Seaweed liquid extract - dosage and frequency?

[matheius]

I have read that this provides a real boost to grow in conjunction with fertiliser - I was wondering though;

1) What dosage should I be applying for orchids? (I mainly have Phals, Brassia, Catts - do I give different doses for different species?).

2) How often do I use it?

3) Can I use it as a foliar feed? If so does this differ from the usual watering dosage?

Many Thanks
Matt

[wetfeet101b]

Supplements like these are designed to fill in any gaps in the trace elements that the plants require for growth.
As far as dosage, I would go towards the lean side.
Start with half teaspoon per gallon and see if you notice any improvements to the plants.
If you do not see any improvements then it could be one of two things:
1. The plants are missing some other trace elements.
2. (Most likely) The plants were already getting what they needed from what you were previously feeding them. Any additional products would just be a waste of money at that point.

If you do notice improvements to the plants, then you can either stick with that dosage or try to increase the dosage a little bit.
But do not overdo it. Remember, the plants were doing just fine without them.

As far as feeding, there have been big debates over the benefits of foliar feeding for orchids. But my thought is that if you are already foliar feeding with other stuff then you can just add this to the mix.

[Chris1140]

I have a bottle of it and have used it twice so far both as a root drench and in a spray bottle for foliar feeding.
I mixed it half as strong as the instructions on the label. So far no dramatic results. I am using it once every 2 to 3 weeks.

[Susie11]

I have some. I use a cap full in a 5 litre bottle of fertiliser. I alternate between plain fert one watering then liquid seaweed added to the fert the next time. It does promote growth. I have used it on roots and as a supplement and it does a good job.

[tucker85]

Seaweed extract is the best supplement that I've found for orchids. It has several benefits but the most noticeable is an increase in the quantity and size of roots. It will also increase stamina, disease resistance, color and fragrance. It doesn't seem to affect size or quantity of flowers. There are several different brands on the market and they have different concentrations of the active ingredients. So you should follow the label. The product I use recommends 1 ounce of product to one gallon of water, every 7 days. During the spring and summer growing season I use that recommend concentration along with my normal fertilizer. Even though the water turns almost black, it's very mild and won't burn the plants. During Winter I use half that dose once a month. So go by the label on your product. You don't need to use a lower dose unless your product also contains fertilizer. Some of them do but they will say so on the label. Make sure you continue to use a fertilizer because seaweed extract is not a fertilizer by itself. It's a good idea to cut back on both seaweed extract and fertilizer in the fall and winter if you grow in available light. Also don't use more than one supplement at a time. Other hormone or rooting supplements have some of the same ingredients. If you use them together with seaweed you can overdose the plant.

[stateless]

I notice a difference in healthier root growth since using it, 1tsp per gallon once a week, but my brand also has fish emulsion, stinky I know but I grow outdoors.

[matheius]

Thanks for the replies Interesting stuff. A quick conversion from US gallons to UK litres and I'm good to go!

Little and often seems to be the order of the day and a case of trialling dosage vs viewing the results... It's good to hear everyone's methods . I know it's a supplement to fertiliser too so alternating between plain fert and fert with seaweed seems to be a good way to do things (holding off in the rest period, obviously).

I'll let you know how I get on. Thanks again.