Spraying leaves with nutrients? Isn't that what soil, fertilizer, and hydroponic nutrient solutions are for?
Foliar Sprays offer a method for rapid nutrient delivery. It can be used as part of a nutrient regimen, but it is particularly beneficial in treating specific nutrient deficiencies and for reviving stressed or diseased plants.
WHY FOLIAR FEED
A nutrient solution must contain a very delicate balance of nutrients, and correct pH levels for the plant to be sufficiently supplied with nutrients. Sometimes, even when it appears that all of the conditions are optimized, the plants may not receive all of the nutrients they need.
In these instances, many growers choose to foliar feed to ensure that their plants get all of the nutrients they need to grow to their potential.
In other instances a plant’s roots may become damaged either through overwatering, underwatering, or disease. As it recovers from this damage, your plants will likely struggle to get sufficient nutrients because of the loss of root mass. Again, foliar feeding offers gardeners an opportunity to give their crops nutrients that they are not able to get otherwise.
Related page: "Grow Your Own Food with Hydroponics
OTHER SCENARIOS
When a plant is suffering from certain nutrient deficiencies. When your environment has high heat. When temps are high, the plant transpires more moisture through its stomata to dissipate heat.
In systems without soil, such as hydroponics, nutrient interactions can occur within the root zone that makes it difficult for plants to absorb certain minerals due to binding and antagonism between the nutrients. Iron deficiency occurs in many of these crops when they are stressed by low temperatures. Therefore, hydroponics have a special need for foliar feeding.
WHAT TO USE
Nutrient Solutions - Most nutrients can be absorbed through the plant's stomata via foliar spray. A good rule of thumb with foliar sprays is to always use diluted formulas. This will prevent burns! You'll want to go with quarter to a half of what the nutrient bottle suggests. This is the MAX you should add. More is never better in terms of nutrients.
Recommended:
For Iron deficiency:
For leaf thickness and maximum foliage growth:
HOW TO FOLIAR FEED
The nutrient solution should be applied using a finely atomized drifting mist. This can be accomplished by using something as small as a hand pump sprayer, or something as large as a knapsack sprayer, depending upon the size of your farm or garden. The fine mist should be thoroughly applied until it begins to “run off” of the leaves. Make certain that it applied to both sides of each leaf. To get the nutrients to stick to the leaves, and thus increase uptake, use foliar fertilizers with sticker formulas such as Nutrihydro and NutriPlus.
Your plant’s leaves will receive the nutrient solution through “stomata,” or pores mostly used for gas exchange. For this reason, you should only foliar feed in slightly cooler conditions such as in the evening or early morning. If the environment is too hot the plant’s stomata will be closed (to preserve water), and your plants will receive very little of the solution, or perhaps none at all.
FOLIAR SPRAYING TIPS:
Always use Purified (no minerals /chlorine) water to avoid clogging sprayer or damaging sensitive plant leaves.
pH solution to whatever either the label suggests or else to whatever pH you are currently feeding plants at. An example of this is 6.5 for Soil and 6.0 for Hydroponics.
Best effect is achieved by creating a fine mist out of the spray content. Use of pressurized / compression sprayers are advised.
Make sure to spray undersides of the leaves where the plants stomata’s are located. Full Coverage is key.
It is best to spray when temp is below 80 degrees Farenheit. At this temp, the stomata on the undersides of the leaves are open. It is best to spray at the end or beginning of day.
Absorption is best when environmental conditions are humid. 55-70% Humidity.
Always be aware of what you are spraying at your plants. Make sure to mix additives that can be combine safely with other additives. Also, make sure that you are not adding two of the same or like products together (both at full strength).
Whenever spraying something new, we suggest spraying one strain of each type of plant you have. Wait to see if each plant takes to the foliar delivery well (1 day should suffice). See how that plant does. . . (This is for additives, enhancers, nutrients, or pesticides.) If this one plant is healthy that continue to spray entire crop.
Related page: "Grow Your Own Food with Hydroponics
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