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Maxsea - is it really that good?

I've been doing a lot of reading about the benefits of Maxsea, and It sounds like people swear by the stuff - with results ranging from bringing back plants from the dead to turning plants into monsters.

But here in the great white north, it's a bit tricky to get hold of the stuff. I'm currently feeding my neps with 1/4 strength Shultz Orchid food, but I'm a sucker for anything that will give my plants the edge.

My question is, has anyone noticed a dramatic difference in using Maxsea upon switching from another fertilization method?
 
I'm not sure how many people have done comparisons between Maxsea and other fertilizers. When you buy a container of the stuff, it's basically a lifetime supply so if it works, why try anything else? I have read some concern about it containing urea which orchid fertilizers tend not to. I have also read about someone who raised a Sarracenia from seed to producing a flower bud in 14 months using I believe a mixture of humic acid and Maxsea.
 
Schultz is
20-20-15
Total Nitrogen (N)...... 20.00%
3.80% Ammoniacal Nitrogen
4.20% Nitrate Nitrogen
12.00% Urea Nitrogen

While Maxsea comes in 16-16-16, 14-18-14, or 3-20-20
The main difference is that the nitrogen in Maxsea is not derived from urea. Epiphyte plants are not able to utilize urea nitrogen. Urea based nitrogen fertilizer is, in my experience, usually less expensive to purchase. Maxsea is not the only one out there but many consider it to be the best. FWIW, I don't use any schultz products on my orchids.
 
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I experimented with MaxSea, some time ago, for about a year, after I had heard of some growers' phenomenal successes; though, in my experience, it only encouraged mats of algal growth -- and I found myself repotting a number of plants, as a direct result. A few other growers have also experienced it . . .
 
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If you're fertilizing the soil, I'd be surprised if there was any fertilizer that didn't promote algae growth. I just started using Maxsea and have been adding it to Heliamphora and small Nepenthes pitchers where it seems to be getting the job done. I also use it as a foliar feed on Pinguicula and Roridula and will be adding it to Sarracenia seedling pitchers once my seeds sprout.
 
I use Dyna-Gro 'Orchid-Pro' 8 oz. and have had no issues whether I add to media for neps or foliar feed for any of my cps. I did have a problem with rapid pitcher die off when I put a dilute amount in the pitcher itself one time. I also use it for my orchids of course.
 
I also experienced extreme algae growth when I used Maxsea to fertilize Nepenthes media...enough to break down the lfs and turn it into anaerobic sludge. However, I still use it with a pipette to feed Sarracenia pitchers and Pinguicula leaves.

For Nepenthes / Cephalotus I now use osmocote pellets dropped into the pitchers, 1 pellet per pitcher. (I've heard of people putting in 3-4 depending on size, but I haven't tried that yet)

I also use osmocote in my Sarracenia seedling media, which does not seem to promote the same algal growth I saw with maxsea.

Kinda rambling a bit. Point is, maxsea is good stuff, and I would trust it with my plants more than another off-the-shelf fertilizer. It also contains micro-nutrients and trace elements that many fertilizers do not.
 
I have used Maxsea a month ago on my outdoor container bog. I has produced phenomenal results. Everything that has come out of dormancy has produced either 4 or 5 pitchers at a time or thrown a couple flowers at fast speeds. my Sarr. Purp. has gone bonkers. I haven't had an algae issue however, but that might be because I keep the plants outside and i have a solar pump recirculating the water to the plants.
 
If you're fertilizing the soil, I'd be surprised if there was any fertilizer that didn't promote algae growth.

I typically used 1:4 strength 30:10:10 on seedlings, on their compost -- roughly the same dilution as that of MaxSea -- without any incidences of algal growth or peat / sphagnum moss break-down . . .
 
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So largely positive. I have Orchids as well, and I'm wondering if I could use it on them too.

I think I might try and order some online and see if I can get it over the border.

- - - Updated - - -

What has been your regime for dosing Maxsea on your bog garden? Do you spray and then flush with pure water?

I have used Maxsea a month ago on my outdoor container bog. I has produced phenomenal results. Everything that has come out of dormancy has produced either 4 or 5 pitchers at a time or thrown a couple flowers at fast speeds. my Sarr. Purp. has gone bonkers. I haven't had an algae issue however, but that might be because I keep the plants outside and i have a solar pump recirculating the water to the plants.
 
  • #11
I just checked - the brand I have is the SCHULTZ Orchid Liquid Plant Fertilizer 15-5-5
 
  • #12
According to the savage garden, maxsea "has been shown to benefit all things botanical" and is the only fertilizer safe for sphagnum moss. So I think it would be safe with your nepenthes. I've never used the stuff myself though.
 
  • #13
I lightly sprinkled the foliage and exposed rhizomes with a 1/2 tsp. per gallon. I watered afterwards but didn't bother flushing. I have a pump recirculating the water to the media, so I never have had an issue with buildup. I do this once a month. In my experience my sundews were the only ones that didn't like the fertilizing.
 
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  • #14
Do anyone know which kelp species they are using? It is difficult to get info from their web site. I found the mineral contents in WA I'm guessing that it is Ascophyllum nodosum like MaxiCrop. Some studies have compared effectiveness of Phytohormones (mainly auxins and cytokinins) from different methods and species of kelp. Kelp (KelpMax), derived from Ecklonia maxima, seems to have a slight edge. I vaguely remember that the powdered form Kelp (MaxCrop) was less effective than the liquid form.

Info about Chemical (inorganic) part can be found, but for some reason, the company doesn't put up this kind of basic information.
Fertilizer Product Information
According to this, the inorganic part seems to be incomplete (i.e. it is to be used with tap water as Ca and Mg source).

Also, do carnivorous plants like to have such high P and K? I haven't looked into the science behind carnivorous plant mineral nutrients (there isn't so many I can find), but many plants growing in nutrient poor condition can recycle K (and P) well, so there is an advantage to use lower P and K to reduce TDS.

Has anyone measured EC or TDS of MaxiCrop?

So overall, Maxsea might work OK, but it seems that combining the complete inorganic fertilizer (e.g. MSU, Dyna-gro, K-Lite etc.) with liquid form MaxiCrop or other Kelp seems to be more promising in theory.
 
  • #15
My nepenthes and some sarracenia are what benefit most from it, I've noticed the neps have been making more pitchers, larger leaves and pitchers, and keeping them longer since I've started adding a spray of maxsea to pitchers once or twice a month depending on the size of the plant. Seems to be helping my sarrs to wake up more comfortably, too. No algae so far here, I echo the others here thinking that that might be more due to the maxsea getting into the media. After the results I've seen in the last few months, I'd recommend it.
 
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