2009 RECIPE

We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/803019/ The Recipe

A Note: Measure out really hot tap water and dissolve the Epsom Salt in it first - LOL!

Originally kenboy posted this one:

2 cups water
1 12 oz can of beer
1/2 cup household ammonia
1 cup Epsom salt
12 drops Tea Tree oil
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
1/4 cup liquid seaweed (Kelp)

Kell posted this one:

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.

Teresa_in_BC posted:

12 oz beer
1 cup epsom salts
1/2 cup ammonia
2 cups water
4 tbsp Bloombooster
4 tbsp Miracle-Gro
1/2 cup molasses

Mix together and store in tightly capped 1 litre bottle or jar. Does not require refrigeration.

To use: mix 1 tbsp in 1 gallon of water and apply every 2 weeks.

jestelleoan posted:

12oz of beer
1cup of epsom salts
1/2 cup ammonia
1/4 cup if molasses
1 to 3 drops of Tea Tree Oil
1 to 3 drops of Superthrive
2 cups of water
1 to 2 tablespoons of mix to a gal. of water.

kenboy later posted this revision:

2 cups of water
1, 12 oz can of beer
1/2 cup of household ammonia
1 cup of Epsom salt
3 Tablespoons of Tea Tree oil
1/4 cup of molasses
1/2 liquid seaweed ( Kelp )
1/2 cup of garlic spray
1/2 cup of Humate Tea

1 to 2 tablespoons per gallon of water

There was a discussion about seedlings getting burned

ZZsBabiez posted:

2 cups of water
1 bottle beer
1/2 cup ammonia
1 cup of Epsom salt
12 drops Tea Tree oil
1/4 cup of molasses
1/2 liquid Age Old Kelp
2Tbs Miracle Grow

Question. With zz's recipe how much liquid old age kelp is used? It just says 1/2.

Aha! I guess I'd better Dmail and ask 1/2 of what! LOL! I just copied and pasted what was on the thread from last year. I'm thinking 1/2 cup.

I mix up two kinds of Mix, one for Brugs and one for MGs and bloomers... one I use MGtomatoe feed in (for brugs) and the other I use bllom buster in ( for MGS) one gal is red the other is blue green LOL
I still have no kelp so use the Kens' recipe, only with the miracle grow for tomatoes or Bloom buster and dissolve a 1000 mg of b12 tablet
I do however add a table spoon of peroxide to each gallon.. seems to work good when I spray it on the soil around the plants hope I didn't confuse everyone too bad I just confused myself! LOL (ageratum bloom)

Joeswife, could you list out all the ingredients of the 2 different ones? I'm thinking I may use one on our tomato plants!

2 cups of water
1, 12 oz can of beer
1/2 cup of household ammonia
1 cup of Epsom salt
3 Tablespoons of Tea Tree oil
1/4 cup of molasses
3 tablespoons Tomatoe food (miracle grow)
1 B12 1000 mg tablet
3 tbls. peroxide
I add two table spoons of this to Hot water to mix with and use it in all my sprayer bottles
as well as my soil water.. this is what I use on my Brugs and tomatoes and hibiscus

for MGs I substitute with Bloom Buster ( in the watering cans)
I mist those with plain distilled water
hope this helps! Debra



for bloom forcing I use Bloom Buster instead but same receipe...

I think I'm going to be one spraying fool this year - The Recipe, worm tea, & EM1. I have a really good hose-end sprayer,
and over the boring winter, I purchased a siphon mixer like this one
http://www.growerssolution.com/page/GS/PROD/siphon/yellowsiphon. I can't say if it works or not, since I haven't tried it yet. One day soon when it's not too cold to play in water I'll give it a try & let everyone know how/if it works.

It looks like I'll be spraying something every week.!

Jo-Ann

Deb you can use this stuff on Hibiscus' also??
How about Datura's??

Excuse my ignorance, but where do you get your tea tree oil? Thanks

Darla

Which recipe was the original one for the epiphyllums? I forget now lol. I think it orignally came from there and then was tweaked to suit the brugs but I can't remember which was the original...I want to make some for my epis now.

Darla you can sometimes find teatree oil in the pharmacy section at walmart etc.

This message was edited Feb 24, 2009 9:29 AM

Phylllis: I use the brug mix on all my tropicals .. just not on the MGS.. I don't have any daturas up that are out of the incubator yet... ( they are still without true leaves)

4 of my Dats came up..not in an incubator..LOL
Just in the same pot my mature one passed on in..
And their working on their first set of true leaves...
I'm having problems keeping trop. hibiscus's alive after they sprout...

Here's the one I use. I sprayed everything but the cactus & they all loved it.

2 cups water
1 12 oz beer
1/2 cup household ammonia (unscented)
1 cup Epsom Salts
3 Tbl Tea Tree oil
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
1/2 cup liquid seaweed (Kelp)
1/2 cup garlic spray
1/2 cup MG or Peters
1 tsp Superthrive
1 cup Humates or compost tea-
(Humic acid & Fulvic acid which aid
the plant in taking up nutrients)
---
I use this on house & garden plants & in the veggie garden. mix 1 tablespoon in 1 gallon of water. Foliar spray daily, Spray on leaves or seeds. Use diluted on seedlings once they have their first set of true leaves.
---
other options
4 tbs bloom booster
vitamin B12 500-1000 mg

Linda

This message was edited Feb 25, 2009 10:45 AM

Well.. I guess I should post my take on the recipe.. slightly revised for products here.. I make up 4 batches together at a time.. the following is for 1 batch..

2 1/2 cups of water [ Iuse a little more.. water as I use a powered seaweed product ]
1, 12 oz can of beer
1/2 cup of household ammonia.. [ non detergent ]
1 cup of Epsom salt
1 OZ of Tea Tree oil...
1/4 cup of molasses [ un sulphered... Black Strap ]
2 tablespoons Maxi Crop [ powdered seaweed concentrate ]
10 drops of superthrive
1 tablespoon Liquid Humus [Technaflora plant products 15% Humic acid ]
2 tablespoons Formula X [ Cornucopia Plus ]
4 tablespoons Miracle Grow..[ their standard one early in the year for growing.. OR the
MG..Bloom Booster used later in the season for flowering ]
I spray daily..a splash.. in 2 liters..wondered how much that splash was..so I checked..looks like 4 Tbs /2 liters... MMMM might be a bit stiff.. compared to others...
I spray my cactus.. brugs.. plumeria.. and everything.. the cat usually leaves her spot under the plumeria when spraying starts.. Outside I spray the lawn also..
I also use a bit in my water.. maybe 6 Tbs / 5 Gallons water.. along with 5 Tbs. MG there .. The seedlings are doing just fine with the daily sprayings ]
Shake well before each use.. it does settle out some..w/salts on the bottom

Thank you for these great recipes, I will be using it this year on my Co-op bought brugs. One question, I've noticed from reading that some of you spray everything in your garden (much easier) is it ok on food plants? ie....peppers, herbs, mango, citrus trees? it certainly would be alot easier to attach the hose sprayer and just spray everything but just wanted your input, I have a lot of mixed up plants inbetween my brugs & plumeria's etc.

Also anyone had any "do not spray" plants? My vietnamese gardenia buds turn brown if they get sprayed, although the plant itself likes it.

Sorry if this has been answered before.

ASTC .. ell Iread few few postings one said she didn't do her cactus.. Ido.. seems fine for mine.. the other said she didn't do her Japanese morning glories.. spray mine as well..
As far as food plants... there's nothing in there that's not orgaic.. the tea tree oil in the quanities I use it in might aftr amonth or two impart the taste of it.. but I'd imagine it would be minimal.. and a good bit ould just ash off.. you could always stop a month or so before harvest.. the hose end sprayer.. might dilute it too much to be real effective.. but it surely wouldn't hurt them..

I used it on flowers, veggies, grapes & berries, fruit trees & shrubs. The only thing that didn't like it was the cactus. I think it was too much nitrogen to suit it.

Linda

thank you for answering my questions, I guess I was more worried that the Ammonia wouldn't be safe on food plants (because of it's label warnings) but as you said, it's such a small amount when it's diluted. Plus here in Florida with the rains each day in the growing season it will probably dilute it even more so.

It is way too dilute to worry about. Along with the massive dilution you are only spraying it. If you swallowed the amount as liquid that gets on the plant it would not hurt you. It would taste nasty but would not cause harm. I do not know how much nasty bacteria grows in it and everything when it sits so long after you make it so I would want to rinse off any vegetables before eating but I do that anyway. It will rinse right off with the bug poo LOL

ammonia has nitrogen in it so thats one thing plants love..

Yes... Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to foodstuffs and fertilizers...N H3 with water is what we buy..
Approximately 83% (as of 2003) of ammonia is used as fertilizers either as its salts or as solutions. Consuming more than 1% of all man-made power, the production of ammonia is a significant component of the world energy budget
Solutions of ammonia in water can be applied on the skin to lessen the effects of acidic animal poisons, especially insect poison and jellyfish poison..
I think it mixes with the other ingredents..to form other compounds.. the plants can use..alone... ammonia is about useless to plants..

I am planning to use the recipe on all of the plants here: vegetable and ornamental. I know what's in it and I trust it to do less harm to me and the environment than some of the alternatives :~)

ok, a couple of questions that have prob. been answered in other threads but I'll ask here. How often do you spray (brugs and hibbies) and do you use other feeds at the same time? For ex. osmocote or miracle grow spray as usual?

Anne

Well, we sprayed the recipe every day last year in the hoophouses. I use Osmocote in the potting soil I mix up and have not noticed any bad effects using both. We don't use MiracleGro but I would imagine you can use it as often as you usually would. Or just include it as part of the recipe you use and use it once a week or whatever.

Oh forgot to add for anyone who wonders - kenboy is my DH, which is why I say 'we' like everybody knows - LOL!

I use it in addition to my regular fertilizers. MG, Peters or generic grow formula at first, then I switch to bloom booster.

Linda

I love the way my hibs and brugs look so happy with Kens recipe.. thanks so much BOTH OF YOU! ;) Debra
PS: My roses love it too...

I used this last year with very good results. Even my bougie bloomed and it was the first time after being in the ground for some 10 years. But can I use this on ferns. I can't remember if I did last year or not and now I have a staghorn fern and I really want it to survive.

silverfluter

This is from Madagascar Tropicals A Platycerium Fern Nursery http://www.madagascartropicals.com/PlatyceriumStaghornFernCultivation/PlatyceriumStaghornFernCultivationContinued.html

"Fertilizer - Any General All Purpose Plant Food Will Do "No Bananas" Along With A Very Small Amount Of Root Hormone , From Time To Time . Plant Food Should Be Given At (1/4) Strength Per Gallon Of Water Beginning In Early Spring And Through Mid Fall , But Not To Often . We Do Not Regularly Feed Our Platycerium Fern Species . With Most Of The Species No Food Should Be Given During The Winter Season , Unless The Species Is A New Pup Or Newly Mounted Species You Are Attempting To Get Established And Even Then Not To Much Food . You Can Also Use A Very Small Amount Of Slow Release Plant Food Tablets , During The Summer Season . "

Interesting writing style on the website: I Think These People Are Very Passionate About Staghorn Ferns
:~)

This site also talks about using filtered water and the importance of not using chlorinated water in particular. They do have some good information that appears to be based on years of experience. I have a few little staghorns here so I was happy to find what info I could about them. I had been considering getting some sort of filters for the outdoor water anyway - I wish we could afford a filter for our whole system. Our community water company really dumps the chlorine in the water in the summer.

Thanks for that link Maggie. I'll look at that in a minute, but I have another question. I had some of that recipe from last year, can I still use it?

Hmmm. They certainly have a very different style of writing.

I'm not sure what "food" to give my staghorn. I garden organically, so can I use alfalfa tea? I'm trying that for the first time this year.

Sorry if I'm popping in here with an already answered question Maggi, but what was the consensus last year regarding amount of the recipe per gallon? I know last year some were giving up to 6 TBS to a half cup of the recipe per gallon. I used 6 TBS mix in my greenhouse to spray the brugs this winter....

I think the smaller amount is the best.. the plants can only absorb and use so much. the rest would only be run off.

LOL! my reasoning about how much to use is this: If I have a lot of recipe mixed up and I'm feeling flush ($ in pocket) I use 2 T per gallon. If I am running low on recipe and am broke at the same time, 1T per gallon.

I found a partial jug of the recipe leftover from last year, it had been outside for months. I opened it and it smelt as fresh as the day it was mixed, so I used it. No adverse effects to report.

I got lazy last year and came up with all sorts of excuses for not spraying my Brugs with the recipe. With my slipped disc, I've wanted something I don't have to carry or to bend over a lot. I think I have the answer. It's a bit more expensive than a 1-gallon sprayer, but once I set it up, it should be easier to keep up with spraying the recipe and fertilizing.

I have a faucet extension and a hose near the greenhouse and where I summer my Brugs. To the extension faucet I am adding a twin shut-off valve (but one from Home Depot with a longer neck and bigger handles which makes it easier to turn the handles):
http://www.amleo.com/index/item.cgi?cmd=view&Words=by47
Two EZ-Flow Automatic Fertilizer Systems (One for regular fertilizer, such as MG, and one for the recipe)
http://www.amleo.com/index/item.cgi?cmd=view&Words=2005
A Foggit Nozzle. Placed at the end of the hose, it does the same thing a sprayer wand does:
http://www.amleo.com/index/item.cgi?cmd=view&Words=fog

and 2 - 50-ft hoses.

I'm filling one of the EZ-Flow containers with the recipe concentrate and the other EZ-Flow with my regular fertilizer. Each of these containers will be attached to the twin shut-off valves and a hose. Then all I have to do is turn two handles to switch from one hose to the other to mist or water my Brugs. I'll post a photo of my set up once it's in place.

Betty looks like your mind is heading the same direction as mine this year. I would suggest you also look at this, a siphon mixer valve that hooks onto your faucet and is alot cheaper than the EZ Flow. You stick the little siphon hose into a regular 5 gallon bucket full of concentrated fertilizer for the same effect as your going for. Alot less money though. This is just an example, there are many brands of siphon mixer valves, some even cheaper. I'm going to use one bucket for fertilizers and one for pesticides. I also use a twin faucet valve, which you can get cheaply at Walmart.

http://homeharvest.com/waterfertilizerinjectors.htm

This message was edited Mar 6, 2009 12:17 PM

Hey Betty! Let us know how that EZ Gro works for you, OK? I notice it says "Back flow protection required, sold separately." Where is that?

Oh, and Sam's has had some good quality hoses the last few seasons, probably Costco does too. I have heard Sears made a really good hose too.

Karen, the only problems with the siphon mixer and 5-gallon bucket is that it seriously reduces water flow at the end of the hose and that it is very hard to filter out 'stuff' that clogs the siphon hose. Also, when you shut off the water at the 'business' end of the hose oftentimes the siphon stops working and you have to mess with it to get it sucking again.

I have lusted after the EZ Gro - but only if it really works ;~)

Thanks for the tips Maggi! I am lusting after "something" this year, anything, to make fertilizing easier!

I've been looking at these two cordless sprayers at Ace....the first one rolls on wheels and holds 2 gallons
http://www.poolandgarden.com/cepia-one-touch-power-caddy-sprayer.html

This one is hand held and holds 1 1/4 gallon
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-4-Gallon-Cordless-GSP014/dp/B000E7UIS8

They are each about the same price as the EZ Flow


This message was edited Mar 6, 2009 1:29 PM

Hey Maggi, Darkmoon,

Has any one found a good siphon that they have used a lot and realy like it. God dose not like it when I through a fit in the frount yard because the spray gets clog up.

Karen I have used both of those and they are not very good. I also have a picture of your birthday cake from last year that I forgot to give you at the roundup but I will find it and e-mail it to you.

Joan