I have been using the beer fertilizer for many months on my hoya and epiphyllum plants. i switched to the MSU fertilizer for the hoyas about 2 months ago. Works just fine for them but when I used the MSU on my epis, all the buds turned yellow and dropped. I could have been some other factor but within a week of using it I have no more booms.
SO, just letting you know what happened to mine when I used it on epiphyllum plants in bud that had only had the beer fertilizer used on them for about 6 months.
God bless, -joanne
FYI
((((((((((((((((((( hugs for you! ))))))))))))))))))))
Ohhhhh Joanne, I am really sorry about your eppi buds. How disappointing for you. I get disappointed when some clod comes in and accidently brushes up against my one Christmas cactus, and the buds fall off. (whether the branches are actually in the walkway is debatable......depends on who you ask, I can shimmy by just fine!!) What a bummer.
I am still using only the beer fertilizer. I mainly didn't try the MSU due to budgeting factors - bigger kids = bigger toys. I also just didn't see the point in switching when I am getting bigger leaves, more growth, and flowers for one of the first times ever.
Sara
I've been using the beer fertilizer once a week since last fall and love it. My kerria which is a slow grower just put on 4 new leaves. Yea!!!
I love it!!! Why spend money when this works?
Jeri
I can't decide about this beer fertilizer, I use a tsp with every watering and have alot of new growth, but it IS spring here, and that could be the reason.
I use 2 tablespoon/ gal. I think dmichael did also. No problems with it at all and I still use it and nothing else on many of my hoya. I'm keeping a list of the ones it's good for. H. shepherdii is the most dramatic.
I switched to the MSU when I got the DL cuttings. I have NEVER spent that much on cuttings and did NOT want to loose any. Carol ranted and raved about it on her cuttings so I have used it on them with great results.
bottom line: I like them both :~) -joanne
Joanne, I use two tablespoons per gallon also. I spent a bunch on my David Liddle cuttings too, and am using the beer fert. on them, with super results!! No losses, and lots of growth in just a couple of months. I am getting flowers on older hoyas that have never bloomed before though.
Sara
There are a lot of factors involved with fertilizers..and soil..and water you use..and....
MSU fert. is high in calcium and magnesium...to balance many of the artificial mediums most orchid (read hoya here...because soil requirements are basically similary) use. IF your water has a high concentration of X or of Y...then perhaps it is not a good mix. The beer fertilizer has a lot of sugar...it has calcium and magnesium...but there are minors involved. To suddenly switch from one chemical compound to another is a big WHOOOPS for plants...
Carol I didn't put the molasses in my brew. We have to many ants here and didn't want more. It has worked fine for me.
Jeri
Actually, the molassas is one of the critical components....so go figure!!! Molassas has a whole slew of beneficial minor elements...they even use it to add to cement when pouring it as it slows down the hardening of it considerably!!!
I use beer fertilizer on some of my plants (the ones I keep in my office). Can't really comment on results because my hoyas didn't seem to do so well in my office prior to the beer fertilizer, so I don't know if the new growth is just because of Spring or because of the fertilizer. My hoyas at home are definitely doing much better this Spring compared to other "Springs", and I attribute that to Eleanor's VF-11. I guess we all find what works for us :)
Anyway, I also don't use molasses in the beer fert. This is because when I was first given the recipe, it was without molasses. So I made up a batch and still have a TON of it (I only keep 5 plants in my office, so it will take a very long time to go through it), and I don't want to mix up another batch while I still have this one. I'm sure I can figure out how much molasses to add (it wouldn't be the same amount as the recipe calls for because I have already used some of the beer fert, and therefore the ratios have changed). Anyway, I heard it's a key ingredient but I also heard that the recipe I was given was used by a lot of cactus and succulent growers and made their plants grow ridiculously fast.
It is just so difficult to tell what fertilizer is best. Since we all have different growing conditions, I think the best way would be to take a few same-sized hoyas (all the same species of course), put them all in the same exact conditions (lighting, watering, soil, pot type, pot size), and then use different types of fertilizers on each one (beer fert., MSU, Eleanor's, etc.). Anyone up for the challenge??? :)
Gabi
The MSU fertilizer has worked miracles at my house is all that I can say. I don't even know where to start. My multiflora for three years grew maybe 3" per year and last year peaked with three blossoms. This year with regular MSU it at least doubled in size, maybe even trippled - it is huge and has at least 8 blooming peduncles with lots more coming in. It is growing so fast it does not seem natural, and it's hard to know how to handle it.
My lacunosa did almost nothing for 3 years and looked so bad I was going to bring it to work to see if it would help. It grew maybe an inch per year and had yellowed leaves that I would continually have to remove. It nevered flowered. Now after MSU, it is growing like crazy and has six heavenly scented blooms on it with more on the way.
My serpens, same story as lacunosa, covered in new growth and peduncles. It is a truly beautiful plant.
My H. cumingiana recently identified for me on this forum is almost four years old, never bloomed and now I noticed last night has a peduncle that will bloom within a couple of weeks. If it is not the MSU, then I don't know what could be causing this explosion of growth across all of my Hoyas.
Way back when I posted an analysis of the Beer Fertilizer done by a chemist friend and a hoya/orchid grower. He had some interesting comments especially about the amount of sugar in the fertilizer which, can (note the word CAN) cause a lot of bacterial growth. He gave (and I posted) the slight changes in the formula that he would make if he had no other choice but to use that fertilizer. It is back there somewhere if anyone is interested.
I never got the molasses listed as an ingredient in my beer recipe - what else is in yours, Gabi? I use the beer, epsom salts, and the amonia. I have enough issues with fungus gnats, soil mites ( they look like spider mites but I am hoping they are something else ) and I don't need bacteria too. Is the bacteria only a problem if you use the molasses?
I haven't heard if it IS a problem...but being a chemist he thought it COULD be a problem and his alternative was to cut OUT the beer, I believe because the molassas was so beneficial.
i found the old post you are speaking of, already added the xtra amonia and 20-20-20, but leaving the beer for now since I just mixed a fresh batch. I will probably use it for some outside annuals etc. I am out of epsom salts anyway so next batch will be your chemists version.
GREAT - glad I could help.
Can someone please post a link to the beer fertilizer recipe again? I thought I had it but can't seem to find it anywhere.
I would greatly appreciate it.
Kim
Kim,
Here it is:
12 oz beer
1 cup Epsom salts
1/2 cup ammonia
2 cup water
1/2 cup molasses (I use black strap)
4 tbs bloom booster
vit B12 (I use 250-500mg)
You use 1 tablespoon per gallon of warm water. Check in Hoyas forum, currently under 'fertilizer'.
Thank you So Much. I had made some up but am getting low and couldn't remember everything I had used in it.
Thank you again,
Kim
Bhavana,
I used the same recipe as you (beer, ammonia, and epsom salt...and the 2 cups of water of course to dissolve the salt).
Gabi