K-Lite-EA

[Califoutdoors]

…the plants will perform way better with the extra ammonium. It could go higher even…

I agree. I think I’m going to order Ray’s 15% formula (‘cause there ain’t too many games in town), but I would have liked to have seen more like 30% ammonium, maybe even a touch of urea…

 

[Arne]

Remember, it is very important to store fertilizers containing urea dry in a sealed container.

 

[Roots]

Remember, it is very important to store fertilizers containing urea dry in a sealed container.

Thank you.

 

[Ray]

A while back, I experimented with adding some urea and ended up with a series of rots. Intellectually, I doubt a connection, but I saw what I saw.

 

[Roots]

Hummmm, interesting. I added some to my watering this past month and have seen some mold appearing. Unfortunately, there were a lot of other changes as well so it is difficult to establish any sort of cause and effect. Something to keep in mind. Thank you.

 

[Arne]

In contrast to all the other components in a fertilizer, urea is an organic compound. Diluted in water it can definitely serve as a carbon source for bacteria, probably also for fungi.

 

[Roots]

In contrast to all the other components in a fertilizer, urea is an organic compound. Diluted in water it can definitely serve as a carbon source for bacteria, probably also for fungi.

Good point. Although, in organic potting medium there are all kinds of carbon sources. I suppose it depends on how readily the molecule breaks down. I do have to say I am not liking what I am seeing with urea added to my solution.

On a tangential note, this article popped up in my Google search today. It is old and deals only with phalaenopsis, but it is the first evidence I have found that paphs might be able to use urea when potted in inorganic medium.

https://www.researchgate.net/public..._can_absorb_urea_directly_through_their_roots

 

[gonewild]

I'm seeing positive results adding urea for my Phrags growing in leca.

 

[Califoutdoors]

Interesting twist to this thread for me. I’m adding urea starting tomorrow…

 

[Ray]

Be careful, being it’s a 46-0-0 fertilizer, a little goes a long way and can be easily overdone.

0.82 grams/gallon is a 100 ppm N solution.

 

[Califoutdoors]

Be careful, being it’s a 46-0-0 fertilizer, a little goes a long way and can be easily overdone.

0.82 grams/gallon is a 100 ppm N solution.

Hey Ray, how are ya—your nitrogen dosing calculator has been a God-send in helping me to figure out the urea dosing. I plan on starting with 1/8 tsp/gallon, for 65-68 ppm/N. I also had to really look for a finer grade of urea that could be measured this minutely; most comes in larger granule sizes.

Thanks for that calculator!

 

[Nelson Wong]

I am willing to do an experiment. I have some hainanese seedlings that I can grow side by and side do some measurements for you if you want


I have to repot my compot and will be doing a substrate comparison between my regular orchid bark + potting soil + perlite vs rockwool.

I am also do a rock wool comparison between my current fertilizer (which is what selectorchid gave me) and your new k-lite.

 

[Ray]

Hey Ray, how are ya—your nitrogen dosing calculator has been a God-send in helping me to figure out the urea dosing. I plan on starting with 1/8 tsp/gallon, for 65-68 ppm/N. I also had to really look for a finer grade of urea that could be measured this minutely; most comes in larger granule sizes.

Thanks for that calculator!

You can always make a urea solution then dilute it further to get the concentration down.

I am willing to do an experiment. I have some hainanese seedlings that I can grow side by and side do some measurements for you if you want


I have to repot my compot and will be doing a substrate comparison between my regular orchid bark + potting soil + perlite vs rockwool.

I am also do a rock wool comparison between my current fertilizer (which is what selectorchid gave me) and your new k-lite.

Look here

 

[Califoutdoors]

Ray said:

You can always make a urea solution then dilute it further to get the concentration down.


I thought of that, but the general consensus I found said not to do this, and to use any fresh mixed urea solution within a couple of days…?

 

[Arne]

Ray said:

You can always make a urea solution then dilute it further to get the concentration down.


I thought of that, but the general consensus I found said not to do this, and to use any fresh mixed urea solution within a couple of days…?

Consensus? Where did you read this?

 

[Califoutdoors]

Consensus? Where did you read this?

All over the net. Google search for storing mixed urea. Here’s one I paid attention to:

“…As far as storing premixed: Urea solutions should always be freshly prepared and used, as solutions of urea may develop a significant concentration of reactive cyanate ions upon standing and could become harmful…” ~ Sigma AgriScience

 

[Arne]

If we forget the use as fertilizer for a moment, urea is used professionally to gradually denature proteins (that's what I do). But the presence of small amounts of cyanate can cause problems as it can chemically modify the proteins. The conversion to cyanate is quite slow, however, and the low concentrations formed are not toxic to plants anyway. Cyanate is then further broken down into carbon dioxide and ammonium/ammonia.

Yes, for protein research, a urea solution should be used within 2-3 days or so.
But for the purpose of fertilizing plants, you can very well make a stock solution containing urea.

 

[Ray]

All over the net. Google search for storing mixed urea. Here’s one I paid attention to:

“…As far as storing premixed: Urea solutions should always be freshly prepared and used, as solutions of urea may develop a significant concentration of reactive cyanate ions upon standing and could become harmful…” ~ Sigma AgriScience

So what’s the big deal? Urea is cheap.

Put 1/2 teaspoon in a quart of water to make a 1000 ppm N solution. Add 12.8 ounces of that to a gallon of water to make a 100 ppm N solution and dump the rest down the drain.

 

[orchids007]

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit one of Holland's largest producers of orchids for the supermarket and garden center market. At the end of the visit I asked if I could see the room where they prepare the fertilizer solutions they use for production. This company doesn't use commercial fertilizers, but everything they need to prepare their own fertilizer solutions for distribution. I saw large 250-litre tanks all connected to dosing pumps or electronic flow regulators, all connected to a computer. These tanks were labelled: Urea Potassium nitrate Calcium nitrate Phosphate and trace elements. There's no doubt that large-scale production uses a lot of nitrogen in the form of urea, and ... successfully. This grower cultivates orchids of the Brassia, Zygopétalum, Oncidium, Paphiopedilum varieties and some green plants of the Aglaonema family.