to my fertilizer stock solution
that runs through my fertilizer injector so that I end up with 100 PPM
nitrogen and 1% methanol when it comes out of the hose.

I have my injector set to 1:100.

In order to get 100 PPM nitrogen I simply follow the directions on the
fertilizer bag: I add 6 and 3/4 oz of fertilizer to 1 gallon of water and
this makes a stock solution that produces 100 PPM nitrogen at the hose end.

Now the way I figure it, if I want to make 1% methanol AND 100 PPM nitrogen
come out of the hose end of a fertilizer injector which is set to a 1:100
ratio then my stock solution (1 gallon) has to be 100% methanol to which I
add 6 and 3/4 oz of fertilizer. Right?

Am I making a bomb?

Al
P.S. Hanging around the United States patent office website can be
dangerous:
Patent # 5,624,586
"Method of improving growth characteristics of plants of the family
Orchidaceae"

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-P...S=PN/5,642,586

Al,

Making your own Jerry's Grow, huh?

Your calculation looks OK, but the first thing I'd test is whether the
fertilizer will dissolve in the methanol.

I doubt there will be a reaction, and assuming you don't have an ignition
source, you should be OK.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!

.. . . . . . . . . . .
"Al" wrote in message
...
Okay, hypothetically, I want to add methanol to my fertilizer stock
solution
that runs through my fertilizer injector so that I end up with 100 PPM
nitrogen and 1% methanol when it comes out of the hose.

I have my injector set to 1:100.

In order to get 100 PPM nitrogen I simply follow the directions on the
fertilizer bag: I add 6 and 3/4 oz of fertilizer to 1 gallon of water and
this makes a stock solution that produces 100 PPM nitrogen at the hose
end.

Now the way I figure it, if I want to make 1% methanol AND 100 PPM
nitrogen
come out of the hose end of a fertilizer injector which is set to a 1:100
ratio then my stock solution (1 gallon) has to be 100% methanol to which I
add 6 and 3/4 oz of fertilizer. Right?

Am I making a bomb?

Al
P.S. Hanging around the United States patent office website can be
dangerous:
Patent # 5,624,586
"Method of improving growth characteristics of plants of the family
Orchidaceae"


http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-P...OFF&d=PALL&p=1
&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=5,642,586.WKU.&OS=PN/5,642,586&RS=P
N/5,642,586

Somebody sent me an email that pointed out a second patent: # 5,981,441

and told me that the lower the amount of urea as a source for the nitrogen
the better the plants will respond to the methanol.

This second patent (5,981,441 ) is actually more informative and more
detailed than the first one I found. It explains a bit about what the
methanol may do to enhance growth and what environments it works best in as
well as a bit about how methanol enhanced fertilizers work in plants
utilizing the 3 different types of photosynthesis. It appears brighter
light and higher temperatures enhance the growth response provided by the
methanol/fertilizer mix.

It contains the sentence: "A number of flowers grown with the 24-6-6 high
nitrogen/methanol solution of this invention were compared with
methanol-enhanced fertilizers from Miracle Gro and Peters. The result showed
that the higher concentration of urea as a nitrogen source, the less the
benefit that methanol exhibits."

I am still wary I would be making a bomb if I try to mix this stuff myself.

"Ray" wrote in message
...
Al,

Making your own Jerry's Grow, huh?

Your calculation looks OK, but the first thing I'd test is whether the
fertilizer will dissolve in the methanol.

I doubt there will be a reaction, and assuming you don't have an ignition
source, you should be OK.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!

. . . . . . . . . . .
"Al" wrote in message
...
Okay, hypothetically, I want to add methanol to my fertilizer stock
solution
that runs through my fertilizer injector so that I end up with 100 PPM
nitrogen and 1% methanol when it comes out of the hose.

I have my injector set to 1:100.

In order to get 100 PPM nitrogen I simply follow the directions on the
fertilizer bag: I add 6 and 3/4 oz of fertilizer to 1 gallon of water
and
this makes a stock solution that produces 100 PPM nitrogen at the hose
end.

Now the way I figure it, if I want to make 1% methanol AND 100 PPM
nitrogen
come out of the hose end of a fertilizer injector which is set to a
1:100
ratio then my stock solution (1 gallon) has to be 100% methanol to which
I
add 6 and 3/4 oz of fertilizer. Right?

Am I making a bomb?

Al
P.S. Hanging around the United States patent office website can be
dangerous:
Patent # 5,624,586
"Method of improving growth characteristics of plants of the family
Orchidaceae"



http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-P...OFF&d=PALL&p=1

&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=5,642,586.WKU.&OS=PN/5,642,586&RS=P
N/5,642,586

Well if we hear a big boom, we'll know you got it wrong Al

--

Hugs,
Molli

I am still wary I would be making a bomb if I try to mix this stuff
myself.

Interesting... I recall reading something recently about using rubbing
alcohol (isopropyl) added to the fertilizer solution but I don't remember
any of the details. Wracking brain...

I also remember as a kid for some reason adding rubbing alcohol to the water
of some cutting I was trying to root and it producing more roots much faster
than if I had just used water. I have always thought it was maybe something
I dreamed or made up somehow... maybe some testing is in order

"Al" wrote in message
...
Okay, hypothetically, I want to add methanol to my fertilizer stock
solution
that runs through my fertilizer injector so that I end up with 100 PPM
nitrogen and 1% methanol when it comes out of the hose.

I have my injector set to 1:100.

In order to get 100 PPM nitrogen I simply follow the directions on the
fertilizer bag: I add 6 and 3/4 oz of fertilizer to 1 gallon of water and
this makes a stock solution that produces 100 PPM nitrogen at the hose
end.

Now the way I figure it, if I want to make 1% methanol AND 100 PPM
nitrogen
come out of the hose end of a fertilizer injector which is set to a 1:100
ratio then my stock solution (1 gallon) has to be 100% methanol to which I
add 6 and 3/4 oz of fertilizer. Right?

Am I making a bomb?

Al
P.S. Hanging around the United States patent office website can be
dangerous:
Patent # 5,624,586
"Method of improving growth characteristics of plants of the family
Orchidaceae"


http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-P...S=PN/5,642,586

The source of nitrogen and the temperature of the mixing vessel, as well
as the grounding and metal content of the mixing engine all contribute
to the ability to create an explosive mixture....

To avoid any explosive mixtures or hazards:
1) keep your methanol to 20% of less of the mixing solution, you may
need to have 2 proportioners to do this...higher concentrations may not
be a problem, but all of the literature indicates that 20% is almost
always safe.
2) avoid urea and other non-organic sources of nitrogen...
3) Store any methanol in a cool dark place (sunlight can break it down,
slowly, but it will reduce the methanol content)
4) if you are mixing the two together, use a grounded container, with a
known ground path...1 - 10 food copper grounding rod with a #8 wire to
the container is the best choice. -OR- use all plastic everything and
make sure you dump your own static charge. -OR- use low concentrations
of methanol and organic nitrogen fertilizer. -OR- premix the fertilizer
into a water solution.
5) The first time you mix (a small trial batch), use a kitchen
thermometer to check for temperature rise. If there is none, or a very
small one, you do not have an exothermic reaction and you probably will
not have an issue with any dangerous reactions.

Chances of anyone, who is not doing anything purposely stupid, making a
"bomb" with this stuff is small...

First off... it will probably burn before exploding
Second ...water is a great buffer for these kinds of chemicals (there
are others where the opposite is true)
Third...you are not playing with high nitrogen content...in the neighbor
hood of 50% or more...

PS reversing this information will not get give you any information on
how to build a "BOMB"

Cheers

Doug Houseman, USN, RET

In article ,
"Al" wrote:

Somebody sent me an email that pointed out a second patent: # 5,981,441

and told me that the lower the amount of urea as a source for the nitrogen
the better the plants will respond to the methanol.

This second patent (5,981,441 ) is actually more informative and more
detailed than the first one I found. It explains a bit about what the
methanol may do to enhance growth and what environments it works best in as
well as a bit about how methanol enhanced fertilizers work in plants
utilizing the 3 different types of photosynthesis. It appears brighter
light and higher temperatures enhance the growth response provided by the
methanol/fertilizer mix.

It contains the sentence: "A number of flowers grown with the 24-6-6 high
nitrogen/methanol solution of this invention were compared with
methanol-enhanced fertilizers from Miracle Gro and Peters. The result showed
that the higher concentration of urea as a nitrogen source, the less the
benefit that methanol exhibits."

I am still wary I would be making a bomb if I try to mix this stuff myself.

"Ray" wrote in message
...
Al,

Making your own Jerry's Grow, huh?

Your calculation looks OK, but the first thing I'd test is whether the
fertilizer will dissolve in the methanol.

I doubt there will be a reaction, and assuming you don't have an ignition
source, you should be OK.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!

. . . . . . . . . . .
"Al" wrote in message
...
Okay, hypothetically, I want to add methanol to my fertilizer stock
solution
that runs through my fertilizer injector so that I end up with 100 PPM
nitrogen and 1% methanol when it comes out of the hose.

I have my injector set to 1:100.

In order to get 100 PPM nitrogen I simply follow the directions on the
fertilizer bag: I add 6 and 3/4 oz of fertilizer to 1 gallon of water
and
this makes a stock solution that produces 100 PPM nitrogen at the hose
end.

Now the way I figure it, if I want to make 1% methanol AND 100 PPM
nitrogen
come out of the hose end of a fertilizer injector which is set to a
1:100
ratio then my stock solution (1 gallon) has to be 100% methanol to which
I
add 6 and 3/4 oz of fertilizer. Right?

Am I making a bomb?

Al
P.S. Hanging around the United States patent office website can be
dangerous:
Patent # 5,624,586
"Method of improving growth characteristics of plants of the family
Orchidaceae"



http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-P...OFF&d=PALL&p=1

&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=5,642,586.WKU.&OS=PN/5,642,586&RS=P
N/5,642,586