# Seaweed Product [Results after 8 months]



## eggshells (Sep 16, 2012)

The title of the thread says it all. It's been around 8 months since Rick told me about the seaweed brand that he was using. I was fortunate to find the same brand in the local hydroponic store. 

I have never really paid very close attention since this morning and was quite surprised about the roots that are coming out of the pots and growing and grabbing the mesh.

Needless today I am very happy with the seaweed supplement. I am still unsure if the vigorous growth will have an effect with blooming and will suppress flowering in trade of growths. However, most plants seems to be normal and blooming in their seasons with normal flowers. In fact a good amount of them are either in sheath and in bud.

I guess a picture speaks a thousand words so here are a few of them. These are all potted just this spring and summer.:

Here is one of my P. philippinense roots

















roths:


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## eggshells (Sep 16, 2012)

hang:

there is more in the other side of the pot.






stonei roots growing in the mesh and circling around
















So just a few pictures because there is too many to post but I thought some people may find it interesting.


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## Rick (Sep 16, 2012)

Eggshells

Didn't you change the rest of your fertilizer regime too?


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## eggshells (Sep 16, 2012)

The only thing I did is that I reduce fertilizing significantly. Just 1ml/gallon of water and feed every two weeks. And seaweed (same amount) alternately. However, when I was asking about water quality. Leo mentioned that my tap water was fine and so I did just that. Just use plain tap water however I don't let it dry out as per his instructions. I think it is important to note that it has lots of ca/mg. Maybe around 60 ppm ca and and 20 ppm mg.


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## billc (Sep 16, 2012)

Those are some nice looking roots. The leaves look nice and healthy also.

Bill


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## emydura (Sep 16, 2012)

The roots look amazing. You are obviously doing something right.


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## Justin (Sep 16, 2012)

great growing, the plants are grown perfectly.


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## Stone (Sep 16, 2012)

Very nice growing! Are they ''wet'' trays they are sitting on?


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## eggshells (Sep 16, 2012)

Stone said:


> Very nice growing! Are they ''wet'' trays they are sitting on?



It's just my drip catcher tray. When I water I just put the whole mesh tray in the sink with the pots then I flush them with water. That's why I didn't really see the root activity until I checked them one by one or repot them.

Here is the malipoense that is pushing the side of the pot and these are not flimsy pot. They are thick rands pots.
















Also a this used to be two growth spicerianum in flower that I posted last year around this time (October 2011). It's nine growth plant now.


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## SlipperFan (Sep 16, 2012)

Beautiful roots!


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## NYEric (Sep 16, 2012)

Nice, and great looking growing area.


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## Stone (Sep 16, 2012)

eggshells said:


> It's just my drip catcher tray. When I water I just put the whole mesh tray in the sink with the pots then I flush them with water. That's why I didn't really see the root activity until I checked them one by one or repot them.
> 
> Here is the malipoense that is pushing the side of the pot and these are not flimsy pot. They are thick rands pots.
> 
> ...



Thats a beautiful malipo!! I love this sp. even without flowers.


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## Ozpaph (Sep 17, 2012)

Whatever you do dont change anything!
Superbly grow plants.


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## Linus_Cello (Sep 17, 2012)

What is the seaweed extract supplement you're using?


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## eggshells (Sep 17, 2012)

> What is the seaweed extract supplement you're using?



I thought I wrote it but I guess not. It's seaplex by botanicare.


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## keithrs (Sep 17, 2012)

Any cold pressed kelp product should give you similar results.


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## Rick (Sep 17, 2012)

I'm not sure if the kelp can get all the credit as opposed to cutting NPK and boosting Ca/Mg


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## Linus_Cello (Sep 17, 2012)

So something like Neptune's harvest is a "cold pressed kelp product" (see link)?
https://www.treepeony.com/templates...Neptune’s Harvest- fish/seaweed blend, 36 oz.

I'll want to use it soon while my plants are outside (boy is it fishy smelling).


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## keithrs (Sep 17, 2012)

Yes, Neptune has great products. I use there fish and kelp blend in my own garden.


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## eggshells (Sep 17, 2012)

If kept in the fridge. it doesn't smells much.


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## billc (Sep 17, 2012)

eggshells said:


> If kept in the fridge. it doesn't smells much.



I wonder if it would pass the wife test

Bill


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## SlipperKing (Sep 17, 2012)

Rick said:


> I'm not sure if the kelp can get all the credit as opposed to cutting NPK and boosting Ca/Mg



I don't know Eggshells, I don't use any seaweed product and my roots are compatible to yours. As Rick said, cut back on NPK and upping the Ca/Mg may get some of that credit.


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## terryros (Sep 17, 2012)

Need to add that KelpMax that Ray is currently selling,and that I have used for many months, has almost no detectable odor. I do keep the bottle refrigerated between use. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## keithrs (Sep 17, 2012)

SlipperKing said:


> I don't know Eggshells, I don't use any seaweed product and my roots are compatible to yours. As Rick said, cut back on NPK and upping the Ca/Mg may get some of that credit.



Bragger!!!!oke:


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## eaborne (Sep 18, 2012)

Outstanding growing! How do you make the potting mix that you use?


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## eggshells (Sep 18, 2012)

It could very well be a combination of different things.

@Eron its a combination of fine bark, perlite, charcoal with a few shakes of dolomitic lime or oyster shell. Depending on the species.


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## The Mutant (Sep 20, 2012)

I haven't used seaweed extract that long, only 6 months, but I've noticed some serious root growths among all my orchids. As a matter of fact, some of the Phals have turned into "root monsters" as I call them, and are in dire need of being repotted despite them being repotted around six months ago or an even less. One of my young Phals has changed pot size three times now, during this time period, and has started to grow out of its latest pot, but I refuse to repot it again. It's now planning to do some premiere blooming with two spikes.

The only Paph I can see the root system of is my cerveranum, and it has grown like mad since I got it, _and_ it's planning to bloom again. 

I'll see if I can upload some pictures tomorrow on my crazy ones.


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## The Mutant (Sep 21, 2012)

Here is my worst root monster, my Phal. schilleriana:
This guy was shipped to me bare rooted in February and had some trouble adapting to my care and establish itself (it fell out of the pot among other things) until I potted it in the medium I use for 95% of my collection, bark/sphagnum/perlite, after that it took off like I don't know what.











Here's another of my monsters, my NoID Phal. Snow Mound (not registered) which I got around the same time as my schill. Funny thing about this one is that I was told that the nursery it came from is known for plants with a weak root system:











No monster, my little Paph. cervernaum, but its root system has grown very well I think:





Same with my Paph. Ashburtoniae, which I haven't had that long:





The little bastard is escaping from the pot...


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## Ray (Sep 21, 2012)

Auxins will stimulate root growth to a degree, but they primarily stimulate root tip growth.

If they are playing a role, you will really see extensive branching, more than just lengthening.


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## The Mutant (Sep 21, 2012)

Ray said:


> Auxins will stimulate root growth to a degree, but they primarily stimulate root tip growth.
> 
> If they are playing a role, you will really see extensive branching, more than just lengthening.


I have some that are branching quite happily, but most of them just get lots and lots of roots. Seems pretty obvious to draw the conclusion then, that most of my Phals are insane if the seaweed extract doesn't influence them as much as I thought.


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## hardy (Sep 21, 2012)

Thanks for sharing the cool pics. Very healthy plants for sure!!!


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## eggshells (Sep 24, 2012)

Nice Roots the mutant.

By the way I repotted one of the philippinense that I got this May with no roots. I gave it an artificial roots with the form twist tie to stabilize the plant. I can't remove it now and I had to cut the pot to unpot it.


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## SlipperFan (Sep 24, 2012)

Impressive!


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## fibre (Sep 25, 2012)

:clap::clap::clap:


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## Ozpaph (Sep 27, 2012)

seriously good roots there!


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## Haime (Sep 27, 2012)

Lovely roots. Btw, how do many to not get algae going in your clear pots?


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## eggshells (Sep 27, 2012)

Hi Haime, I grow it inside, I am not really sure why I have trouble growing algae. Maybe someone here can tell you?


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## Rick (Sep 27, 2012)

The blue green slimes can grow in almost no light, so indoor vs outdoor is not the answer.

The bluegreen slimes really thrive under high NPK buildup.

So running much lower fertilizer rates and/or having a good flush rate could be keeping the environment to sparse for the algae.


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## Paphman910 (Sep 27, 2012)

Rick said:


> The blue green slimes can grow in almost no light, so indoor vs outdoor is not the answer.
> 
> The bluegreen slimes really thrive under high NPK buildup.
> 
> So running much lower fertilizer rates and/or having a good flush rate could be keeping the environment to sparse for the algae.




I agree with Rick on that! Algae grows on moss easily.


Paphman910


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## Rick (Sep 27, 2012)

Paphman910 said:


> Algae grows on moss easily.
> 
> 
> Paphman910



And when that starts to happen, the moss often dies. This goes back to the conversations on EC we recently had.


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