Cal Mag + Tea?

SL3 · May 25, 2014

Does anyone know if Cal Mag can be used at the same time as Tea. I have a batch of Tea about ready to go, but just noticed some Calcium needs on several of my plants. Don't want to waste the Tea, but don't want to wait another two weeks for the next watering to treat for Cal Deficiency.

Jamison · May 25, 2014

Absolutely! Whenever the tea is done brewing, add it afterwards and soak them babies!

Noah Yates · May 25, 2014

Its fine to apply with tea... but it should not be added to the tea itself during the brewing process.

SL3 · May 25, 2014

Thanks guys, that's a relief. Now I can kill two birds with one stone.

jedisushi06 · May 25, 2014

i spray my tea with cal mag on my garden once a week at dusk.

solid7 · May 25, 2014

What do you use in your tea?

I've been using "stump tea" with EWC and kelp all season, and had no cal-mag deficiencies...

geeme · May 25, 2014

Botanicare (the maker of CalMag) considers CalMag to be a supplement, to be used in addition to a "base" fertilizer. I grow in pots and the potting soil I use has fertilizer premixed in. I still add other fertilizers, dependent upon the stage the plants are in, but once my plants kick into production mode all I add is CalMag. My plants absolutely love it.

solid7 · May 25, 2014

Got ya.

Yes, it is a supplement, but usually just throw eggshells in at the beginning of the season. For the few that I didn't supplement early on, I found that the teas brought them right back. I'm not an expert in the science of plant nutrition and uptake, so I have no idea how the teas offset the calcium/magnesium deficiency - but what I can tell you is that they do, and I've got the darkest green hot pepper plants in my growing circle to prove that.

I wouldn't tell you to do something different, but I have sure come to be a believer in teas.

John1234 · May 26, 2014

Depending on how much m'larssess you use, it's a reasonable boost of Ca, Mg, and a good dose of K. Not taking into account variations in molasses, at 0.5% of a tea (tsp per litre) it provides roughly 30ppm of Ca and Mg, with 100ppm K.

Couple that with bubbled tap water (not RO or distilled), the additional Ca from EWC, and it's a nice little soup.

Cayennemist · May 26, 2014

miguelovic said:
Depending on how much m'larssess you use, it's a reasonable boost of Ca, Mg, and a good dose of K. Not taking into account variations in molasses, at 0.5% of a tea (tsp per litre) it provides roughly 30ppm of Ca and Mg, with 100ppm K.

Couple that with bubbled tap water (not RO or distilled), the additional Ca from EWC, and it's a nice little soup.

Yup,

Most people have plenty of Cal and Mag, already. But hey if it has a placebo effect then go for it. I'm sure there are people that need Cal-Mag, but not nearly as much as people think. Tap water has plenty in most municipalities and compost has loads of it as well.

Wiki

Calcium (Ca) deficiency is a plant disorder that can be caused by insufficient calcium in the growing medium, but is more frequently a product of low transpiration of the whole plant or more commonly the affected tissue. Plants are susceptible to such localized calcium deficiencies in low or nontranspiring tissues because calcium is not transported in the phloem.[1] This may be due to water shortages, which slow the transportation of calcium to the plant, poor uptake of calcium through the stem,[2] or can be caused by excessive usage of potassium or nitrogen fertilizers.

solid7 · May 26, 2014

Maybe it should also be said that if you are using aerated tea, you can "cut" your tea when you water, to make it go farther. (as you've indicated that you don't want to waste the tea) I've used it with plenty of success in about a 1:3 dilution of tea/water as both foliar and drench.

I don't know how effective teas are when used in conjunction with synthetic fertlizers. (others would know better than me) But as was said above, Cal-Mag probably isn't even necessary. I've never used it, ever.