Hey Del.

I bought them both, but separate, and with the free shipping, too.
Won't be getting that deal anymore because I didn't renew prime membership. Should have, though.

Funny thing... I've been using the Protekt but forgot that I had the FP. When it first arrived I used it, then took it and put it away. It wasn't until someone mentioned the FP that it finally dawned on me that I have it, too! LOL Yeah, I'm getting old and forgetful! :)

Hi,

What do you use Protekt for? And can you post the name of the store or links? Thanks!

A nice surprise here is that I ordered it this afternoon and 4 hours later, got an email that it had shipped!! Can't beat that.:) This place is a vendor that goes through Amazon so I don't think Amazon Prime would apply anyway.

From reading, it appears that you are supposed to use both together.

NC - Protekt should help with your heat stressed plants. You should use it every time you water.

Oh really? Ok I'm ordering some! Thank you!

Now Del what is the name of the vendor/shipper? There are many vendors on Amazon. Thanks!

It's TheLandscapersStore. On Amazon I searched for Pro-Tekt and got a result. It had other size choices and when I went to the 1 gallon size, it was TheLandscapersStore. As I said, it shipped 4 hours after placing the order.

I've been meaning to ask you Protekt experts on the effects of PH levels. Some time ago Al mentioned that Protekt raises PH levels and our county water has high levels already. For this reason, I have been a light Protekt user. In the next few days I should take a soil sample to the Ag agent and have it tested.

Anyone have any thoughts on PH?

That's probably a question that Al could best answer. I also saw his comments on that. I'm thinking if you use it for foliar feeding it shouldn't have too much of an effect on the soil.

Getting a soil sample is a great idea. Let us know what you find.

I have an RO unit so the water I use is pretty close to distilled. Of course I don't have a whole lot of plumies (yet)...:)

Hello DelWH,

Just remember to add the Pro TeKT to the water first (stir it in) then add the Foliage Pro.

I am not sure of the Ph changing.. Hopefully AL will see this and answer your questions for you!!!

Good find on your FP and PT!!!

Take care,

Laura

Thanks Laura,

On another site, they mention not to mix the concentrates because they will combine and precipitate out. They recommended putting it in last after you mix Foliage-Pro with water. On the Pro-tekt bottle it mentions to add it to water before any other nutrients. I imagine it doesn't really make a difference as long as you mix one or the other thoroughly with water first. To be safe however, I will follow the bottle instructions, don't want to mess up the plumies. :)

Hi DelWH,

I think they were talking about mixing together then adding to the water... (They bind together) You would see the change in the water if you add the wrong one first.... I can even see the difference in the Measuring spoons if i dont rinse them before i add the next ingredient.

For those that are following this about Foliage Pro and Pro TeKt.. Always add the Pro TeKt to the water first, then add the Foliage Pro. This is the best way IMO!!! : )

You are right about the instructions on the bottle... i follow those instructions on the PT and add that first..

I have also mixed it in reverse and it doesn't loook right. You can see that the Pro TeKt binds together if not mixed correctly...

I use this on my Plumeris, C & S Citrus and other plants. My Trees love this mixture and so do i!!!!

Take care,

Laura

Thanks Laura! I ordered Protekt to see if it will give my leaves some protection from this brutal sun. It will arrive Thursday.

Can you use Protekt alone or do you have to add Foliage Pro? I have already fertilized w/ Foliage Pro this AM so they are not due until next week. But I don't think I want to wait to use the Protekt... so I hope I can use the two separately.

Hi Lynn,

You can use ProteKt by itself without any problem. It is just easier to add to the regular fertilization program that you like to be on. It is up to you, but i would go ahead and add it when mixing with the PF just for your convenience. Add PT first to the water, then add the Foliage Pro. Have fun!!!

Take care and happpy blooming days for you!!! : )

Laura

ordered and received the Dyna-gro tek and am not happy! I ordered a gallon and got a quart!!! Off to write a letter to the seller. The landscaperstore!
Tally HO!

Wow! Quick response! Gallon already shipped and have a tracking number. Told him to bill me for the quart, stuff happens and I appreciate them correcting their mistake but no reason for them to lose money. I am totally impressed with this company.
Tally HO!

I finally found a place that sells both foliage pro and pro tekt, here in San Antonio. Barbra

Hopefully Al is still watching this thread?

I'm wondering about dosage for the Pro-Tekt in 5-1-1 mix. If the fertilization is reduced to half strength, then the Pro-Text is also reduced, correct?

Also, is there any danger of the K building up in the container over time, since it's throwing the 3-2-1 ratio out of whack a bit?

Thanks!
Beth

Re: adding vinegar to lower the pH of tap water, do I just use cooking vinegar?
Thanks,

If you're using less than the recommended amounts of FP at more frequent intervals, you would follow suit with ProTeKt applications. One of the primary reasons for using soils like the 5:1:1 mix or gritty mix is that they allow you to flush the soil at will w/o concern about impaired root function or root rot issues due to soils remaining soggy for extended periods. If you're not taking advantage of the fact you can flush the soil regularly (and frequently), it's possible that the level of any or several nutrients could become skewed, but it's very unlikely if you're flushing the soil when you water.

When adding vinegar to your irrigation water or fertigation solution for containerized plants, start by letting your water or solution rest for a day. This allows dissolved CO2 to gas off, which ensures a more accurate pH reading (as dissolved CO2 lowers pH). Add enough white vinegar or citric acid (stores that sell wine making supplies) to lower pH to somewhere around 5.0-5.2, and note how much vinegar it took. Then, add that each time you irrigate/fertigate. The most favorable pH level for plants in low bulk density media is about 1.0 less than in mineral soils ..... so about pH 5.2 in containers vs about 6.2 in mineral soils.

Al

Thanks, Al! I am in fact flushing the soil (both 5-1-1 and Gritty) at each watering so I do feel more comfortable now using the Pro-Tekt. I'm excited to see if the heat tolerance of some of my plants will be improved!

About pH.... My pH is high (7.5), but alkalinity is low (40). (According to simple pool test strips anyway). So I haven't been concerned with lowering pH of my irrigation. So far (about a year) there have been no signs of nutrient deficiencies. I've got my eyes on it though, in case those test strips aren't too accurate. ;)

Thanks again to you and others (like Laura) who have taught and answered so many questions. Reading all of the question/ answers really helps my learning process. We're paying attention even if we're not responding. lol And thanks to the OP for giving me the opportunity to clarify information!

Cheers!

If you guys like pro- tekt, I suggest you give agsil16 a try. I believe it's a superior product, I completely switched over. 1 4lb tub makes 1,271 gallons. Not bad for 40 bucks or so

Ph can be tricky, glad I threw out my ph meter when I switched over to no till!

Jason

I know this is a really old thread, so I don't expect OP to respond. But perhaps Al will see this and can chime in.
I wanted to follow up on some of the things he mentioned in regards to getting water pH right with vinegar and adding pro-tekt.
Al suggested to let your tap water sit for 24 hours to allow CO2 to gas off. Is this only for the initial test to see how much vinegar to add to get the pH in the right spot, or is that a recommendation for every watering? I don't think I can commit to filling up buckets of water the day before Everytime, but could totally do it once for the sake of getting a good reading.
Secondly, both liquid fert and protekt will adjust pH level. So, does the target pH offered (5-5.5) take that into consideration, or should this be adjusted for foliage pro and protekt? Similarly, any granule fert (Osmocote Plus in my case) in the mix would also affect this, right?
Finally, just to clarify order of operations: add foliage pro, then water, then vinegar, then protekt? Mixing in between?

Al suggested to let your tap water sit for 24 hours to allow CO2 to gas off. Is this only for the initial test to see how much vinegar to add to get the pH in the right spot, or is that a recommendation for every watering? I don't think I can commit to filling up buckets of water the day before Everytime, but could totally do it once for the sake of getting a good reading. You'll need to allow the CO2 to gas off initially, then check it (tapwater) every once in a while because municipalities are always changing the amount of chemicals they add to your water supply. You'll be able to judge how often you need to check it by how much it changes, or doesn't. Probably every 3 months would be good.

Personally, I don't chase my tail trying to maintain a fixed pH level for anything I grow, yet I manage to keep my plants very healthy. Most of the images I've posted through the years show extraordinarily healthy plant material as a matter of course. My pursuit of the ideal pH is pretty much limited to adding a little citric acid or white vinegar to my irrigation water before I water, whenever I see iron chlorosis, and that mostly occurs in plants I over-winter under lights in the basement. I'm presuming it's due to carbonate accumulation in the medium and related to the fact I can't flush the medium as profusely as I can watering from the hose outdoors. Once the plants go back outdoors for the summer, the issue pretty much goes away, though I have a few (6 or so) plants that still show a bit too much interveinal chlorosis for my taste. I've discovered for those few plants, a small dose of Sprint 138, an iron chelate for high pH applications, fixes it pronto. I also discovered the same treatment of Sprint 138 works just as well for over-wintering plants w/o having to acidify the water. It might be something to consider, but be willing to dig deep into your wallet if you go that route. The last 5 lbs I bought was over $100, but I have friends who use it so we share the cost. If you want to try it, I can send you a little. It only takes 1/4 stp/gallon every 5th or 6th watering, so it goes a very long way in containers. So, does the target pH offered (5-5.5) take that into consideration, or should this be adjusted for foliage pro and protekt? Similarly, any granule fert (Osmocote Plus in my case) in the mix would also affect this, right? All of those additives affect pH. You'll need to decide how important maintaining a precise pH is to you, then do some research to decide what method you want to use to check pH, then be prepared to learn you're going to have to settle for 'close enough' because of the number if factors in constant flux that change pH. I acidify my irrigation water to about 5.5 whether I use it to fertigate or irrigate. If it helps to know. I have something saved somewhere from Dave Neal, CEO of Dyna-Gro Plant Solutions that essentially says not to be concerned about any rise in pH associated with use of ProTeKt 0-0-3. After a long net search, I ended up back at this old thread for what Dave said: "To date more than 200 university studies have been published regarding the multiple benefits of soluble silicon. If you are using distilled water, presumably you are adding fertilizer. Since most [fertilizers] are acidic and applied at a rate higher than Pro-TeKt, the fact that Pro-TeKt has a high pH is more than offset by the low pH of the fertilizer. With many thousands of long time users of Pro-TeKt, I know of no one who has lost a plant due to high pH." Finally, just to clarify order of operations: add foliage pro, then water, then vinegar, then protekt? Mixing in between? I think, when you're adding ProTeKt 0-0-3, the water should not be acidified as it can cause the Ca in the FP 9-3-6 to precipitate out of solution.

Al

So helpful Al, thank you! I'm not interested in managing my pH like a chemist would, but thought it might be useful to have an informed approach before I start adding vinegar willy-nilly. Sounds like that might be a no-no anyway if I start using pro-tekt. I live in Phoenix and we get hot summers and occasional strong winds, so I'm curious to see if this will help my citrus weather the heat and wind a little better.

"..... so I'm curious to see if this will help my citrus weather the heat and wind a little better." It will, it's a remarkable product. Have you ever heard of or handled a common weed called horsetail, scouring rush, or snake grass/weed (Equisetum hyemale affine)?

Westward moving pioneers bestowed the name 'scouring rush' because it was widely used to scour residues from their cooking utensils/pots. The reason it is strong enough to scour off food stuck to the pot's surface is the amount of silicon in its cells. Silicon makes the cells harder, which limits insect herbivory, pathogen access, and helps appreciably in situations where the plant is too hot, cold, wet, or dry. The only 'hitch' is, it must be in the nutrient stream at all times if plants are to get its full advantage. It's the same with Ca(lcium) which is essential to normal cell formation.

Al

That is very encouraging to hear!

I water by hand 1x on the weekend and then use a drip system 1-2x during the week, depending on temperature. So I would provide it (and the FP) weekly. Do you think that is consistent enough for it to be helpful? I know DG's instructions say to include it at every watering, but I don't have the mechanisms at this point to add that to my drip system.

Do you think that is consistent enough for it to be helpful? Yes - as long as it's in the soil solution you're good. You might consider fertilizing, then watering to make sure you wet the entire soil mass but avoid significant flushing, which limits washout. Then on the weekend, flush Fri or Sat and fertilize Sun.

Al

I got my pro-tekt today and am excited to start using it this weekend.

What is the purpose of watering after fertilizing? And why flush 1-2 days before fertilizing?

"What is the purpose of watering after fertilizing?" Watering immediately after fertilizing would be counter-productive. Watering to slightly beyond the point of saturation, so you apply somewhere near 20% more water than required to fully saturate the grow medium, prevents a build-up pf the o/a level of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil/ soil solution; and, it prevents nutrient ratios from becoming badly skewed, which causes too much of nutrient X to limit uptake of nutrient Y (an antagonistic deficiency). Example: "Bloom Booster" fertilizers that supply very unhealthy amounts of P(hosphorous) are difficult to justify for container culture. The only siren call you'll likely hear as reason to use them will be, "Well, it works for me"! The average plant uses about 6X as much N(itrogen) as P. Fertilizers promising to coax a greater profusion of blooms from plants by supplying toxic levels of P are far more likely to be limiting than helpful. Continuing with the example, Sally/ Sam thinks high-P fertilizers work, so applies a favorite, 10-52-10 which has about 13X more P than the plant needs or can use, as a function of the amount of N used, which is the normal basis for comparison. Now, there is 13X more P than necessary in the soil solution. P is a well known antagonist of Fe (iron), so the massive dose of P is very likely to limit Fe uptake. Now, the plant is chlorotic, which is serious enough in itself, but a huge % of hobby growers will read the chlorosis to mean the plant needs more fertilizer. IF the grower hasn't been flushing the grow medium when watering, the massive dose of P is still in the soil solution and by now, the second application is on the way. This creates a situation where the o/a level of dissolved solids/ salts in the grow medium is excessively and unnecessarily high, and the level of P is so skewed in comparison to not only N, but all other nutrients that it can't help but cause nutritional imbalance of iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, and/or copper.

Flushing the medium is something akin to hitting the fertilizer 'reset' button' to zero, or as close as one can get by flushing the grow medium.

".... why flush 1-2 days before fertilizing?" Most of us know that fertilizing dry plants significantly increases the potential for plasmolysis (fertilizer burn). This is because undiluted salts remaining in the dry medium are dissolved into the solution currently being applied. Flushing the medium then immediately fertilizing ensures the water in the medium will dilute the fertilizer solution, and allow a good measure of it to be wasted as it passes quickly through the medium and out the drain hole(s). Fertilizing 1-2 days after flushing the medium ensures a good measure of water will have been used by the plant or evaporated, so the medium absorbs more of the fertilizer solution AND should eliminate the potential for fertilizer burn (as long as directions on fertilizer packaging are followed.

This strategy better serves growers who grow in grow media which might be considered overly water-retentive than those of us who use highly-aerated, fast-draining media for the simple reasons A) highly-aerated fast-draining media can be kept moist by way of more frequent waterings, reducing the risk of fertilizer burn, B) applications of fertilizers containing urea or other sources of organic N are more likely to cause ammonium toxicity when fertility is high and the medium saturated.

Al

Thank you for the clarification Al!

I must have misunderstood you. In a previous post you said, "You might consider fertilizing, then watering to make sure you wet the entire soil mass but avoid significant flushing, which limits washout." I took that mean to fertilize then water w/o flushing, which didn't make sense to me.

You describe watering to ~20% draining, and flushing. Are these two separate practices. I have always equated them, perhaps to my detriment.

"You describe watering to ~20% draining, and flushing. Are these two separate practices. I have always equated them, perhaps to my detriment." You can habitually water to beyond the saturation point so at least 20% of the total volume of water applied during that watering exits the drain hole; or, if you're confident you can entirely wet the soil column w/minimal flushing of the medium, you can wet the soil column then wait until it's time for the 3rd, 4th, or 5th watering and flush more thoroughly at that time, then fertilize a day or two later. The keys are not allowing a build-up of salts in the medium or allowing the nutrient ratios (each to the others) get too far from the ratio at which the plant actually uses/ takes up the nutrients. Either strategy accomplishes that goal.

Al