FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I purchased some seeds from Flytrapking.com a few months back and on their Help page they have the following statement posted and I could use some assistance deciphering what they are relating their PPM, etc. to. Thank you

"FERTILIZE YOUR SEEDLINGS"
" One day a week, water from above with Maxsea diluted to 50 ppm. The following month, use Maxsea diluted to 100 ppm once a week. Rinse and clean the tray periodically"

EDIT: I have a mixture of 1/4 teaspoon to a gallon of water like is recommended. Will that work or do I need to dilute it down even more?

I'll start by saying that, with the proper care, these plants do not need chemical/supplemental fertilizer.
However, should you choose to use it, use your TDS meter to find the PPM, dilute with distilled water as needed. If you're already under the 100 PPM as suggested for the second month, then you could try to concentrate it a bit through evaporation by leaving an open container on the counter.

So apply to the soil? I thought I read somewhere not to fertilize the soil but just the plant directly. Also, the Maxsea will drop in PPM by leaving it out in the open?

They can take nutrients up via their roots, but in far lower concentrations than regular plants. If you want to only do a foliar spray, that's probably better.
The PPM will rise if the water is allowed to evaporate. The fertilizer won't evaporate, so the PPM will increase.

So for foliar spray I use the same concentration, 1/4 teaspoon to a gallon of water?

andynorth wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 10:07 pm So apply to the soil? I thought I read somewhere not to fertilize the soil but just the plant directly.

Sarracenia seedlings will grow faster with careful applications of fertilizer. MaxSea diluted to 1/4 teaspoon per gallon is good. I put it in a spray bottle and give each plant a spritz at the base once a month. If you have a gob of seedlings in a pot/tray, then a light watering with the fertilizer will do the same (when I say "light", I mean "not so much that it runs through the container"). When the plants get big enough, I stop putting diluted fertilizer in the soil and put it in the pitchers instead (fill one pitcher per plant, once a month).

Here is a good discussion on the topic.

MikeB wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 2:40 am

andynorth wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 10:07 pm So apply to the soil? I thought I read somewhere not to fertilize the soil but just the plant directly.

Here is a good discussion on the topic.

Thank you Mike, just what I need.

andynorth wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 1:12 am So for foliar spray I use the same concentration, 1/4 teaspoon to a gallon of water?

You've initially asked about the instructions you read from flytrapking, so you should be looking at the PPM and not worrying about how many tsp per gallon except to get it to that PPM.
You were concerned about watering the media when those instructions said water from above. I suggested a foliar spray instead of watering the media, and intimated using that in lieu of watering from above by not suggesting any other concentration.
Asking similar questions about things that have already been answered tells me that maybe you shouldn't be worried about fertilizer, your confusion about it speaks volumes. Instead, maybe give the plants as optimal conditions as you can and not worry about fertilizer. They'll take care of themselves if the conditions are good. If the conditions aren't good enough, no amount of fertilizer will help.

Andy, as I've stated plenty of times...I'm no expert, especially with fertilizing. But, it seems that about the only things I've seen that were stated to benefit from feeding the grow-mix are sarrs and drosera regia (especially as seedlings)...maybe neps and other pitcher-types? Most of the time the fertilizer mentioned that was used were Osmocote pellets...just a few, maybe four or five pellets scattered around the plants maybe an inch or two away from the crown...and pressed down into the soil a half-inch or so. They're slow release so it's not a big splash of fertilizer hitting the roots all at once. The pellets can also be dropped into the pitchers...I thing only one or two pellets per plant...but I don't know the frequency of feeding the pellets...I'm sure it's here on the board somewhere.

But, I suppose using Maxsea would work, but you've gotta get the solution correct. As Chef said, flytrap king was going by PPM and a feeding schedule...to translate that over to a volume amount of fertilizer would simply take some testing as you slowly add some Maxsea to the water. Test the gallon of 1/4-tsp strength Maxsea solution you have...if the PPM is too high (over 50ppm) then add some water to the solution and retest...if the PPM is too low, then of course you would add more fertilizer to the solution. This is, of course, if you want to follow flytrapking's instructions. Most uses of Maxsea that I've seen has been for foliar feeding of most any plants and for direct feeding of pitcher-type plants.

Naturally, the safer route is to let the plants catch their own fertilizer or either feeding them bugs or fish food of some sort...flakes, bloodworms, beta-min pellets, etc.,.

I can definitely understand the desire to give the plants a good, swift kick in the nether region to give them growing quick and healthy.

Btw, is there a specific type plant are you wanting to feed? Beware of sharing water trays between sarrs and regias that you might feed heavy and with regular flytraps and sundews. The latter can't handle the fertilizer that well and enough of the fertilizer can leach into the water tray to affect them adversely. Of course, I'm probably telling you what you already know but it makes me feel useful.

It is for all of my Sarrs I have been germinating. They will be in my grow tent for at least a year or more without access to bugs. I have not done anything yet as I was just asking due to seeing the various ways people are fertilizing. I have well over 400 sprouts now and do not want to kill them off, which is why the various questions on the subject. Yes, there was a little confusion but I think I understand it now. I keep all my seeds and seedlings separate so no chance of over fertilizing anything else. I might try some fertilizer on a quarter of them to see the results short term and long term. By long term I mean a year or so.