MSU Fertilizer

[kentuckiense]

Dang, where was it that I read that RO water was corrosive to metal pipes????? If RO water can have a ph of 7.5 or even 8 how can THAT be corrosive?

In Chemistry Lab, we got deionized water down to a pH of 5.5 simply by stirring it. The carbon dioxide in the air forms carbonic acid when mixed with the water.

 

[Ray]

In theory, if 100% of the dissolved solids are removed by the RO membrane, no matter what the input, the output is totally pure water and will have a pH of 7.00000000000000000...

However, no membrane is 100% efficient, so there still will be some minuscule amount of dissolved solids that can affect the pH, and as kentuckiense mentioned, gases absorbed from the atmosphere can affect it as well.

The reason that pure water can be so corrosive is that it's unbuffered, so the slightest amount of dissolved solids can make it quite corrosive, if they acidify it. If they make the water more basic, your copper pipes are likely to build up a deposit of copper hydroxide.

My well water has a pH of 4.7 coming out of the ground, and we neutralize it by injecting potassium carbonate solution into the incoming stream. If I forget, I get pinholes in the copper piping, and if i overdo the concentration, I get nice blue-green copper hydroxide and carbonate deposits in the shower.

 

[IdahoOrchid]

Thank you Ray, quite an understandable answer.

 

[NYEric]

My well water has a pH of 4.7 coming out of the ground, and we neutralize it by injecting potassium carbonate solution into the incoming stream. If I forget, I get pinholes in the copper piping, and if i overdo the concentration, I get nice blue-green copper hydroxide and carbonate deposits in the shower.

Cool you can grow stalactites !oke:

 

[wallyworld]

Well, I use something alittle different. I have been using Peters Excel 15-5-15-Ca5-Mg2 with good success. I don't have anyone local that I can get the MSU fertilizer but this is pretty close. I switch with Dyna-Gro 7-9-5 off and on where the plants don't get use to it.

 

[NYEric]

What does good success mean?

 

[Corbin]

If you have not read the 5 part article written by Bill Argo, Phd. (2003 IPA journal) it provides a comprehensive overview of water, fert, substrate, ph etc. Don't laugh I review it weekly and recently started to do pour through tests. Still learning and tweaking.

Can this article be found on the web and if so where?

 

[aquacorps]

Ray has them on his web site. http://www.firstrays.com/nutrition.htm

 

[MoreWater]

I think I'm going to try MSU.... but which formulation should I get? Most of my plants get tap water pushed through a Brita filter (don't laugh! it works and is my only option right now) to reduce the solids a bit. The pleuros get distilled water from a bottle. I only want to buy one type of MSU, so I'm thinking I should get it for the tap (pleuros don't eat much and I don't have that many of them...) and hopefully some customizing can be done for using it with distilled...?

And well and tap formulas - are they the same? They both seem to be 19-4-23.

Last question - does the stuff smell? I can't stand the smell of my bottle of cal-mag.....

 

[NYEric]

I recently swtched to Orchid Ltd Green Jungle fert and wow! Smells like fertilizer! No really strong even 50% dilute from mixing instructions, stinky. Hopefully that's the secret to it's success.

 

[goldenrose]

I think I'm going to try MSU.... but which formulation should I get? And well and tap formulas - are they the same? They both seem to be 19-4-23.Last question - does the stuff smell? I can't stand the smell of my bottle of cal-mag.....

One would assume that because they offer different formulas, they are not the same. 19-4-23 doesn't have much to do with the quality of the water that you are adding the fertilizer to. Well/tap waters have a higher mineral content &/ TDS levels. Rainwater & RO doesn't - zilch, very low. If I took that formula & used it with well water, it might be too strong.
I've never detected a smell.
I think it's good to rotate brands of fertilizers, things change in nature, why shouldn't it for our plants too?

 

[MoreWater]

Actually I was asking if well and tap formulas are the same. It seems websites offer either a well or a tap version, but not both.

 

[jblanford]

I buy it in 25# bags for the BATAVIA OS, from Hilltop Orchids,13-3-15-8 Ca-2 Mg. I break into 1# bags and sell it to members, it's a great deal for them and makes a little money for the OS. Jim.

 

[goldenrose]

Actually I was asking if well and tap formulas are the same. It seems websites offer either a well or a tap version, but not both.

Yes I would say so.

 

[SlipperFan]

Yes I would say so.

Yes. Well water/tap water are both ground water, having minerals. Whereas rain/RO/distilled do not. That's why there are two different formulas.

 

[Corbin]

Ray has them on his web site. http://www.firstrays.com/nutrition.htm

Thanks:rollhappy:

 

[SlipperFan]

So does Porter's Orchids. We carried them first!
http://portersorchids.com/catalog_info.htm#Plant Food

 

[littlefrog]

The well water formula is based on MSU's well water, not yours! Or at least not necessarily yours. It usually works.

 

[goldenrose]

The well water formula is based on MSU's well water, not yours! Or at least not necessarily yours. It usually works.

REALLY good point! and not all rain water is the same either!

 

[NYEric]

I believe that the OL Green Jungle fertilizer is actually making a difference in the couple of weeks I've been using it. It may be that it specifies 2 TABLESPOONS/gallon! But I think it really makes a diff and is MSU based.