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Hello Everybody,
I am new. My name is Olesya (‘Alyssa’) and I live in northern NJ. I am new in hoya ‘world’ and I am kind of shy since I can‘t share much of information about hoyas but I had fun reading your inputs and learned a lot. The first time, when I saw hoya (last summer), I absolutely fell in love with it, and I am truly ‘hooked on hoya’ now. I followed this forum “Hooked on Hoyaâ€, and would like to share some information on K-lite fert. It just came in and I can’t wait to use it. I’m very anxious to see the results. Carol mentioned about MSU Fert., I will buy it closer to spring time…to see the difference between the 2. I took 2 pictures of the label and fertilizer itself. I will talk to you all soon!
Name: Carol Noel Hawaii (near Hilo) It's all about choices.
THANKS so much!!! Seeing the fertilizer label helps SO much!. Personally, I use fertilizer with a higher middle number (phosphorus) for blooms and with the high nitrogen you are going to get very good lush foliage, which isn't bad unless you want blooms. The high calcium is also excellent because it is difficult to get it to potted plants. Calcium is also a sweetener of the soil. You might try getting a little cheapo pH test kit and testing your soil before and after you use the fertilizer. A reading before you use it will give you a basis on which to judge whether your soil and water combination is acid or alkaline and then the soil WITH the fertilizer and water will give you an idea of what you are giving your plant. Hoyas thrive in an acid mix - between 5.5 and 6.5. 'Neutral' is 7 and over 7 is alkaline. I am lucky that our water and my mix is around 5.5-6.0. David Liddle always took a pH test of the enviornment where he collected the hoya and it was always 5.5-6.5.
Cindy...are you getting good blooms using the K-lite?
Thank you so much Carol for the information. I will get the pH test kit to test the soil in my pots. I am actually anxious to know the test results. I compared the K-lite fert. and MSU Fert., and MSU has 3% of phosphorus. Can you recommend a fertilizer that the most ideal for hoyas?
Name: Carol Noel Hawaii (near Hilo) It's all about choices.
That MSU Fert. comes really really close!!! It is well designed for the needs of epiphytes (which Hoyas are)...however, we grow them in pots like a regular plant and we treat them as such rather than growing them like orchids (which is how they grow in the wild). So much depends on your water (be sure not to use tap water straight from the tap....it contains chemicals they don't like. You need to let the water stand for a while to let the chemicals flash off)....rain water is best.
Rain water is hard to come by in Colorado Carol........except for tonight. Rain in Colorado in January is unheard of!!
No global warming here! :)
We have well water which means we have no chlorine, but my husband installed an inside faucet for me that bypasses the water softener so my plants aren't overdosed by the calcium salts and we know for a fact that we have a high Iron content. I have always let my water sit mostly to let it come to room temperature but think I'll get the pH kit as well.
I notice that the MSU and K-lite fertilizers have quite a bit of Magnesium and Calcim added. Miricale Grow Bloom Buster is a ratio of 15/3015 Nitrogen /Phophorous/Potassium but no Mg or Ca to speak of. The K-lite and MSU Carol refers to both contain a decent amount of these chemical elements. Are these a requirement of Hoyas and other Epiphytes in general?
Name: Carol Noel Hawaii (near Hilo) It's all about choices.
Calcium and magnesium are critical for cell structure/plant health and many areas lack those elements in the water. I know we do... They 'go' together usually because without Mg, the calcium is not usable. Calcium isn't like some other elements in that it doesn't 'travel' thru the soil/media to the roots for absorbtion. Our soils lack both elements as we are volcanic and we have to add both to everything growing in the soil. Soils containing a lot of Ca are those created mainly thru sediment. MSU does have a special formula for Well Water.
Have you ever had your well water tested? Your plants look really healthy and lush so lack of those elements doesn't seem a problem. Folks on a municipal water system can look up their water analysis to find what's in it. You can even find levels of toxins etc. Tropical plants tend to be very sensitive to chlorine and flouride which will, over a short period, flash off if the water is left standing.
I have used the Miracle Grow Bloom 15/30/15 and find it works well. I also like to use MG as a foliar spray to keep the salts from collecting in the soil. I also find it helpful, to the plant, to periodically 'flush' the pots (run lots of water thru the media) to get rid of the salts.... I like using more organic fertilizers ... balanced ones...and I add molassas to the water/fert. to get good bacterial action going and to supply carbs to the plant.
Now...this is all quasi scientific conjecture on my part. I did train as a Master Gardener and I've done more than my fair share of trial and error with ferts etc.
Very well explained Carol. Thank you!! I will definitely try MSU fert. and see how my plants will react to it. I‘ll be more careful of watering them with tap water now. God knows what they put in ‘municipal’ water now days especially in highly populated states like NJ.
Thank again Carol! We did have our water tested when we bought the place but not since then and it probably is time to retest for ourselves as well as our plants. I think the only mineral they tested for was Iron and I know that is quite high. It is probably time to get our water retested and I know for a fee one can get the other minerals tested as well.
When I said I have a water spigot to bypass for our water softner I indended to say this was to eliminate Sodium salts not Calcium. :)
Good discussion! On Cindy's recommendation I just ordered some K-lite fertilizer to see how it performs for me. I have had such good luck using the MSU for Well Water over the years that it is hard to try something else, but I will use it for a few months, and report back on how my plants are responding to it.
Thanks, Carol...I'm really not very successful with hoyas....they grow well, but I rarely see blooms. I'm currently using Miracle Gro and trying to find a fertilizer that might increase the blooming. I'm leaning towards K-lite, as it's available in large quantities, and with over 700 plants, I can't bother with small bottles of fertilizer.
Doug, yes, please let us know how the K-lite does for you. I checked on MSU fertilizer, as it's made by my Alma Mater, but the sizes that it's available in are simply too small, only enough for a month or two. I'm thinking that I'll order the K-lite today. Fondly, Patrick
I hope you both find good results using K-Lite as I do.I have also just put in another order for 2 more bottles.
I do have to say that I have used MSU that I got from Joni but I did not see any difference with my plants.Maybe I did use it long enough,I only had a small bottle.
Name: Carol Noel Hawaii (near Hilo) It's all about choices.
I have really good luck with DynaBloom - and I use it half strength every watering which is actually every other watering as the inbetween waterings are with a huge wand... I find the results are worth the work! I actually mix up about 4-6 gallons at once and use that (old kittylitter jugs I get from a friend).
I should have the K-lite today and I'm excited to try it. Patrick, First Rays also has the MSU in sizes up to 25lbs just like the K-lite. That amount should last a long time even with 700 plants !
!