Urea fertilizer - outstanding results

[Justin]

i switched from Calcium Nitrate to Urea about 2 years ago.

 

[troy]

Urea base fertilizers will say urea base? I found a fertilizer the picture I posted on this thread, it has urea in it, would you reccomend it?

 

[consettbay2003]

I think it is important to remember that while a fertigation solution with a TDS of 150 appears a bit low the urea does not register on a TDS meter. The increase from the TDS reading of 100 for the tap water is increased by the potassium, phosphorus and other elements in the 30-10-10 fertilizer.
The urea is adding 49 ppm of nitrogen.

 

[Justin]

The 150 TDS is what i measure out of the tap so the solution with fertilizer is probably 200 +. I am just going off of memory... The battery in my TDS pen is dead so I can't confirm.

 

[gego]

Agree, urea doesn't show, it's not salt. Also the ph is neutral. So it could be that the solution starts at neutral ph then goes negative as the urea is broken down, ph goes up and down depending on what nutrient is taken up by the plant. This is just my double E thinking here so don't get excited.

So we are only talking about nitrogen here, what about the uptake of the other nutrients, do they also affect the ph on the roots? The other macros are bases, so when they are absorbed is there an exchange of charges also?

Not very good in chemistry but I can understand charges pretty well. I hope the chemistry gurus in the forum will respond.

 

[gonewild]

So we are only talking about nitrogen here, what about the uptake of the other nutrients, do they also affect the ph on the roots?

Yes, most nutrients are affected by pH. Some more so than nitrogen.

 

[gego]

I mean when the other nutrients are absorbed thru the roots, is there any exchange of charges like the nitrogen uptake? And how?

So if potassium is taken up by the plant, does the process make the ph of the roots more acidic or basic? Or nothing.

Thanks Lance

 

[gonewild]

I mean when the other nutrients are absorbed thru the roots, is there any exchange of charges like the nitrogen uptake? And how?

So if potassium is taken up by the plant, does the process make the ph of the roots more acidic or basic? Or nothing.

Thanks Lance

Yes there is.
Read this to get the basics....
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/mauisoil/c_relationship.aspx

 

[gego]

This is great!!!! Thanks alot.

 

[polyantha]

Hi polyantha,

Have you continued with your urea feeding? If so are you getting good root growth as well?

Hi stone, from the time I noticed the leaf color was good and the new growths were starting to grow I switched to another (standard) fertilizer because it is better for the roots. The Idea was to get those growths to a good size very fast. And they did. The new starter growths of P. gigantifolium you see at the first page of the post are now almost mature with leafs as long as 45cm /18in. It is a big plant now that has doubled its size within a year. I am looking forward to seeing a spike this winter.

 

[Happypaphy7]

How about this? oke:

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11104-008-9852-5

I used to use Miracle Grow brand fertilizer with a lot of urea in it. I've also used other stuff like Tomato fertilizers.
I honestly never saw any differences at all.
Things all grew just fine for me.

 

[paphioland]

How about this? oke:

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11104-008-9852-5

I used to use Miracle Grow brand fertilizer with a lot of urea in it. I've also used other stuff like Tomato fertilizers.
I honestly never saw any differences at all.
Things all grew just fine for me.

You don't even need an article to see this.

 

[Ozpaph]

How about this? oke:

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11104-008-9852-5

I used to use Miracle Grow brand fertilizer with a lot of urea in it. I've also used other stuff like Tomato fertilizers.
I honestly never saw any differences at all.
Things all grew just fine for me.

good article - thanks

 

[Stone]

I used this quite a lot over summer. Mainly Urea.
Very good!
http://www.bunnings.com.au/manutec-600g-orchid-food_p2961293

 

[eds]

Sorry to drag up an old thread but it seemed better than starting a new one.

I'm wondering if anyone is still using urea based fertilisers and still getting good results? Or anyone who stopped using it due to bad results?

From reading various threads I'm wondering if alternating fertiliser types at low concentrations might give the best of all worlds? I've bought some of this to try, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Envii-Seaf...d=1552120741&sr=8-25&keywords=urea+fertiliser which says it has NPK ratio of 19:0:1.5 which seems promising and extra urea and iron as well as being made from seaweed. I'm thinking of alternating this with a rain mix / CaCO3 mix to supply nitrate and urea and whether it will be of benefit.

 

[Justin]

I am still using 30-10-10. Less than 1/4 tsp per gallon of tapwater frequently. My Paphs love it.

 

[troy]

I use a urea 16 16 16 acid base at 1/4 w ro alternated with 15-5-15 jacks cal mag at 1/4 w ro and my plants all have nice roots and grow well

 

[eds]

Thanks guys will give it a go at my next watering. I figure mixing things up should give them a range of different N sources and mitigate any potential issues with each one.

 

[Ray]

If you look at absorption mechanisms, I think it's interesting that while all three nitrogen species can be taken up by both roots and leaves, nitrate and ammoniums are preferentially absorbed by roots, while urea is via the foliar route.

 

[tomkalina]

Using 15-5-15 w cal-mag during the winter months w lower gh temps, and 20-20-20 alternating w 30-10-10 during warmer months. Also using 1 tsp/gal Epsom Salts monthly from Mar-Sept. Pretty simple regimen actually.