K-Lite Update?

[Ray]

To-date, there are 52 people using the stuff, with widely-varying conditions in FL (7), CT (6), NY (4), PA (4), MD (3), NC (3), CT (2), IN (2), KY (2), MN (2), TX (2), GA, IA, MI, NM, OK, OR, TN, and VA, plus Canada, France, Holland, Israel, Italy, Norway and Sweden.

Bill Argo warned that we should look for deficiencies:

• Potassium deficiency - you will see an edge burn that starts on the lower leaves and works its way up the plant.
• Phosphorus deficiency - The growth will stall, and the plants will either take on a dark green cast, or they will have a reddish color in the older leaves.

I started using it in late December; several others began not long after that.

As I have used it the longest, and as many of my plants are in S/H culture - meaning all they ever get is nutrient from the applied solutions, and nothing from anywhere else - I figure that I'll be the first to see deficiencies, and I have not. In fact, my plants seems to be growing and blooming better - but I will not claim that to be any scientific evidence at this point. The plants went for six weeks getting nothing but RO water before I began the trial, in an attempt to flush as much from the environment as I could.

My feeling is that it will be a long time before we see benefits, if the theories we have discussed hold true. Those of that have fed with "regular" fertilizers for a long time probably have plants that are "saturated" to start with, so it will take time to deplete the excess. If the levels in the fertilizer are too low, those deficiency symptoms will show up before any potential benefits.

Any observations from others?

 

[Rick]

Sounds good Ray.

Although I didn't start with the official K lite until after you did, I started with my low K work around in early spring of 2011. So a bit over a year for my plants on a low K diet.

I think Rick H started his work around a few months later.

So far I'm really pleased with the results and seeing a good number of "beat up" oldies coming back.

Batches of new seedlings just chugging along instead of locking up and dieing.

So I'm feeling good.

 

[jtrmd]

I haven't really noticed much yet.

 

[keithrs]

I got lots of root growth but that my be do to kelp extract.

 

[SlipperKing]

All and all, I have been pleased with my results. I do have one concern that stands out among all others and is bud blast I'm experiencing currently. It's not isolated to type of Paph, multies, singles, sequencel. Two lawrenceanums side by side both growing buds, one drys off dead the other still growing normal. Multies, flowers opening normal on the spike but then the tip dies and I loose half the flowers or spike is developing and the first bud is coming along nicely, the next day I find the bud on the ground. Sealed off at the ovary but the remaining flowers continue to grow out normal.
In the old days before, Internet, I would always have bud blast in the summertime but isolated to the callosum, lawrenceanum type of plants never any of my multies.
Could this be due to low Potassium? I believe all other environmental conditions are with in the normal range for this time of the year
P.S. I should add I'm not seeing this issue with the Phrags

 

[Jim Toomey]

Hmmm, not seeing any bud blast problems here in Florida. Humidity is kept around 70-85% or so with a Hydrofogger. Paphs- multi-florals, sequential and singles are all growing stronger than years before. Cats, bulbos, vandas, phrags, dens, are all doing very well. So far everything is looking very healthy.
I wonder if the ground water quality may have changed due to a difference in rainfall from previous years.

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

Before I got K-lite, I'd been mixing my MSU with CaNO3, occasionally giving just CaNO3. So far, no signs of deficiency. Things seem to be growing well for the most part. Not sure if things are that much better, but definitely things are not worse.

 

[Rick]

In the old days before, Internet, I would always have bud blast in the summertime but isolated to the callosum, lawrenceanum type of plants never any of my multies.
Could this be due to low Potassium? I believe all other environmental conditions are with in the normal range for this time of the year
P.S. I should add I'm not seeing this issue with the Phrags

I'm not experiencing higher than normal bud blast Rick, but I don't have the quantities of plants that you do. My robelinii dropped the first buds on its spikes, but went on to have 5 or so successful blooms on each spike. I also moved it to a cooler/shadier spot this year to see if I could get better flower longevity (not much in that respect). The stonei are awesome. The handful of Catts I have seem to be blooming better than ever, and on a flower mass basis would probably beat out the multies as far as K demand. How's light levels this year?

 

[abax]

I'm extremely pleased with K-Lite. All my orchids and various other non-orchid plants are growing beautifully and
I've seen far more blooms that last longer. Even my Bearss dwarf lime tree is setting fruit like crazy. Anybody need limes? Definitely better in my gh than Jack's Pro.

 

[Ross]

No noticeable changes, yet, but it's still early.

 

[Rick]

In the old days before, Internet, I would always have bud blast in the summertime but isolated to the callosum, lawrenceanum type of plants never any of my multies.
Could this be due to low Potassium? I believe all other environmental conditions are with in the normal range for this time of the year

Rick How many of your plants got repotted after K-lite started? My roebelinii hadn't been repotted in several years, so I'm also wondering about shifts and releases in the potting mixes after shifting to reduced K (increased Ca/Mg)

 

[SlipperFan]

I've only been using K-lite for about a month, too little time to see any changes.

 

[emydura]

I have been doing my own version of low K, although not with the fertiliser Ray has provided. It involves using the slow release fertiliser MAGAMP, which I attach to my hose (N7, K5, P17.5, Mg7). Every time I water I use it. I also apply the fertiliser CMB (Ca-17%, Mg-4.0%, Boron-0.25%, N-12.1%, K-0.45%, Kelp and Fulvic Acid-19%). I apply the CMB mostly as a foliar fertiliser but I also apply it to the potting mix at a lower concentration every fourth watering.

I have been doing this since December (summer here) and have noticed a big improvement in my plants. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause as I changed a few things at once. Lower K, high concentrations of Ca and Mg, the use of kelp and fulvic acid, the use of a foliar fertiliser, MAGAMP hose attachment etc.

This roth seedling never increased in size in 10 years. Since the fertiliser change it has put that big new leaf on. It won't flower next year but if it keeps growing that well, it will flower one day. All my roths in particular have shown great improvements in growth. I had 3 or 4 that were hardly doing anything previously.



Many of the new leaves have got significantly wider than the previous leaves, such as in this Gary Romagna seedling.



One of my biggest problems has been getting my plants to put out multiple new growths. I had trouble getting them to clump. This is my roth that flowered late last year. Since using the fertiliser it has put out these 3 new leads. The lead on the right is coming from a new lead that is probably at least 18 months away from maturing. The growth that flowered previously has 3 new leads coming from the initial growth.



As with the roth, this Harold Koopowitz seedling put out a couple of new leads not long after changing fertilisers. This unflowered seedling now has 3 leads coming from it.



Overall my plants look fantastic, the best they have ever looked. The leaves are bigger, a deeper green and more rigid. I'm rapt with the change.

 

[emydura]

I forgot to add that it was the worst growing season I have experienced. It was cold and rainy basically the whole season. There was little sun or warmth which is unusual for Canberra. Despite this, it was the best my plants have grown.

 

[cattmad]

your plants sure look good david.

Brad

 

[Ray]

I was in a "Curing Rot" discussion on the OrchidSource forum, and I realized that, unlike other springs, and this one has been really screwy - sunny mornings, so I water, then dark and rainy afternoons that keep water from drying, and really cool temperatures - I have not had to do any rot treatments this year!

All I can figure is that the low-K plus higher Ca+Mg must be good at building up the resistance of the plants.

 

[keithrs]

I have on Paph philippinense.... First time I have had the problem of old growth leaves rotting.... But it's putting on about 7 new growths, last year I only got 2.

 

[Ross]

I was in a "Curing Rot" discussion on the OrchidSource forum, and I realized that, unlike other springs, and this one has been really screwy - sunny mornings, so I water, then dark and rainy afternoons that keep water from drying, and really cool temperatures - I have not had to do any rot treatments this year!

All I can figure is that the low-K plus higher Ca+Mg must be good at building up the resistance of the plants.

We've had the same frustrating type of weather this spring. In general, I was quite happy with my fertilizer before K-Lite with the exception that I tended to lose an occasional plant to rot. That is why I'm experimenting with it. So far, so good.

 

[Clark]

53.

 

[Kavanaru]

Non-Slippers feedback.... After long discussions with some friends that grow Catasetinae, and reading the posts about K-lite and plant resistance, we decide to give it a try this growing season in order to check whether we could control better the eternal problem of mites when you grow Catasetinae. Two of us have single greenhouses, one has two greenhouses... So, we are using K-Liter in 3 of them since about two months (quite a long period for Catasetinae, as the new growths need to reach maximal growth within 3-5 months). We almost have no major problems with mites this year in the greenhouses where we applied K-Lite. One or two plants infected, but we can control it pretty quick and they do not spread as quick as in previous years or in the non-treated greenhouse (no difference in this one, compared to previous years)