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    Foliar Sprays

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    Messi
    Foliar feeding involves applying liquid fertilizer directly to plant leaves and has several benefits over traditional root feeding. A 1953 study found that nutrients were absorbed 8-10 times more effectively through foliar feeding. Foliar feeding puts nutrients directly where plants can use them and stimulates root activity and nutrient uptake. It is particularly beneficial for hydroponic systems, where roots already have constant access to nutrients. Guidelines recommend foliar spraying with a fine mist in the morning for best absorption and to avoid leaf damage. Foliar feeding is a useful supplement to traditional root feeding methods.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Foliar Sprays

    Uploaded by

    Messi
    196 views2 pages
    Foliar feeding involves applying liquid fertilizer directly to plant leaves and has several benefits over traditional root feeding. A 1953 study found that nutrients were absorbed 8-10 times more effectively through foliar feeding. Foliar feeding puts nutrients directly where plants can use them and stimulates root activity and nutrient uptake. It is particularly beneficial for hydroponic systems, where roots already have constant access to nutrients. Guidelines recommend foliar spraying with a fine mist in the morning for best absorption and to avoid leaf damage. Foliar feeding is a useful supplement to traditional root feeding methods.

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    Foliar Sprays for Plants

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    Foliar feeding involves applying liquid fertilizer directly to plant leaves and has several benefits over traditional root feeding. A 1953 study found that nutrients were absorbed 8-10 times more effectively through foliar feeding. Foliar feeding puts nutrients directly where plants can use them and stimulates root activity and nutrient uptake. It is particularly beneficial for hydroponic systems, where roots already have constant access to nutrients. Guidelines recommend foliar spraying with a fine mist in the morning for best absorption and to avoid leaf damage. Foliar feeding is a useful supplement to traditional root feeding methods.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    196 views2 pages

    Foliar Sprays

    Uploaded by

    Messi
    Foliar feeding involves applying liquid fertilizer directly to plant leaves and has several benefits over traditional root feeding. A 1953 study found that nutrients were absorbed 8-10 times more effectively through foliar feeding. Foliar feeding puts nutrients directly where plants can use them and stimulates root activity and nutrient uptake. It is particularly beneficial for hydroponic systems, where roots already have constant access to nutrients. Guidelines recommend foliar spraying with a fine mist in the morning for best absorption and to avoid leaf damage. Foliar feeding is a useful supplement to traditional root feeding methods.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 2

    Jump-start your plants

    By Christopher Kline, PhD.

    Foliar feeding
    puts the nutrients where
    your plants can use them best
    Foliar sprays put the nutrients where your plant can use them. There are many commercial products available.

    Foliar feeding applying liquid fertilizer


    directly to plant leaves promotes maximum
    nutrient absorption, causing an increase in
    sugar levels in plants that then stimulate root
    activity and plant nutrient uptake. This is
    particularly beneficial in hydroponics where
    the roots have access to high quality nutrients
    all the time.

    Why foliar feed?

    In 1953, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission provided a grant and radioisotopes
    of all plant nutrients to Michigan State
    University. The objective was to study the
    foliar absorption of fertilizer nutrients and
    trace their movement in the plants.
    The study revealed that foliar-applied
    nutrients are absorbed by the leaves and
    even through the woody tissue of trees
    (bark). The study found the amount of
    nutrients required and the speed with
    which those nutrients were utilized were
    eight to ten times more effective in foliar
    feeding than root feeding. With modern
    hydroponics techniques root feeding is

    greatly improved, but these findings are


    still impressive.
    Just as spraying plants with a non-selective
    herbicide such as Roundup will kill the plants
    down to the roots, spraying foliage with liquid
    nutrients can produce remarkable yields. The
    leaves are as effective a transport mechanism
    for nutrients as they are for poison.
    Phosphorous and iron are two very important nutrients, but they dont move well from
    one part of the plant to another. By foliar
    feeding, these nutrients are available to new
    growth much more quickly.
    Foliar feeding may seem to go against longstanding garden practices of never allowing
    the leaves to get wet, particularly on such
    plants as African violets or tomatoes. Because
    foliar feeding is done with a fine mist and in
    the morning, which gives time for the leaves
    to dry, the benefits far outweigh any risks.

    More benefits of foliar feeding

    In addition to promoting maximum


    nutrient uptake, foliar fertilizers may have
    other benefits, including prevention of plant
    diseases and fungal attack. Foliar fertilizers

    4 8 T H E G ROW I N G E D G E M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 0 8

    cover the leaves and stems, the plant parts


    most susceptible to pests and parasites.
    Perhaps the biggest side benefit of foliar
    feeding is that it can increase the plants
    uptake of nutrients from the hydroponics
    nutrient solution or the soil in gardens using
    soil-based growing media.
    Feeding through the leaves works more
    quickly than adding fertilizer to nutrient solution or soil, which then has to be
    taken up through a plants root system.
    Foliar feeding is not a substitute for root
    feeding, but used in conjunction with root
    feeding, foliar feeding can increase its
    effectiveness. Applying a foliar fertilizer
    directly to the leaf increases the activity in
    the leaf, at the same time increasing chlorophyll and thus photosynthesis.
    Because of this increased activity, the
    leaf s need for water is also increased,
    which in turn increases water uptake by
    the plants vascular system. This increases
    the uptake of nutrients from the hydroponics nutrient solution or soil.
    This is great news for hydroponics gardening because plants can actually be stimulated
    through foliar feeding to suck up more
    nutrient solution resulting in explosive

    W W W. G ROW I N G E D G E . C O M

    growth and fruit production.

    Guidelines

    Make sure that the pH level of your foliar


    fertilizer spray is at a neutral range. If the
    spray is a concentrate mixed with water, use
    pH adjusted water or distilled water to make
    the solution.
    It is always advisable to dilute foliar
    fertilizer before application. Too much concentration of foliar fertilizers can cause foliage
    burning. Make sure the solution is not too
    concentrated by spraying a few healthy leaves
    to see if there is any damage. If the leaves curl
    or look unhealthy in any way two days after
    spraying, dilute the mix by 50 percent and
    try again.
    Nutrient absorption of foliar fertilizers is
    enhanced when the air is humid and moist,
    with a temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit
    or below (26.6C.) This is because the plants
    main nutrient canals, the stomata, are open
    in low temperatures. The best time to spray
    is in the morning so the spray has time to
    dry.
    Foliar fertilizer sprays achieve best effect
    by using a fine mist, allowing the liquid to
    drift over the plants.
    For better nutrient absorption, make
    sure that your foliar fertilizer sprays reach
    the undersides of leaves, where the stomata
    are located.
    After foliar feeding the first day, spray the
    W W W. G ROW I N G E D G E . C O M

    plants with pH adjusted water daily for a few


    days. This provides the plant an opportunity
    to absorb any fertilizer residue.
    Another good, relatively new product
    is made with liquid obtained from worm
    farms. It is full of different nutrients which
    are wonderful for foliar feeding.
    Sea-based nutrient mixes, especially
    seaweed and alge concentrates, are great for
    foliar feeding because they have all the trace
    elements plants need in suspension and it may
    be harder to balance these elements within
    the hydroponics nutrient solution or soil.
    To minimize runoff and help these sprays
    stick to the leaves, add a quarter of a teaspoon
    of natural liquid detergent to each gallon of
    spray.
    For best results, plants are often sprayed
    during their critical growth stages such as
    transplanting time, blooming time and just
    after fruit sets. By applying during flower set,
    foliar feeding can cause a dramatic increase
    in fruit production.

    High-tech choices

    The current commercial foliar fertilizers


    are concentrated solutions using very high
    grade elements, in which the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are combined to the
    desired ratio in a controlled environment.
    The fertilizing elements in these high tech
    sprays are true solutions, soluble, and thus
    very available to plants. To most of these

    commercial foliar solutions, trace elements


    in the form of chelates are added, along with
    seaweed and /or humic acid, or other additives
    depending on preference, to give a balanced
    fertilizer, supplying not only NPK, but all the
    trace elements as well as growth hormones
    and vitamins etc.
    The following is a list of great foliar spray
    products that can be found with a simple
    Internet search on their name:
    General Hydroponics Chi Liquid Organic
    Foliar Spray
    Vita Grow Thunder Bloom Foliar Spray.
    JTM Nutrients
    BCuzz Foliar Spray
    DNF Enhance
    Bills Perfect Fertilizer
    Dutch Master Penetrator
    Spray-N-Grow
    Earth Juice Essential
    Sea Rich
    Nitrozime
    GreenSense Foliar Juice
    With all of these great products available,
    there is no excuse for not giving foliar feeding
    a try. It is fast, easy, relatively inexpensive and
    very effective.
    Dr. Christopher J. Kline is a member
    of The Garden Writers Association and a
    master gardener and writer living in Paradise Valley Arizona. He can be contacted at
    [email protected]

    M a y / J u n e 2 0 0 8 T H E G ROW I N G E D G E 4 9

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