PamO
Active Member
Hello: I was reading about KelPMax as a supplement. Can anyone let me know if they recommend it. What have you experienced with your plants and what type of plants you used it on. I have phals., paphs, oncidium.
I use it on everything (paphs, phrags, phals and catts) once a month and soak everything for 30 minutes in it before I repot. Highly recommend.Hello: I was reading about KelPMax as a supplement. Can anyone let me know if they recommend it. What have you experienced with your plants and what type of plants you used it on. I have phals., paphs, oncidium.
I use it at one Tbls/gal monthly year round. Some plants get a double dose sometimes, if I’m not keeping track well of what’s gotten it. No flower deformity noted.Ray, when I first became a user years ago I focused on the auxin content as a rooting stimulator as you showed with the Vandas. I tended to use KelpMax during the time of year when I thought rooting would occur (mostly spring and summer) and backed off in autumn and winter. However, I think the complexity of KelpMax and what you are describing supports it as a support for more aspects of growth than just rooting so I am using it more months than I used to. I know that excessive KelpMax may produce some flower abnormalities but what does your experience tell you about KelpMax and inflorescence induction? Do you and other experienced users apply KelpMax once a month throughout the whole year, including the cool period when growth is slowed?
Ray, what is the reasoning behind using up a mixture with Kelpmax within 24 hours? Usually that’s not a problem, but on occasion, I don’t go through it all or add a few gallons to already existing mixture. I use R/O water.For folks who want to experiment, the Kelpak technical director (an orchid grower) suggested playing with spraying flower buds directly…
The manufacturer states that the solution must be neutral to acidic. Higher pH degrades it, apparently.Two questions, Ray.
Do you recommend a particular pH of the water used for preparing the Kelpak solution?
Does the water’s overall TDS matter before mixing with Kelpak?
It is a natural, organic material, subject to bacterial degradation. Storage of the diluted material is not “bad”, but it does lose its potency over time. (I do not know the rate at which that happens.,)Ray
Ray, what is the reasoning behind using up a mixture with Kelpmax within 24 hours? Usually that’s not a problem, but on occasion, I don’t go through it all or add a few gallons to already existing mixture. I use R/O water.
Don't get too hung up on pH. The pH of the applied solution has very little impact on the pH in the pot, and that's what's important.Thanks for the above info, Ray. I’ve been mixing RO and tap water in the solution, so will now keep a close eye on the overall pH.
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