maxsea Maxsea ratios

[DannieNinety]

I went through some old threads but couldn’t find this answered anywhere - I finally got some Maxsea courtesy of a guy in Canada via eBay but want to know the ratio people are mixing it?

I read to go lower than recommended so 1/4tsp to 1 gallon which I assumed since most of the sites talking about it are American I should go with a US gallon which is 3.7litres or the other option which is UK gallon at 4.5litres..

Just heard it’s a pretty strong fertiliser & don’t wanna harm any plants by using to much??

Thanks :)

[David Ahrens]

we are back to people being obsessed with fertilizing their plants. Why can't people just understand that CP's just don't need it are better if you just leave them alone.

[JuanP]

After a year of growing from my first plants, I'm a strong believer liquid ferts have their place, used in moderation, at very weak mixes.

I have given my plants every opportunity possible at catching their own food. Placed outside in the open, even solar led lanterns above the pots to attract the smaller insects that are too scared to roam around during the day.

But, the plants I used a liquid seaweed emulsion solution on (Drosera especially) have grown so fast, seedlings and root sprouts look bigger than the adults they came from.

Sarracenia and Neps I fill up once they open, then just top up with RO every now and then when I can see they are drying out.

Vft's even close when fed this solution, while misting them with RO, they remain open. Quite peculiar.

Also, traps that open wider than normal, indicating it's reached end of life and won't close again, if fed with the solution, stay alive and well far longer than traps left alone to dry and go black.

Once you get the hang of it, and not get brave in trying to mix stronger doses (fight the temptation, less is more, and still better than nothing) the plants respond very well.

I've even joked saying some of my plants are Vegetarians, growing better on the Seaweed than live prey....

[Richard Bunn]

Maxsea 1/2 tsp per 3.8L water (1 US gallon) sprayed until it starts to drip/run, during the growing season once or twice a month.

[JuanP]

That's the only point I differ on.

Spraying the solution over the plants, there is no way to avoid it going onto the substrate, and this will build up and burn the roots over time, surely? Even if you flush the pots regularly, with top watering (which not all seedlings like) the ferts will be in the soil, and peat being highly absorbent, it will retain some.

I use a syringe, so it only forms drops at the needles tip, then apply it only to the carnivorous leaves or inside the area where traps digest prey. I assume after a rain storm excess will be washed off and into the soil, but hopefully most nutrients would have been absorbed by the plant's leaves.

On my adult plants I do a top watering occasionally, then a day later take a tds reading of the tray water, to see if anything has leached into the soil and flushing through. Using 0ppm RO water, I give them a good flush if the tray water exceeds 10ppm. 

In any regard, it's always good practise to have a TDS pen around, and regularly test the trays. This ensures you always know if any rise in nutrients are happening in the pots.

[Richard Bunn]

7 hours ago, JuanP said:

That's the only point I differ on.

Spraying the solution over the plants, there is no way to avoid it going onto the substrate, and this will build up and burn the roots over time, surely? Even if you flush the pots regularly, with top watering (which not all seedlings like) the ferts will be in the soil, and peat being highly absorbent, it will retain some.

I use a syringe, so it only forms drops at the needles tip, then apply it only to the carnivorous leaves or inside the area where traps digest prey. I assume after a rain storm excess will be washed off and into the soil, but hopefully most nutrients would have been absorbed by the plant's leaves.

On my adult plants I do a top watering occasionally, then a day later take a tds reading of the tray water, to see if anything has leached into the soil and flushing through. Using 0ppm RO water, I give them a good flush if the tray water exceeds 10ppm. 

In any regard, it's always good practise to have a TDS pen around, and regularly test the trays. This ensures you always know if any rise in nutrients are happening in the pots.

I've never suffered any consequence at all from doing it via spraying.  No root burn.  I don't flush the pots from above at all. I have far too many plants to use the syringe technique.  I agree regarding a TDS pen.  Although, if you're flushing the pots while they're in the trays then that will run out of the pot into the tray and will eventually be taken back up into the soil via water from the tray. So flushing if constantly on the tray method seems a fruitless exercise.  IMO.

[osmosis]

On ‎6‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 12:11 PM, DannieNinety said:

 I read to go lower than recommended so 1/4tsp to 1 gallon which I assumed since most of the sites talking about it are American I should go with a US gallon which is 3.7litres or the other option which is UK gallon at 4.5litres..

I mix 1/4tsp in 2 litres, and pitcher feed sarracenias and nepenthes, from adults to seedlings. I've certainly not had any problems with this and I believe it is effective.