Rot or Not? Please help
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Re: Rot or Not? Please help
Duly noted. And I'll keep reading and see what else I may find. While being cautious of BS, of course.
Steve, I can't thank you enough for all your help
Steve, I can't thank you enough for all your help
In Utah, but I have to grow with lights.
- Steve Johnson
- Posts: 4540
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:44 am
- Location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
Re: Rot or Not? Please help
Excellent, and yes -- re. cacti the "BS factor" is everywhere in gardening websites, so if/when you see it, this forum will be a great place for calling it out.CoolestGravy wrote: βSun Jan 28, 2024 6:31 pm Duly noted. And I'll keep reading and see what else I may find. While being cautious of BS, of course.
Since I now know that you're growing cacti in the house 24/7/365, here are a few final thoughts...
- Day length influences growth and dormancy. If you can put your grow lights on a timer, you'll be able to emulate day lengths as follows:
- January -- 10 hours
- February -- 11 hrs.
- March -- 12 hrs.
- April -- 13 hrs.
- May -- 14 hrs.
- June and July -- 15 hrs.
- August -- 14 hrs.
- September -- 12 hrs.
- October -- 11 hrs.
- November -- 10 hrs.
- December -- 9 hrs.
- For the growing season, daytime highs in the house should be 72-80. If you set your air conditioner's thermostat to 78 in the summer, you won't need to water any more often than you would in the spring.
- Stagnant air in the house leads to all kinds of problems for cacti and succulents. If that's the case in your house, a fan near your plant table will keep the air flowing -- all you need is an artificial "breeze" and nothing more during the day. (Not sure if you would need it at night, though.)
- Buy a digital kitchen scale if you don't already have one.
- Weigh each pot while the mix is bone dry, and write down the weight.
- Saturate the mix with deep watering, weight each pot again, and write down the weight.
- Weigh the pots on a daily basis until they're back to their dry weights. Make a note of how many days it took for the pots to go from wet to bone-dry.
My pleasure! If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
Re: Rot or Not? Please help
Really great thread Steve! What do you think about Megacrop? NPK of their current batch is 10-7-18 which is 10-3-15 after elemental conversions. Comes out to 1-0.3-1.5 which is right in line with the acceptable ranges you noted. The hard water in AZ should make for close to 3 or 4:1 Ca to Mg as well as 1:1 N:Ca. Packed with other beneficial stuff like chelated micros, silica, seaweed, amino acids (like Recharge), etc.Steve Johnson wrote: βThu Jan 18, 2024 3:28 am Okay, this'll be a good discussion for you...
Cacti and succulents aren't sensitive to fertilizers in general, but they are sensitive to the wrong ones. I'll explain what we mean by that:
- The "Big Three" major nutrients are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K).
- Fert manufacturers in the US report P as P2O5 and K as K2O (that is what you'll see in the label's guaranteed analysis). While the oxygen in P2O5 and K2O supports the plant's overall health, it has no nutrient value, so all we're concerned about are the actual amounts of P and K going to the plant. %P2O5 x 0.436 = %P, and %K2O x 0.83 = %K.
With NPK ratios, N is always a constant of 1, so the variables are P with an acceptable range of 0.25-0.35, and K with an acceptable range of 1.1-1.7. P is the biggest problem when it's too high because anything above 0.35 per feeding will eventually inhibit root growth, stem growth, and flowering over time. When you look into different fertilizers, you can easily calculate their ratios by doing this:
- The ratio of N, P, and K tells us if a fert is well-balanced or not. Contrary to what you may have heard or read elsewhere (and I fell for this before Mike educated me on the matter) -- if a fert's N, P, and K numbers are the same (5-5-5 and 7-7-7, for example), it is not well-balanced. The basic "rule of thumb" -- P lower than N, K higher than both.
- %P/%N = the number for the P side of the ratio.
The General Hydroponics FloraMicro and FloraBloom give me a combined NPK number of 5-5-5. Now we'll go through the math. 5% P2O5 x .436 = 2.18% P and 5% K2O x .83 = 4.15% K, so the true NPK number is 5-2.18-4.15. Next, turn it into a ratio -- 2.18% P/5% N = 0.44 on the P side of the ratio. Too high. 4.15% K/5% N = 0.83 on the K side of the ratio. Too low. I corrected the imbalance by adding the right amounts of ammonium sulfate and potassium sulfate.
- %K/%N = the number for the K side of the ratio.
- Steve Johnson
- Posts: 4540
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:44 am
- Location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
Re: Rot or Not? Please help
Went onto the Mega Crop website -- I didn't see 10-7-18, so let's investigate their 9-7-14:hoopgod32 wrote: βWed May 08, 2024 10:27 pmWhat do you think about Megacrop? NPK of their current batch is 10-7-18 which is 10-3-15 after elemental conversions. Comes out to 1-0.3-1.5 which is right in line with the acceptable ranges you noted. The hard water in AZ should make for close to 3 or 4:1 Ca to Mg as well as 1:1 N:Ca. Packed with other beneficial stuff like chelated micros, silica, seaweed, amino acids (like Recharge), etc.
It looked good at first glance, but I see a couple of problems. First, the nitrogen is almost entirely Nitrate N -- fine for growing crops hydroponically, but cacti need to have a certain amount of Ammonium N, and what we have here doesn't cut it. Second, cacti are genetically adapted to living on "thin soup", and IMO the seaweed and amino acids won't do anything for the plants.
The difference between Nitrate N and Ammonium N requires an explanation, so these quotes from trace&save (http://traceandsave.com/the-fate-of-nit ... mmonium-n/) should be instructive:
- "Nitrate nitrogen is a lavish element. It requires a lot of energy from the plant (carbohydrates) in order for it to be absorbed. Its transport system in the plant is the most expensive; it requires 4 times the amount of energy to move around the plant than other forms of nitrogen. Yes, it does the job, you will get big growth response.
"However, although the plant will grow faster you have to be prepared to sacrifice carbon in the process. Carbohydrates (energy) produced through photosynthesis need to be moved from the leaves to the roots, where they are stored and used later during the regrowth or flowering of the plant. If those carbohydrates are hijacked and used to maintain the lavish lifestyle of nitrates, your plant root growth will be limited." [Note: The growth response won't be all that big in desert cacti, but too much nitrate N at the expense of their optimal root growth will be a problem for them over the long run.]
- "When it comes to the uptake of ammonium nitrogen, the plant absorbs it with a lot less energy. Unlike nitrate which requires four energy carriers, it requires just one. When nitrate nitrogen arrives at its location in the plant it needs to be converted back into ammonium first before it is digested, whereas ammonium doesnβt require this process since it is already in the correct form. The one disadvantage with ammonium is that it can be toxic to the plant if it is absorbed in high quantities.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
Re: Rot or Not? Please help
Thanks so much for your input! The 10-7-18 is a bit buried and referenced in their FAQ. Evidently it can change batch-to-batch; they should update the picture.
I agree the "additional" ingredients may be a bit overkill, but I do know lots of cacti growers have had great results incorporating seaweed/kelp and Recharge (a popular innoculent) includes amino acids in their mix for a reason. Are you sure nitrate should be 2:1? I don't think that's accurate. I've seen a ton of cacti growers recommend Masterblend and it contains mostly Nitrate Nitrogen (no more than 15% ammonium). GeeBee even recommends a 80/20 ratio. A good description pulled from Reddit:
From here: "Ammonium, the positive ionic form of nitrogen, has to compete with calcium, magnesium, potassium, and most micronutrients since they are all uptaken in equivalent quantities relative to the presence in the soil. Nitrate, however, is a negative ion and only really competes with phosphorus and sulfur. It's been demonstrated across a wide variety of plants that they preferentially uptake nitrate over ammonium. When it comes to soil in the ground that has a rich and stable microbiome nitrifying bacteria are present and high enough quantities that even though pretty much all of the nitrogen going into the soil is going in as ammonium, usually in the form of organic matter, enough is converted to nitrate to not be a problem for plants. However, in containers, it's harder for nitrifying bacteria to survive and it's best to do a little bit of the work for them and just feed directly with nitrate."
From here: "This leads to the second point, nitrogen in deserts in usually in the form of nitrate. Nitrate is very stable and the little water in deserts means it doesn't get washed away very easily. Nitrate is the form of nitrogen most cacti would have ev0lved to use and many cacti probably don't have the means to effectively use nitrogen as ammonium (with the probable exception of tropical and wet-climate cacti like Rhipsalis)."
I agree the "additional" ingredients may be a bit overkill, but I do know lots of cacti growers have had great results incorporating seaweed/kelp and Recharge (a popular innoculent) includes amino acids in their mix for a reason. Are you sure nitrate should be 2:1? I don't think that's accurate. I've seen a ton of cacti growers recommend Masterblend and it contains mostly Nitrate Nitrogen (no more than 15% ammonium). GeeBee even recommends a 80/20 ratio. A good description pulled from Reddit:
From here: "Ammonium, the positive ionic form of nitrogen, has to compete with calcium, magnesium, potassium, and most micronutrients since they are all uptaken in equivalent quantities relative to the presence in the soil. Nitrate, however, is a negative ion and only really competes with phosphorus and sulfur. It's been demonstrated across a wide variety of plants that they preferentially uptake nitrate over ammonium. When it comes to soil in the ground that has a rich and stable microbiome nitrifying bacteria are present and high enough quantities that even though pretty much all of the nitrogen going into the soil is going in as ammonium, usually in the form of organic matter, enough is converted to nitrate to not be a problem for plants. However, in containers, it's harder for nitrifying bacteria to survive and it's best to do a little bit of the work for them and just feed directly with nitrate."
From here: "This leads to the second point, nitrogen in deserts in usually in the form of nitrate. Nitrate is very stable and the little water in deserts means it doesn't get washed away very easily. Nitrate is the form of nitrogen most cacti would have ev0lved to use and many cacti probably don't have the means to effectively use nitrogen as ammonium (with the probable exception of tropical and wet-climate cacti like Rhipsalis)."
- Steve Johnson
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- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:44 am
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Re: Rot or Not? Please help
The subreddit in your first link is specific to discussions of Trichocereus. From Durtndur (whoever that is) -- "Aim for an 80/20 ratio of nitrate nitrogen to ammoniacal nitrogen. Trichocereus love a heavy feed compared to other cacti". If the 80/20 ratio works for Trichocereus, that's fine, but I wouldn't make any assumptions about applying it to most or all other desert genera.hoopgod32 wrote: βThu May 09, 2024 5:51 amAre you sure nitrate should be 2:1? I don't think that's accurate. I've seen a ton of cacti growers recommend Masterblend and it contains mostly Nitrate Nitrogen (no more than 15% ammonium). GeeBee even recommends a 80/20 ratio. A good description pulled from Reddit:
From here: "Ammonium, the positive ionic form of nitrogen, has to compete with calcium, magnesium, potassium, and most micronutrients since they are all uptaken in equivalent quantities relative to the presence in the soil. Nitrate, however, is a negative ion and only really competes with phosphorus and sulfur. It's been demonstrated across a wide variety of plants that they preferentially uptake nitrate over ammonium. When it comes to soil in the ground that has a rich and stable microbiome nitrifying bacteria are present and high enough quantities that even though pretty much all of the nitrogen going into the soil is going in as ammonium, usually in the form of organic matter, enough is converted to nitrate to not be a problem for plants. However, in containers, it's harder for nitrifying bacteria to survive and it's best to do a little bit of the work for them and just feed directly with nitrate."
From here: "This leads to the second point, nitrogen in deserts in usually in the form of nitrate. Nitrate is very stable and the little water in deserts means it doesn't get washed away very easily. Nitrate is the form of nitrogen most cacti would have ev0lved to use and many cacti probably don't have the means to effectively use nitrogen as ammonium (with the probable exception of tropical and wet-climate cacti like Rhipsalis)."
Kyletsenior's post in the Reddit Cactus Corner appears to hold more weight because he was an analyst working for a fertilizer manufacturer. But as he said right up front, "I'm certainly no expert in cacti." On the other hand, we do have an expert on the forum, MikeInOz -- professional horticulturalist with a deep knowledge of cacti. Mike uses a slow-release Cactus & Succulent fertilizer made by Osmocote, and this is the fert's chemical analysis:
(Unfortunately the Osmocote is sold only in Australia and New Zealand.) You'll note that the ammonium-nitrate ratio is roughly 1-1. What about the urea component? From "The Cal-Mag of my dreams?" thread:
Same thread, and this is Mike's experience with the Osmocote:MikeInOz wrote: βFri Jan 27, 2023 2:15 amUrea is converted to ammonium either in the soil by bacteria or in the plant using the enzyme urease. (they have recently discovered nickel is needed for that process but you can basically think of urea as ammonium because it is converted so quickly in the mix.)
There we have it -- contrary to what kyletsenior believes, desert cacti are perfectly capable of using N from ammonium.MikeInOz wrote: βMon Jan 23, 2023 6:23 amMy cacti get double the ammonium/urea N than Nitrate N. They are growing extremely well. Quite fast but still compact and with good spination. Mammillaria bertoltdii, leuthyi and hermosana have all flowered in their second year. Ariocarpus seedlings also growing fast (for arios). That's the kind of result I'm looking for! They obviously like the ammonium. I would be reluctant to change without a good reason.
Potting medium is an important part of the equation, and this is Mike's approach:
I'd consider this to be a soil-based mix -- for cacti being grown under cultivation with such a mix, a nitrate-ammonium ratio of 1-1 sounds about right. I'm growing 64 of my 68 cacti with a pure pumice and granite gravel mix (essentially a hydroponic mix), so that 1-1 ratio would lead to problems with ammonium toxicity. Based on my 13 years of sound growing experience, I found that a nitrate-ammonium ratio of 2-1 is correct for a pure mineral mix, although I think it should be fine for soil-based mixes too. There's no getting around the fact that nitrate and ammonium have 2 different functions in cactus growth:MikeInOz wrote: βWed Oct 11, 2023 4:38 amFor fertilizer, I use Osmocote for cacti and succulents with an K/N ratio of of about 1.3. I use gypsum of all cacti as a top dressing for Ca. For the limestone species I add washed limestone/dolomite ''sand'' trickled down into the dry mix after potting up to supply more Ca and Mg. There is also Mg and a little Ca in the osmocote and all trace elements as well. For more trace elements I use home made compost and/or 2 year old cow manure at about 10-20% depending on the species. (desert or forest/grassland habitat)
- Nitrate pathways send N mostly to the stem.
- Ammonium pathways send N mostly to the roots.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
Re: Rot or Not? Please help
That is incorrect. Nitrifying bacteria are perfectly able to survive and thrive in any potting mix so long as it is no lower than about pH6 and the mix reasonably warm. NH4 is converted to NO3 in a matter of weeks.hoopgod32 wrote: βThu May 09, 2024 5:51 am
From [url=https://www.reddit.com/r/sanpedrocactus ... s/119f5ju/ However, in containers, it's harder for nitrifying bacteria to survive and it's best to do a little bit of the work for them and just feed directly with nitrate."
In fact the acidification of mixes in nurseries is suspected of being mainly due to the conversion of applied ammonium to nitrate and the subsequent leaching of that nitrate as it takes Ca (mainly) with it. So all we need to do make sure there is a constant supply of Ca to replace it.
I have no idea of the final mix of NH4 to NO3 the plant takes up when given mainly NH4 but I have found no problems at all feeding mainly ammonium or urea - as long as the potential acidification is understood.
DISTRIBUTION OF DIFFERENT FORMS OF NITROGEN IN SOME DESERT SOILSNitrate is the form of nitrogen most cacti would have ev0lved to use and many cacti probably don't have the means to effectively use nitrogen as ammonium (with the probable exception of tropical and wet-climate cacti like Rhipsalis)."
NISHITA, H.; HAUG, R. M.
Author Information
Soil Science 116(1):p 51-58, July 1973.
BUY
Abstract
The distribution of different forms of N in desert soils collected at Nevada Test Site were examined. Soil profiles were sampled in 7.6-cm increments to various depths of which the maximum was 91.4 cm. Among the soil profiles examined, the different forms of N in the surface layer (0.0β7.6 cm) was always NO2-N (not detectable) < extract-able NH4,-N < NO3-N < fixed NH4 +-N < organic N. In the sublayers, some variations from this order of N forms occurred in that the extractable NH4-N was greater than NO3 -N with the presence of trace amount of NO2-N and/or the fixed NH4-N was greater than organic N.
Re: Rot or Not? Please help
Thanks so much for the input and great information! So moral of the story is majority nitrate nitrogen is bad...dang. Thought I'd found a really great all-in-one water soluble solution. I agree - Reddit is full of noise whereas there's way more value here.
Mike - do you exclusively use Osmocote's cacti fertilizer with a few other top dressings to supplement Ca/Mg? Do you know of any all-in-one water soluble solutions available in the US that are decent alternatives? I have hard water here in AZ, so Ca/Mg ingredients aren't as much of a concern.
Mike - do you exclusively use Osmocote's cacti fertilizer with a few other top dressings to supplement Ca/Mg? Do you know of any all-in-one water soluble solutions available in the US that are decent alternatives? I have hard water here in AZ, so Ca/Mg ingredients aren't as much of a concern.
- Steve Johnson
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- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:44 am
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Re: Rot or Not? Please help
Mike, I hope you won't mind if I answer question #2 for you...
Generally speaking, growers only know the fertilizers that are available in their home countries. Such being the case, expert growers who know about ferts available in other countries are few and far between. Sorry, but those of us living in the US are on our own. Good news is that we have a wide selection here (maybe the best in the world?), so the trick is to find one that fits best for growing cacti. I'll break down the types of fertilizer by 3 categories:
- Specifically formulated for crops. Any product that says "crop" in the name (like Mega Crop) should send up a red flag because crops have nutrient needs that are substantially different from the needs of ornamental plants.
- Formulated for crops and ornamentals. Many hydroponic fertilizers cover both, and I've been a big fan of hydroponic liquid concentrates soon after I started my current collection in 2011.
- Formulated specifically for ornamentals, either liquid concentrate or dry water-soluble granules/powder depending on the product. IMO the preference should be for powder since the air spaces in granules leave too much to chance when we're trying to get the fert's dilution right.
https://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewto ... 00#p406000
You can make the most of that Ca and Mg by acidifying the water. 5% white vinegar is great for small collections -- for collections that aren't so small, citric acid is more concentrated yet safe for home use. When these acids react with the carbonates in hard water, the reaction products are:
- Calcium acetate and magnesium acetate from white vinegar.
- Calcium citrate and magnesium citrate from citric acid.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
Re: Rot or Not? Please help
Thanks for some guidance on what to look out for! Judging by my deep research, I'll most likely have to add another component (ie. potassium addition) to a base fertilizer in order to fall into the ratio range Mike's mentioned before. I'll keep noodling around. Hopefully I finally find something that's a good fit.Steve Johnson wrote: βSat May 11, 2024 12:33 am
Generally speaking, growers only know the fertilizers that are available in their home countries. Such being the case, expert growers who know about ferts available in other countries are few and far between. Sorry, but those of us living in the US are on our own. Good news is that we have a wide selection here (maybe the best in the world?), so the trick is to find one that fits best for growing cacti.
Btw - what role does urea nitrogen play and is ammoniacal superior because it removes one more step of conversion through hydrolysis?
Interesting! Seems like the general consensus for water pH that cacti like is slightly acidic right around the 6 mark or so. It seems a more alkaline solution impacts nutrient uptake and many micronutrients have trouble dissolving properly. I'm surprised I haven't seen more posts from Arizonans mentioning their acidification of water before watering. I'm pretty confident our tap water has a high-ish pH (7.5-8), but I should probably test it personally to get a good sense. I wish there was a clear report breakdown of all the minerals in Arizona tap water, but I can't seem to find that info anywhere.Steve Johnson wrote: βSat May 11, 2024 12:33 am
You can make the most of that Ca and Mg by acidifying the water. 5% white vinegar is great for small collections -- for collections that aren't so small, citric acid is more concentrated yet safe for home use.
- Steve Johnson
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- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:44 am
- Location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
Re: Rot or Not? Please help
My pleasure!
That knowledge is, unfortunately, beyond my pay grade. (One of my regrets is the fact that I could never understand chemistry when I tried to learn it in high school.)
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
- Steve Johnson
- Posts: 4540
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:44 am
- Location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
Re: Rot or Not? Please help
Don't know if this is helpful, but I just wanted to mention that hardness comes in 2 forms -- permanent and temporary. From Chemistry LibreTexts (https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves ... Hard_Water):
- "Permanent hard water consists of high concentrations of anions, like the sulfate anion. This type of hard water is referred to as "permanent" because, unlike temporary hard water, the hardness cannot be removed simply by boiling the water and thereby precipitating out the mineral ions."
The best test strips I've seen are the 17 in 1 Pool and Drinking Water test strips made by MedLab Diagnostics. You can buy them on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Testing ... 138&sr=8-4
When you look at the color codes on the bottle, the different colors will indicate the parts-per-million values of carbonate hardness (KH) and total hardness (GH). If the GH number is less than the KH number, your hardness is in fact 100% temporary. If the GH number is higher, the difference between KH and GH is the amount of permanent hardness in your water. By the way, permanent hardness isn't the worst thing in the world -- some of the Ca and Mg from sulfates will be available to the plant.
If you happen to know people in Arizona who are completely unaware of this, you might want to let them know about the following -- from hydrobuilder.com:
- "Magnesium and calcium go hand in hand, and are often an area where plants become deficient. Magnesium helps aid in the uptake and utilization of other nutrients, along with producing carbs and sugars to help during flower."
- "Calcium has a similar role in plants as in humans, helping produce strong cells and root walls. This leads to stronger plants. We've recently come to understand that calcium is actually the dominant nutrient in most plants." [My emphasis]
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
Re: Rot or Not? Please help
Thanks so much! Those test strips look great. 17 in 1 is really diverse. I have been looking for a bit better pool water testing setup as well, so now I have two good excuses to order ha. I'll be sure to report back to confirm if your friendly bet is a winner.Steve Johnson wrote: βSun May 12, 2024 9:11 pm
Don't know if this is helpful, but I just wanted to mention that hardness comes in 2 forms -- permanent and temporary. If I was a betting man, I'd bet that your hard tap water is pretty much 100% temporary. Mine certainly is, and you can test this for yourself...
Really, really great info. NPK gets all the attention, but other macronutrients are just as important. I've lived here for a while and have never thought much about how water pH influences calcium/magnesium availability. This even applies to flowering plants too which calcium plays a major role in growth & development + magnesium powering photosynthesis as a component of chlorophyll. Our ground soil is full of both (caliche soil), but for potted plants this acidification knowledge is a big unlock. Plus, great reminder from Mike. Sometimes I will see different fertilizer percentages and think "uh oh, is that too much calcium when combined wit what's in my water already?" Good to know that isn't a concern.Steve Johnson wrote: βSun May 12, 2024 9:11 pm
If you happen to know people in Arizona who are completely unaware of this, you might want to let them know about the following -- from hydrobuilder.com:
- "Magnesium and calcium go hand in hand, and are often an area where plants become deficient. Magnesium helps aid in the uptake and utilization of other nutrients, along with producing carbs and sugars to help during flower."
2 of the most important things I learned from MikeInOz -- there's no such thing as too much calcium and there's no such thing as calcium toxicity. If acidification isn't common knowledge among Arizona's cactus and succulent growers, it should be. Perhaps we can do something about that.
- "Calcium has a similar role in plants as in humans, helping produce strong cells and root walls. This leads to stronger plants. We've recently come to understand that calcium is actually the dominant nutrient in most plants." [My emphasis]
I'm sure water acidification is common knowledge amongst local nurseries here in Arizona (the good ones at least), but I have rarely (if ever) see it mentioned by residents online. I'm very surprised considering nutrient availability in hard water (takes a long time to break down carbonate by microbes?) and the risk of calcium carbonate build up suffocating roots. It is surely something that needs to be more publicized, especially considering how low effort it is to adjust pH to make those nutrients available. And that pertains far beyond locally, I don't get many good "water acidification" results when I search online that really dives into nutrient availability/uptake based on pH & acidic/alkaline water.
Are there any risks or adverse effects associated with the acidification of hard water, whether it be changes in elemental composition or the water or impact on soil media/cacti health? For example, calcium acetate is a phosphate binder - unsure if that in turn makes phosphorous less available to the plant? Does the addition of an acidifier impact the soluble fertilizer that is added after through other reactions or do fertilizers ever change the pH of tap water rendering cal/mag more available?
Last edited by hoopgod32 on Mon May 13, 2024 12:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Rot or Not? Please help
Urea can be taken up by plants directly and they use the enzyme urease to convert it to ammonium. Nickel is required in this process. Urea is also converted to ammonium (and finally nitrate) within about 2 days in the pot.
Re: Rot or Not? Please help
Thanks for clarifying Mike! I didn't know it can be immediately available, just that it was converted to ammonium fairly quickly (faster in warmer weather) before it's last translation into nitrate for uptake by roots. Is the rise in popularity of urea driven most by it's cheap cost for suppliers?
So is urea is very similar to ammoniacal nitrogen minus the conversion step, potentially interchangeable? Are the ideal fertilizers roughly equal parts of all three nitrogen types or is there comparable ratios that potted cacti/other plants enjoy? For example, 75% urea, 25% nitrate.