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Maxsea Fertilizer on Nepenthes

  • #21
Suffice it to say: Nepenthes do better, a whole lot better, if you feed them. Exactly how you feed them though is a matter of personal choice in what works best for you and your personal environment and cultural practices. While it is possible to do alot of research on what has and hasn't worked for others, the trial and error to discover exactly which methods are best for each individual, falls on that individuals shoulders and noone elses. Whenever trying something new, that goes beyond the scope of tossing some crawly critters or fish food into the pitchers, it is always best to start slowly and with a few plants that are expendable, followed by careful observation and adjustments as necessary to achieve the results you are looking for.

another thing to keep in mind is there is such a thing as a bad batch.......i had a new bottle of pyrethrins that i normally use for pests fry a hamata.....though i have used pyrethrins on the plant with no ill effects in the past.....same brand, everything......b ut something was off with that batch and not only fried my hamata but also a few much tougher house plants......
 
  • #22
I would like to add that I have never heard of any fertilizer causing deformed leaves. Chemicals such as fungicides or insecticides can certainly cause deformed growth for a time. Damage from pests or diseases is another possibility. Overfeeding or feeding with too strong a concentration can cause burned plants or large leaves with small pitchers or no pitchers. Perhaps there is something else going on and by coincidence with the timing of your fertilization you are attributing your current situation to the fertilizer?
 
  • #23
I've used the stuff for over two years and at the full-strength and there is a tricky balance to learn before going all-out with the stuff.
I water with a glass or two of the fert, and a few more without only every so often (once a month if even?)
and regular water every fourth day (give or take according to season)

Use too much and you get big, green floppy leaves with no pitchers. By doing that though you can give them harsher light it seems. Never seen truely deformed leaves as a result from over-fertilizing though.

With lfs, if the stuff isn't live and growing and you overwater it will get soggy. Fertilize too much on top of that and it will get some slimy algae. When the stuff is live and growing and you fertilize, the moss will grow like gangbusters and could cover small Neps quickly.

For mixes that aren't well drained, you could get that algae on the surface, but that probably means that the media is not well-drained enough as it is.

I'm thinking that the media is not well-drained enough, too wet & waterlogged and the rising temps of Summer from Spring and maybe possible pests/diseases are the main culprits with the fert just adding algae and making it look worse.

I'll stand by Max Sea... it's good stuff!
 
  • #24
I am "Old School" as far as fertilizing goes for my CP's. I don't fertilize with any chemicals. I do fertilize/feed all my Neps twice a month with live insects ( crickets or roaches ). Mother nature provides the best fertilizer/food for CP's especially Neps. It can be very time consuming to feed every Nep pitcher twice a month but I enjoy it, and the plants grow better because of it. At least I think they grow better; might be in my own mind.
There are many on this forum who fertilize and have great results. I have thought about using one of these organic based fertilizer after veiwing the results but have decided if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
 
  • #25
If Capslock and Philcula use it, based on the quality of their plants, I would guess it works pretty well.
I read all this quick(I am on a lunch break), and may have missed this point, but if not...
Since this is an organic product...might it possibly have an expiration date(like non-processed foods)? If so, is it possible you got out dated product?

Cheers,

Joe
 
  • #26
A thread was recently removed from the forum at the request of the original author. Since there was a lot of good discussion and valuable information in that thread, I thought it was important to have it available for others to read, comment on, and search for.

So... many of the substantive responses have been copied from the original thread into this new one. Some of the continuity may be a little off since many of the responses were not copied due to lack of substance or arguments. For context, the initial post was against using Maxsea (and warning others not to use it) since the user noticed health decline (and a death of a plant) after using Maxsea. If you have any experiences, positive or negative in using Maxsea, go ahead and post it here. I also can't change the timestamps so I will have to just copy this message into the first message of the copied posts.

xvart.
 
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  • #27
Bump.

xvart.
 
  • #28
In the new CP newletter (check it out if your a member of ICPS) has a great article on Maxsea. It has a few well known growers stating great results! In fact one well know nursery uses it on almost all their CP's! I find that amazing! I personaly do not fertilize as I have great growth with out it, but articles like these make me think otherwise! Also there is a great article/test report on fertilizing Sarrs that I found to be a great read.
 
  • #29
I'd like to thank the contributors (& the mods) for this excellent information-filled thread. However, with only a few exceptions (Capslock & Philcula), most people who offered their dosing regimen referenced their concentration as a percent or fraction of the full or recommended dose. With some fertilizers, this is obvious. While I suspect that I'm reading too much into this, I'm curious if all the people who referenced 'the full dose' are referring to the 1 heaping tablespoon per gallon concentration or one of the others mentioned on the label (ie: full dose for indoor containers with intermittent feeding is 2 level teaspoons per gallon every 7 to 14 days - since most of us grow our plants indoors...)?

Here's a shot of the label:
MaxseainstructionsRS.jpg
 
  • #30
Heck, I got some advice from Capslock up at Peter's nursery up in July about MaxSea. I decided to try it out for myself on N. x Ventrata and N. clipeata x (clipeata x eymae), two of my worst growers, and expendable nonetheless. I used about a tablespoon per gallon per month, around the recommended dosage.

After two fertilization, I noticed that the N. clip x (clip x eymae) sped up its growth and is working on a new leaf pace, 1 leaf in 1 1/2 months. I'd say that I'd give it a thumbs up. I also tried a more dilute application on N. khasiana, N. copelandii, and a large N. sanguinea (Not Blood Red). There have been positive reactions so far. :)

Christopher.
 
  • #31
*necropost*

Anyone have any Maxsea 16-16-16 updates? I'm curious now that you've been using for a couple months, what do you think of it and what have your experiences been?
 
  • #32
*necropost*

Anyone have any Maxsea 16-16-16 updates? I'm curious now that you've been using for a couple months, what do you think of it and what have your experiences been?

If I could find my camera (*facepalm*), I could demonstrate the results...

Now, onto the leaf measurements (from the leaf before I started fertilizing, then the actual next leaf):

N. copelandii: From 4 inches to 7 1/2 inches... faster growth as well
N. khasiana: 3 inches to 4 inches... faster growth as well
N. hamata: 1 inch to 1 1/2... and I thought that it grew faster before
N. sanguinea: 4 inches to 8 inches
N. clip x (clip x eymae): 3 inches to 4 inches... faster than ever
N. Deroose alata: 2 inches to 3 inches
N. alata "Boschiana Mimic": 3 inches to 4 inches

... I'd say it works pretty well. :p

I have not seen burn on any of my Neps, just improvement.
 
  • #33
Don't use full 2 tb on N. campanulatas.... they burn easily.

On macrophyllas they get terrific leaf growth but no pitchers. Worth the sacrifice.
 
  • #34
Awright! I gotta go out and USE my MaxSea.

I would prefer to fertilize foliarly. How much per gallon? Once mixed, does it have a shelf life? I can mix it into a bottle of distilled water and then put a bit at a time into the spray bottle.
 
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  • #37
*bump*


Reading through this thread again, I've noticed that it answers several questions that growers sometimes ask me about fertilization. Definitely worth a read for those of you considering using this product, or for those of you hesitant about using chemical fertilizers.

In conjunction with Grow More urea-free, coffee, and Beta Bites, I like to occasionally use Maxsea, in order to add the necessary Boron and Sulfur (required for membrane function and as a component of protein and coenzymes) that isn't found in the Grow More (granted, these elements, along with a plethora of others, can be found in coffee). It may seem strange to some that I would use this many forms of nutrients for my plants, but staggering your fertilizers can help ensure that you are not depriving your plants of the necessary macro- or micronutrients, of which even the smallest amount can be beneficial for their overall survival (for example, plants contain only one molybdenum atom for every 60 million hydrogen atoms, not including water, yet they will die without it.)

This being said, many people are able to provide evidence that their plants are growing perfectly well without any extra feeding, so it's up to the individual to choose which style of cultivation best suits them.
 
  • #38
*bump*

... even the smallest amount can be beneficial for their overall survival (for example, plants contain only one molybdenum atom for every 60 million hydrogen atoms, not including water, yet they will die without it.

I'm picturing you counting them! ;-)
 
  • #39
I used Maxsea for about 6 months (once a month at 1/4 strength).
It did improve the growth of the Nep's, but it also grew some nasty molds/fungus' in the trays.
I am now using betta bites and hand feeding the pitcher's once a month. Terrific results, and not as much tray washing.
 
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