Seaweed Extract for Potassium

[blupit007]

Ma,
 
  Here is where I found that recipe on Charlie's site...

http://www.hiddenvalleyhibiscus.com/care/houseplants.htm

[motherof4]

thanks

[Darkhorse]

Kristen, I was getting salt burn too, and have since changed my feeding program for what I hope is the better.  I feed w/ every watering:  1/2 tsp per gallon HVH special blend, 1/2 tsp per gal. supernova, 1/4 tsp per gallon seaweed extract, 1/8 tsp per gal iron chelate.  For plants wJ buds I skip fert. for a day once every 2 weeks and water w/ 2 tsp/gal booster.  So far so good...  they do like routine so best not to change it up.

[Cindy]

Hi Kristen, Jordan, and Lynette,

The houseplant formula is one I developed over many years in the cold northern mountains to keep my flowering houseplants growing and flowering in cold and low-light situations, to prevent root disease which happens so easily in cold weather, and to prevent gnat infestations, etc. Charlie and I have since honed it and tweaked it and have actually changed it since I put that formula on the website, so I should probably take it down. We started using it for sick hibiscus about 3 years ago when we turned out house into our hibiscus hospital and I became the hibiscus doctor. The basic idea is that hibiscus that are sick or live in a house are under stress, so we've tried to create a formula that takes minimizes stress, pumps up the plant's natural immunities and optimizes growth.

So here's the scoop on the current formula:

Houseplants need less nitrogen than outdoor plants in our experience and will burn more easily than outside plants because all the water is caught and taken back up by the plant - none of the nitrogen is lost. Plus spider mites seem to like nitrogen. Plus I usually don't want my houseplants to grow too huge. But houseplants need MORE potassium because it's so much harder to build flowers indoors. So the formula we use now provides 3/8 t of the Special Blend Fertilizer and 3/8 t of Booster per gallon of water - which is mild enough to use with every watering for years without burning the plants. (I've tested it on plants that I've kept like Bonsai plants in tiny 4" pots for 3-4 years, using the formula on them with every watering, and they stay healthy, grow enough to stay healthy but don't overgrow, keep blooming, and don't burn.)

-Iron Chelate and Magnesium Chelate: We've added both of these since I put that formula on the website, which is why I should maybe take the formula down. There's a hefty dose of both to help build chlorophyll and maximize photosynthesis in low-light situations.

- Super Nova (1 t per gallon of water) is in the formula already. If your plant is sick, you can safely add another teaspoon to give it a big boost. The 1 teaspoon in the formula is good for maintenance of healthy plants in stressful situations, like inside a house.

- Hydrogen peroxide is the first line of defense against root disease.

- Detergent, and old Farmer's Almanac trick, is the first line of defense against gnats, flies, the larval stage of thrips, and anything that burrows into the soil.

- Vinegar is just to get the right ph for hibiscus with tap water that is ph 7.0 or even a bit higher in many places. Ours can be as high as 7.5 at times.

Does this answer all your questions?

My newest quest is to find something I can add to the formula to prevent or deter spider mites!!!!!!!! So we're still tweaking with that goal in mind. Maybe a pipe dream, but one can always hope!!!! :-))))

Cindy

[Darkhorse]

I agree Cindy...  I will sing and dance the day someone comes up with something like a systemic miticide drench.

[blupit007]

Thanks Cindy,

  So, by houseplant, you mean in a pot.  Because all my pots are outside for the summer.  Also, I need to tweak my recipe a bit.  I need to get this Iron and Magnesium Chelate to add?  How much?  And I was only adding this formula once a week.  Not at every watering.  I must say, I have been giving this to my Vera Purple bougainvillea and it wont stop blooming!  As well as every other week to my small desert rose that I just got which was originally bloom-less, and it now has 2 beautiful flowers and looks so healthy.  It is the only watering that gets.  Attached is a photo of my bougainvillea.

Thanks for the advise, and also for talking with the weather gods last weekend.  Beautiful weather, beautiful day!
Kristen

[motherof4]

cindy....should i add vinegar if i already use the acid blend....and how much iron?>,,,lynette

[Cindy]

Hi Lynette and Kristen, Sorry I'm so slow to answer!

You don't need to use vinegar if you use the acid blend fertilizer. They serve the same purpose.

The current houseplant formula contains the equivalent of a little less than 1/8 teaspoon per gallon of water - just a small pinch. A little iron goes a very long way.

We've been trying to find a magnesium chelate to put in the Online Store, but haven't found one yet. What I use comes is the type Charlie uses in the greenhouse that comes in big drums. Maybe we could sell it in small bottles like the houseplant formula size. You only use a teeny bit of it! You could use it on your houseplants a couple times a year to keep them very healthy. So a small bottle would work.

Once a week is fine for your hibiscus, Kristen. When they're outside they need a lot more watering than inside plants do, plus they photosynthesize a lot more outside in summer sun. The formula is designed for use about once a week, so that's perfect. I don't think you really need to tweak anything though. Just keep doing what you're doing.

I'll try to change the formula on the website this week to match what we're currently doing. Sorry I let it get outdated! I'll see what I can do about a magnesium chelate too.  Magnesium is the central atom in chlorophyll, so boosting it does give houseplants a good green boost.

I hope this helps!
Cindy

[motherof4]

cindy...one more question...how many plants do you water with 1 gallon of water?...right now I am doing around 4....but I really dont know...and I also am looking forward to the open house on saturday!