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how to use max sea fertiliser on nepenthes and sarracenia ?
- Thread starter Kleon2
- Start date
You can use it as a foliar feed by spraying the plants, or if you have Sarracenia indoors (especially seedlings) you can fill the pitchers up with it. This can be done with Nepenthes as well but you have to be very careful as only the lower part of the pitchers of many species can handle contact with high nutrient fluid and you can easily burn the pitcher walls by filling them up too much.
Some people will also use it as a regular soil fertilizer but its never seemed like a good idea to me. More nutrients in the soil will accelerate decomposition of the soil and can cause rapid algae growth. Too much soil fertilization can also result in reduced carnivory expression (fewer or under-formed pitchers) or potentially harm the plants as well.
Some people will also use it as a regular soil fertilizer but its never seemed like a good idea to me. More nutrients in the soil will accelerate decomposition of the soil and can cause rapid algae growth. Too much soil fertilization can also result in reduced carnivory expression (fewer or under-formed pitchers) or potentially harm the plants as well.
My experience with sarracenia: You have to mix the Maxsea granules with water. I use ¼ teaspoon per gallon of water for my young sarracenia seedlings. Some suggest ½ teaspoon but I have had problems with pitcher burn at that strength. I don’t fill pitchers with it anymore because I have gotten some deformed pitchers that way, now I just foliar spray them roughly once a week or so. There is no need to fertilize adult or young seedlings with big enough pitchers if you are growing them outside because they get plenty to eat on their own, and fertilizing them would be too much nutrients for them to handle.
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I've been using 1tsp per gallon as a foliar feed on all my plants without any issues (only D. prolifera hasn't liked that) and am actually increasing the concentration based on another grower's experience. I have in the past used 1/2tsp per gallon in Nepenthes pitchers which I found safe as long as I kept the fluid level in the digestion zone at the bottom of the pitcher. The problem with this is that the pitcher may naturally fill up with fluid on its own and burn itself if the fertilizer isn't absorbed fast enough. I only add fish food or insects to my Nepenthes pitchers now to avoid this, and use Maxsea as a foliar feed.
As stated above. Additionally, I use 1/4 tspn per gallon and I mist onto plants. If you do spray the plant, be mindful that water resting on the crown can be problematic. Fertilizing in this way can be done for some plants as soon as pitchers are visible on seedlings at a frequency of once a week.
I've been using MaxSea on my Nepenthes for 6 years or so with good results. While I began with a quarter strength application, I now use 1/2 tbsp per gallon (half the recommended for outdoor potted plants) every other week. I fill a 5 gallon bucket with water and appropriate amount of fert and douse media with fertilizer solution until liquid runs out the bottom. Fertilizer solution inevitably ends up all over the foliage, plant crown and pitchers with no observed negative consequences. My greenhouses are generously watered every 2-3rd day so I'd like to think nutrient/salt build up isn't a huge issue.
I realize this is a 5 year old thread, just thought someone might find my experience interesting/helpful
I realize this is a 5 year old thread, just thought someone might find my experience interesting/helpful
