FlyTrapCare Forums

I'd like to thank Elaino for her recent donation of, drumroll please..........., Maxsea!
No, not seeds. Yes, a fertilizer. Weird huh? Yeah, she's weird, and we love it!
She gave enough to make approximately 40 gallons, which is very generous.
Thank you very much Elaineo.

Now, I've put this in class 2 because it puts it a little out of reach for inexperienced growers for now. It gives you time to research proper dosage, ask questions to learn about it (not me, I've never used it), and make sure you really want to use it.
A request for Maxsea will count as a monthly request, and you will receive 1/16 teaspoon per request; enough to make one quart of fertilizer, and I have just the right measuring spoon for the job. It will come in one of the origami envelopes so you can just pour it straight into a quart of water and mix it up. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is a foliar fertilizer, so a little goes a long way. One quart should last the average grower quite a while.

Members experienced with Maxsea, please give me your feedback as to whether one quart is a sufficient amount for most.

I don't use maxsea but I use a similar 20-20-20 and it is extremely effective. I use maybe 1qt/5mo but I have very few species, unlike several members here.

hungry carnivores wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2020 7:41 pm I don't use maxsea but I use a similar 20-20-20 and it is extremely effective. I use maybe 1qt/5mo but I have very few species, unlike several members here.

That's exactly the feedback I need, thanks.

A quart of MaxSea goes a long way!
I also like to get a tiny hypodermic syringe (1/2 cc or so) and depress the plunger until the smallest drop possible appears.
I touch this to leaves of very tiny seedling Drosera.
Foliar feeding with a sprayer can cause fertilizer buildup and algae growth in the soil of your CP media.
Just my 02¢ worth.

If you use it liberally, yes it would last a long time. For me though, I like to completely fill up my purpureas with Maxsea, so it would definitely not last as long.

Would this be good for tiny tuberous drosera seedlings?

Sundeewz wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2020 10:42 pm If you use it liberally, yes it would last a long time. For me though, I like to completely fill up my purpureas with Maxsea, so it would definitely not last as long.

So, maybe up the amount to 1/8th teaspoon, enough for half a gallon, and let the requester decide whether to make one quart or two? That way, those that use it to fill pitchers don't have to use two or three months of requests to get enough. And the smaller users can get enough for a year or longer.
Does that sound more realistic?

Well if they're not doing Sarracenia it can go quite a long way. I'll mix a gallon and I'll sit on that gallon for a very long time and I use Maxsea a lot. With Sarracenia, I'll also spray the plant and fill the pitchers halfway when I actually do it. I'll usually use 10oz. on my Sarracenia at once while using ~10oz for the rest of my plants, liberally spraying but I have a lot of plants.

I think you could do it either way honestly. A quart of Maxsea should last an experimental grower a while even if they have Sarracenia. I use it on about 9 of them. They shouldn't need more than 1/8 tsp in a month. If you go higher and need more Maxsea let me know. I'd be happy to send some. I'd include mixing instructions just to be sure they're aware so they don't fry their plants. I use 1/2 tsp. per gallon myself, but that works for me and my particular setup. If they're growing out of a westside window and try to dose it once a week at 1/2 tsp, it'd probably end up being catastrophic. Maxsea is pretty gentle though. Also, should note that they should store the mix in a cooler and dark environment or it'll grow algae at the surface.

I just started using it a couple of months ago. I mixed up 1/8 tsp to a gallon and like Shadowtski, I've been using a syringe with a fine (28 ga) blunt needle to deliver a tiny drop to very young seedling drosera. So far, they are reacting well. And, at the rate I'm using it, I figure the gallon will last for at least twenty years.

Half a gallon would be good.

Apollyon wrote:Also, should note that they should store the mix in a cooler and dark environment or it'll grow algae at the surface.

That is a good point. I had been pinching out 50 milligrams at a time with a digital kitchen scale, but it would be easier to keep a jar of Maxsea in the fridge.

FWIW, I use a hypodermic needle to put droplets in the mouths of flytrap seedlings. They seem to respond well so far.

I use over a gallon every month

you must have a lot of plants then

ChefDean wrote: ↑Sun Oct 25, 2020 8:33 pm

Sundeewz wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2020 10:42 pm If you use it liberally, yes it would last a long time. For me though, I like to completely fill up my purpureas with Maxsea, so it would definitely not last as long.

So, maybe up the amount to 1/8th teaspoon, enough for half a gallon, and let the requester decide whether to make one quart or two? That way, those that use it to fill pitchers don't have to use two or three months of requests to get enough. And the smaller users can get enough for a year or longer.
Does that sound more realistic?

Sarras don't matter. ANY fertilizer works with them for me. I've grown sarrs in miracle-gro. I also have given osmocote, indoor plant food, tomato food etc. They're beasts.

Pings, droseras, utrics, and helis, is where I normally use a maxSea equivalent.

Neps, Sarrs I use whatever and just dump it into the pitcher. Even if the pitcher burns, it's fine. The net gains are worth losing a pitcher.

VFTS I don't personally fertilize, I grow them outdoors, so it doesn't really matter, as they catch ants n stuff.

Cephs I never fertilize. They always burn for me. Same with byblis. And Drosos.