# DIY Root Tab Recipes?



## mrmagnan

Hey gang,

Just wondering if someone can direct me to a post / website describing methods of making your own root tabs. As far as I can tell, its essentially clay + micronutrients in a form.

Any direction or experiences you can provide would be fabulous!

MRM


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## MiamiAG

I don't know of any. You may try www.thekrib.com.


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## Faruk Gençöz

I have a page on how to make clay balls but it's in Turkish. I can't translate it quickly but if you have a specific question I can try to answer.

I would suggest clay+traces for rosette plants, +KNO3 for the stem plants.


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## mrmagnan

fgencoz said:


> I have a page on how to make clay balls but it's in Turkish. I can't translate it quickly but if you have a specific question I can try to answer.
> 
> I would suggest clay+traces for rosette plants, +KNO3 for the stem plants.


Nice photos on your site. I would be interested in a brief description of your technique / materials for making root tabs. The type / amount of nutrients I can experiment with. Anything to start would be helpful.

Please send the website link as I can try to translate with intertran's free website service (although not very good).

Art, surfed the Krib first and couldn't find much. I read on the Krib that Steve Pushak once had a link on his site but can't find it anymore.

Thanks,

mike


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## Faruk Gençöz

index page for the liquid and solid fertilizers:
http://www.hidrobotanik.com/gubre.htm

how to prepare and use
http://www.hidrobotanik.com/gubre/kilavuzmisket.htm
http://www.hidrobotanik.com/gubre/katigenel.htm

I'll prepare new balls this month. I can take some pictures and post here.


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## Faruk Gençöz

When you mix 
45 gram of traces
70 gram of K2SO4
30 gram KNO3
30 gram KH2PO4
175 gram clay, you can have approximately 200 balls 1 cm diameter each. But K2SO4 and KH2PO4 may not be necessary. Add water to the mixture drop by drop till it becomes not so muddy. Use gloves while rolling the clay balls between your hands. Put the clayballs on an even surface and wait for them to dry naturally in the room temperature. After 8 hours or so they dry completely. Heating the clay is not necessary but you have to be quick while burying the balls into the roots.


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## czado

*fgencoz*, does it matter if I use the same ratios in smaller portions and store it for use over several months?

No issue with KH2PO4 and Fe in traces forming percipatate?

Very helpful. Nice site and tanks. Thank you.


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## Faruk Gençöz

The amounts are dependent on the amounts given in the PMDD formula:

14 gram of K2SO4 X *5* = 70 gram
09 gram of traces X *5 *= 45 gram etc.

You can multiply the amounts in PMDD by 2,3, or 4 if you want less. 
If you also use liquid fertilizers you may need only KNO3 and traces in the balls. The amount of clay is equal to the total amount of fertilizers

The content of the balls should be based on the deficiency symptoms of the plants. Balls may contain only one item, this is my usual and the best way to make experimentation.


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## Faruk Gençöz

Clay balls can be stored in a cool place forever but I would not use them after a year or so.

Thanks for the feedback about the web site. It needs a significant update.


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## mrmagnan

Thanks for the info. Really helpful. I'll go on a search for clay...

mike


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## plantbrain

fgencoz said:


> When you mix
> 45 gram of traces
> 70 gram of K2SO4
> 30 gram KNO3
> 30 gram KH2PO4
> 175 gram clay, you can have approximately 200 balls 1 cm diameter each. But K2SO4 and KH2PO4 may not be necessary. Add water to the mixture drop by drop till it becomes not so muddy. Use gloves while rolling the clay balls between your hands. Put the clayballs on an even surface and wait for them to dry naturally in the room temperature. After 8 hours or so they dry completely. Heating the clay is not necessary but you have to be quick while burying the balls into the roots.


FYI, place the balls in the freezer for an hour prior, then no mud.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## |squee|

Why clay though?


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## caall99

Sorry, bringing this back from the dead... my question is regarding the clay used to make these DIY root tabs. Unfortunately, the only clay i have access to is the pottery type red clay in hydrated form. This means it has the consistency of play dough, unlike the powdered form that would be easier to measure and mix as described in this recipe. Does anyone else kneed fertilizers into hydrated clay, or is it best for me to wait and order some powder clay online (perhaps point me to a vendor?)? Also how does one measure out hydrated clay? Do you still add water to the hydrated clay nutrient mix?

Thanks,
Chris


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## SKSuser

Ahh, one of my favorite threads from old times. 

You could probably do either suggestion you gave yourself. If you wanted to, you could dry and re-hydrate that clay as many times as you want.

However, any pottery store worth its salt will have the dry clay behind the counter, but you probably have to ask for it specifically. The reason almost all will have it? They add fired bits of clay, called grog, in the mixed wet clay when they make it up. Its the sandy part in there and adds texture and helps in the firing process. In the ceramics world, some people don't like it or want something different when they're building with terra cotta (red clay) so they get the powders and mix their own. In the aquarium world, I don't see the grog bearing a difference either way.
The reason they probably told you they didn't have it? Non-ceramics people's main reason for visiting a ceramics store is if they want to make something that goes whoosh, boom or holds drugs.  Always be articulate and assertive, and be sure to tell them what you're doing with your powdered chemicals, and they'll probably take an interest and help you out.

If you want to dry it and re-wet it, make sure its all the way dry, and then when you finally put it in water, use water thats slightly warm. Even a large chuck will melt quickly if its dry throughout.

Happy ferting!


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## MrFishyBob

SKSuser said:


> Ahh, one of my favorite threads from old times.
> 
> You could probably do either suggestion you gave yourself. If you wanted to, you could dry and re-hydrate that clay as many times as you want.
> 
> However, any pottery store worth its salt will have the dry clay behind the counter, but you probably have to ask for it specifically. The reason almost all will have it? They add fired bits of clay, called grog, in the mixed wet clay when they make it up. Its the sandy part in there and adds texture and helps in the firing process. In the ceramics world, some people don't like it or want something different when they're building with terra cotta (red clay) so they get the powders and mix their own. In the aquarium world, I don't see the grog bearing a difference either way.
> The reason they probably told you they didn't have it? Non-ceramics people's main reason for visiting a ceramics store is if they want to make something that goes whoosh, boom or holds drugs.  Always be articulate and assertive, and be sure to tell them what you're doing with your powdered chemicals, and they'll probably take an interest and help you out.
> 
> If you want to dry it and re-wet it, make sure its all the way dry, and then when you finally put it in water, use water thats slightly warm. Even a large chuck will melt quickly if its dry throughout.
> 
> Happy ferting!


Great post and informative.

I think one of my other posts gave some wrong impression(s).
I had a ceramic teacher or two that would define Grog the same way. "It is the sandy substance you can feel in the clay." Sandy or rock substances found in clay is actually called Grit. Grog come in very many shapes and sizes and they can feel like sandy or rock substances. I've done three years of wheel throwing with ceramics and my hands just couldn't take the stuff.

As far as Aquarium world if your thinking about adding clay for many years I'd suggest the best bet is dry clay void of Grog and Grit.

Also please not Red Clay will almost always have a tone of iron in it. Terra Cotta clay will also have a ton of Iron in it. There are clays that call themselves Terra Cotta but just look similar.

As far as the Aquarium world or the Ceramic's world I tend to stay away from generalizations.
However I'd like to make one.
Darker clays tend to have more iron in them lighter clays can have less iron. Black clay or dark brown so it looks almost like black will often have lots of Manganese and Iron. Some clays also have a large amount of calcium content. For example Porcelain which tends to be more expensive which and are made from limestone mixed with water.



Faruk Gençöz said:


> index page for the liquid and solid fertilizers:
> http://www.hidrobotanik.com/gubre.htm
> 
> how to prepare and use
> http://www.hidrobotanik.com/gubre/kilavuzmisket.htm
> http://www.hidrobotanik.com/gubre/katigenel.htm
> 
> I'll prepare new balls this month. I can take some pictures and post here.


Any chance someone can get the links to work?


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## redchigh

When I made my tabs I just used extended-release pellets (like osmocote) and red pottery clay.
Don't try to dry them in your oven- they'll dissolve on contact with water. If you let them dry naturally they hold their shape better.

I also tried adding gelatin... but you'd have to powder the clay, mix with gelatin, then add nutes and it was too much work.


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