pixidustt77,
Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to do this experiment. I found it to be most interesting. Lately I have been looking hard at fish emulsion and kelp for fertilizer and boosting the health of my indoor plants. Your evaluation has convinced me I was on the right track.

What indoor plants are you applying this fertilizer to and how are you applying it? I was wondering if Neptune's Harvest would be too smelly and/or algae producing for doing african violets texas style watering. It says 'no unpleasant odor'.

gootziecat

Hi Pixidustt,

So glad someone has experimented. Thanks for posting the results. I have a few questions though.

"I also used all of the three mentioned plant "aids" as an add-ons to my fertilized for about 8 month now." The problem with this is that Eleanor's likes to be used alone (and I'm sure the other "aids" do as well). So as a fertilizer, I think you might've had different results if you used each one alone instead of adding each "aid" to your usual fertilizer (what fertilizer would that be, by the way?).

As for rooting, it is quite clear that Eleanor's takes the cake from what you posted. And as for spraying/misting, how often and when (at night/morning?) did you mist? Eleanor's should be used at night mainly, and at least once a week for good results.

Obviously, you can tell I'm an Eleanor's girl :-)

Thanks again for posting your results.

Gabi

O.k., I have a lot of succulent plants, 4 African Violets, 8 Hoyas, I grow roses indoor too. Most of my outdoor plants are indoor in pots now since it is snowing and very cold here in Ohio. So I use NeptuneÂs Harvest on all my plants. IT IS STINKY! Think of a fish store not pet store. I use a little bit less then the instructions say. I have learned that less is actually better for any plants with any fertilizer. Now, real fish emulsifier will stink. No way escaping it. If a label says "odorless" it is usually not as "pure". I am not sure if it will or will not produce algae. I am trying other "organic" fertilizers now, I will let you know how it is going. And if you have heard anything good about any other products, let me know. I will test them

 Here is the thing, EleanorÂs VF-11 is just another fertilizer, and it just has little more stuff in it (Boron, Magnesium, Copper). I did used it alone without adding it to any other fertilizer, I am sorry I mistyped it. I mist in the morning and every day. I have followed instructions. On EleanorÂs web site it is said that, and I quot" VF-11 and ROSES......
You will be so pleased with the abundance
of blooms!! Foliar Feed your roses once a week
Hose-end sprayer is ideal...one ounce VF-11 to a gallon water.
(two tablespoons equals one ounce) "
I have used it on my roses for 5 month no "abundance of bloom"
And that is just one example.

I found an old bottle of SuperThrive that I've had for maybe 4 years. So if I add 1/8 tsp. to 1 gallon of water and feed my hoyas, it will encourage them to bloom?

I have a Hoya Australis Variegata that used to bloom like crazy, but lost all but one spur. I moved 2 years ago, so I believe the shock of moving may have caused her not to bloom. Will SuperThrive help and should I feed everytime I water?

Thanks, Tammy

Thanks Pixi for posting this interesting stuff, really quite interesting indeed!

Did I mis-read your results on rooting, I thought it said 2 wks result (the fastest) was Superthrive, not VF-11?

So far I'm liking my VF-11 results (just used it for scant 2 wks). I had tried Superthrive sometime back, didn't find noticeable results (it certainly didn't push the Hoyas to bloom); hard to find around here & pricy too, so I quit it & reverted to regular fertilizer.

I plan on using only VF-11 thru this Spring & Summer to see how all my plants fare (not just the Hoyas). So far they all seem to like it, the Violets are doing better then usual (too early to see blooms yet) & a Mistletoe Fig that can be tricky seems delighted! My Aralia seems pretty jazzed abt it too!

Tammy,

ST is pretty concentrated - the bottle says 1 DROP per gallon, I believe (I don't have my original bottle..) and I use 1/2 gallon jugs and use a small drop in that when I use it.

I'm starting my 3rd year of using VF-11 and I love it. I don't believe it's "just another fertilizer." It's more like a vitamin and mineral boost for your plants. Remember - Eleanor touts that you "can't burn your plants" which isn't true of fertilizer. I use it year round, both watering it in and as a foliar feed. (Remember to spray the UNDERsides of the leaves because that's where the stomata that absorbs are located...) I've been growing Hoyas (and succulents) for 30 years and have found no product that has impressed me like VF-11.

My sister, who owns a nursery and is a natural skeptic, bought some after I raved about it. (In all honesty, I think she wanted to prove me wrong!) Today, she sells it in her nursery, uses it on EVERYthing including all of her vegetables and trees and is probably Eleanor's biggest saleswoman in this part of the country!

Denise in Omaha

Oh...sorry Pixi,
You're right, I misread. It does say to spray in the mornings. But that's referring to roses...I don't know how many of us grow those. I could've sworn I read that night spraying is best for "foliage"....maybe I'm losing it.

Did you happen to use Eleanor's as BOTH a foliar spray and as a fertilizer? Because I would think that would yeild the best results out of the Eleanor's.

Denise: Glad to see you posting. Hang in there.

I haven't used any of the above mentioned products but have heard great things about the Neptune's Harvest on roses. Since I grow roses I think I'll give the NH a try on everything.

Mostly I rotate fertilizers or use what ever I find in the shed. I've used regular fish emulsion and Naturize water soluable (I heard they aren't going to make it any longer)and other MG type products.

I still pretty new to hoyas and no blooms yet...

Listen, guys, here is the deal. I am not in any way saying that VF-11 is no good. It is good, but is NOT A MIRACLE. It has all the right stuff. Just like many fertilizers. There is no such thing as "immediate" results. Another thing is, what makes a flowering plant bloom is plenty of real light, sunshine; fertilizer that is high in second and third number on a bottle (0.01-0.3-0.7 for example) high-phosphorus fertilizer. SuperThrive is a hormone that might help your plants grow a bit faster. It helped mine. Another thing with SuperThrive, it is not a MIRACALE. No "one drop per gallon" stuff! I use a teaspoon a gallon and that seems to work. Another thing, Hoyas come from all over the world. Some like it hot and sunny, and some like it shady. They are (most of them) considered succulents. If you are really into giving them what they want, check out where your particular Hoya came from originally (I do not mean nursery in Chicago). If it is originated in Thailand, you can check what climate it is there and try to simulate the climate yourself. But it is too much work. I grow my Hoyas under special florescent lights and they are doing fine. This is what I have learned from reading books, and talking to people: You want them to grow use hormone filled fertilizer. Fertilizers with high amount of nitrogen will produce rapid but week growth. You want them to bloom use High-Phosphorus one. Take your Hoyas outside in a nice, sunny day. Do not over-spray Hoyas-Wet leaves mean fungus. Again, none of this is a "rule of thumb", but this is what helped me to take care of my plants. Common sense, knowledge of your plant origins, and some knowledge of a plant structure and function (botany stuff) is what you need to make any plant happy1

Pixidustt,

Great explanation above. Some good tips in there.
Question, did you ever try the "beer fertilizer" (the one with epsom salts, light beer, ammonia, etc.)? You said you were looking to test other products...I'm wondering if you'd consider that one (and if you already used it, what do you think of it?). I can list the exact recipe I use if you want.

Gabi

Pixi... No, VF-11 is no "miracle" - no product is. I think most of us are smart enough to recognize the difference between marketing and reality. Which is why I wasn't real quick to give my opinion about it...

I also want to point out that a very reputable commercial grower that is a member of my local C&S club told me to be very careful about how much SuperThrive to water into plants. Too much will force unnatural growth, causing etoliation and reduce or eliminate flowering. These comments came when I told him (before my VF-11 days...) that I was using ST at a rate of 1 drop per 1/2 gallon of water every watering, which is MUCH less then you suggest. It worries me when folks tout proportions not suggested by the producer of a product...

Just my opinion... Denise in Omaha