Growth Supplements

[alanbar]

What are the results that people have had with Megathrive and the Quantum additives? Are they ever used together?

 

[NYEric]

No experience with "Quantum". Good luck.

 

[Happypaphy7]

My tap water has worked better. lol
I would not expect any miracles from any of these additives. I find them waste of money for the most part.
Nothing beats basic good care practice. If your growing conditions are too far out of what your plants need to do well, then, I would either make possible and practical changes or change the kind of plants you grow that may perform better for you.

 

[abax]

If your culture isn't right for the plants you're growing, additives won't make anything
grow properly.

 

[Ray]

Mega Thrive is an “indirect stimulant”. It is a urea-based foliar treatment that contains “mega” doses of molybdenum and boron. By delivering high doses of those trace elements, the plant is stimulated into producing auxins that stimulate root growth. There are some down-sides to it’s use: one is the possibility of killing the plant by overdosing those trace elements, and excessive reliance on auxins have been shown to result in flower deformation and/or stunted plant growth, and a third is the possibility of killing a child or pet that may chew on the plant, as the molybdenum makes the plant itself toxic.

Quantum products are more protective probiotics than stimulants, but I suppose there may be some growth stimulation. Quantum-Total (and it’s identical, privately labeled version, Quantum Orchid) contain species that are nitrogen-fixing and that are photosynthetic, thereby producing fertilizer and fuel right from within the plant, without the plant having to expend resources to do so, which means they have more to expend for better growth. Many bacteria species secrete indole-acetic acid, an auxin that stimulates root growth, but I don’t know for a fact that any of the species in the product do that. It’s likely, though.

As you have opened the door to this line of questioning (sorry, I’ve been reading a lot of murder prosecution thrillers lately), I’ll bring up KelpMax, which is, without a doubt, the safest and most effective stimulant available. While it does contain some natural hormones, it’s level of stimulation is far greater than one would expect for the amount contained, and that has been attributed to the other plant growth regulators, vitamins, amino acids, alginates and other polysaccharides present in the kelp juice, which - unlike other kelp extracts - are not destroyed during production.

I will agree with the comments above that nothing can substitute for good culture, but I can state for a fact that the proper use of KelpMax in conjunction with Quantum gives you a “leg up” - the former resulting in faster growth, better flowering, and more rapid branching and growth of sympodial plants, and the latter providing good protection from diseases.

KelpMax has been used on food crops, fruits, nuts, grains, turf and landscaping for decades; I found it and intro it into the orchid world just shy of ten years ago. There are several commercial orchid establishments that use it routinely, but one of the biggest uses by hobby orchid growers is in rescuing rootless plants.

As I have a bias toward its use, let me quote an email I got from Graham Wood of Lehua Orchids:

Aloha Ray

It is time I gave you some feedback on my first three months using KelpMax.

Truly amazing!

I have been using it on our Phrags. Right at the time you suggested I try KelpMax I was beginning to wonder if our regular fertilizer was feeding our Phrags adequately as they were looking less than exciting. I was about to go thru the humbug of trying a different fertilizer when you suggested I try the KelpMax.

Month One
The leaves immediately went from a dull grayish green to a vibrant green

Month Two
We began to see new grow starting, often more than one new growth to a plant

Month Three
Spiking started on many different hybrids

This seems to have solved the issue I was having growing Phrags. I am very reluctant to try it on our Paphs as we are already growing those exceptionally well. However if I do find a new hybrid that is struggling it will find itself on the Phrag benches to see how it responds to KelpMax.

Thanks for introducing us to this product.

Hau’oli Makahiki Hou.
Graham

 

[Happypaphy7]

Ray-
Is Inocur (sp?) no longer around? Would you say Quantum is comparable to Inocur?

 

[Ray]

Ray-
Is Inocur (sp?) no longer around? Would you say Quantum is comparable to Inocur?

Unfortunately, Inocucor ceased production in January of 2020.

Quantum is not equivalent, in the least. It has some shortcomings (100% bacterial, and not bacterial and fungal) and some advantages (the nitrogen-fixing and photosynthetic species, and cheaper). In the year and a half I have used it, I can tell no change in the performance of the plants being treated.

I think this is a case of "something is better than nothing", but it's difficult to gauge the degree. Definitely, however, the more species, the better, as each exudes its own unique byproducts that affect the plant, so it's a matter of the extent of the "spectrum".

 

[Happypaphy7]

Unfortunately, Inocucor ceased production in January of 2020.

Quantum is not equivalent, in the least. It has some shortcomings (100% bacterial, and not bacterial and fungal) and some advantages (the nitrogen-fixing and photosynthetic species, and cheaper). In the year and a half I have used it, I can tell no change in the performance of the plants being treated.

I think this is a case of "something is better than nothing", but it's difficult to gauge the degree. Definitely, however, the more species, the better, as each exudes its own unique byproducts that affect the plant, so it's a matter of the extent of the "spectrum".

Thank you, Ray.

 

[alanbar]

Thanks, all. I agree that good cultivation is key. I think I will try Kelp Max. I do not have that many plants to easily do a comparative growth study, but it is worth a try. (I grow mostly Phals. Dendrobiums, Cattleyas, and Oncidiums in an apartment with light stands and adjacent natural light.)

 

[alanbar]

Are there any other kelp products that anyone has had success with?

 

[Ray]

I suppose that depends upon what you mean by “success”.

 

[cnycharles]

No plant death , greener, more flowers

 

[Ray]

Hah!!! There is nothing that guarantees no plant death, unless you start with artificial plants!

If you’re talking about stimulating growth, I refer you back to my previous reply - #5, above.

 

[cnycharles]

(*It) doesn’t cause plant death