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Foliar Feeding

gasificada

gasificada

Does anyone know, roughly, how long liquid should stay on a leaf to be absorbed effectively? I know temps and leaf surface texture play a big role in this, but just a rough figure for your average chili leaf....

Also, does anyone use or recommend using a spray enhancer or wetting agent for better results?

Mostly just curiosity here, but it would be nice to know for the uttermost benefit of my plants too :D
 
In my experience the liquid has evaporated on the leaves. That or they have "drank" it.
They really do look better after a nice foliage feed.
 
Novacastrian said:
They really do look better after a nice foliage feed.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've noticed that. The potting mix they are in has a mild blood & bone mix but as it's only mild, I figure a half-dose seaweed and fish foliar feed every week or two won't hurt... and they always look like they love it!

I actually gave them a spray of epsom salts in water today and that's what triggered the question.

I was also thinking, the epsom salts, reckon it's a good thing to do from time to time or would you strictly only use it if they needed it?
 
I foliar feed about once a week with a MG solution along with a tbl spoon of epsom salt per gallon of water.
I spray on late in the afternoon so the solution doesent evaporate as quickly as warmer temps during the day.
I find that the epsom salts keep leaves nice and green.
 
FadeToBlack said:
I spray on late in the afternoon so the solution doesent evaporate as quickly as warmer temps during the day.
Click to expand...

I also heard it has something to do with the 'pores' as well, yeah?
 
Thats what i do gas, seasol-fish emulsion-mag. In that order.
If i have a problem with pests i use Neem as well in the same mix. 4 birds!
 
Novacastrian said:
Thats what i do gas, seasol-fish emulsion-mag. In that order.
If i have a problem with pests i use Neem as well in the same mix. 4 birds!
Click to expand...

With the neem, do you use oil or an extract? I have the oil so I have to use some sort of soap to get it to mix. It worked like a charm on my aphids but has proven to be not so successful on mites.....
 
I start with an epsom salt foliar feed after I transplant to 3.5" containers....matter of fact, it is foliar feeding time for them now...

after they are transplanted to the 5 gallon containers, they get a tablespoon thrown on top of the soil every 2 weeks...keeps them green and IMO improves growth and yield...a mild solution of epsom salt gets to the roots every time I water...and every 4 weeks, I give them a small hand full of pelletized 10-10-10 during grow season...I have always called this "side dressing" which is how my grandfather did it in the corn/soy bean fields...

as far as foliar feeding with nutrient solutions...the plants takes up about 90% of the useful fertilize while in the soil, the plants only use about 10%

reference: http://www.ecochem.com/t_foliar.html
 
AlabamaJack said:
I start with an epsom salt foliar feed after I transplant to 3.5" containers....matter of fact, it is foliar feeding time for them now...

after they are transplanted to the 5 gallon containers, they get a tablespoon thrown on top of the soil every 2 weeks...keeps them green and IMO improves growth and yield...a mild solution of epsom salt gets to the roots every time I water...and every 4 weeks, I give them a small hand full of pelletized 10-10-10 during grow season...I have always called this "side dressing" which is how my grandfather did it in the corn/soy bean fields...

as far as foliar feeding with nutrient solutions...the plants takes up about 90% of the useful fertilize while in the soil, the plants only use about 10%

reference: http://www.ecochem.com/t_foliar.html
Click to expand...

Thanks, AJ, very helpful and a great reference too!
 
I highly recommend Spray-N-Grow's Perfect Blend Kit
It comes with their Spray-N-Grow micronutrient blend, their liquid fertilizer, and their Coco-Wet organic wetting agent. If nothing else, use the Micronutrient and the Coco-Wet. The Micronutrient does NOT contain N-P-K, it only contains micronutrients which fertilizers don't contain.

As for the other stuff mentioned to spray- it's all good, but I would recommend against mixing anything other than the wetting agent with other things. Weird things happen when you mix stuff, they can bind together rendering them useless and other things bad can happen. I don't mix, I apply them separately.
 
when you mix neem with anything you should include a teaspoon of Ivory dish soap per gal of liquid, the soap helps the neem stick to the plants. a lot of information on the web on neem. with the soap in the mix mites also gone, never had problems with mixing different things together. work for me.
 
Hinky said:
As for the other stuff mentioned to spray- it's all good, but I would recommend against mixing anything other than the wetting agent with other things. Weird things happen when you mix stuff, they can bind together rendering them useless and other things bad can happen. I don't mix, I apply them separately.
Click to expand...

That's another question I had in the back of my mind... Is it safe to mix things?

and I guess, which is why I never thought to mix things to begin with.
 
HawaiiAl said:
when you mix neem with anything you should include a teaspoon of Ivory dish soap per gal of liquid, the soap helps the neem stick to the plants. a lot of information on the web on neem. with the soap in the mix mites also gone, never had problems with mixing different things together. work for me.
Click to expand...

I always do mix my neem oil with soap.... still makes no difference with the mites though -- they're always back in a day or two. I keep neeming and neeming and neeming.........

I had aphids at the start of the season, whacked them with the neem once and haven't seen them again. Well, I saw one about a week later, did a second neeming to be on the safe side, and that was that. When I first noticed the mites, I thought 'you beaut! -- I got just the stuff' but it doesn't look that way :(
 
Hmmm... I've noticed a shiny residue left on my leaves after the epsom spray the other day -- is that normal? or did I use too much epsom salt? I mixed a teaspoon with 1.25L of water -- Is that a good dosage?
 
gasificada said:
Hmmm... I've noticed a shiny residue left on my leaves after the epsom spray the other day -- is that normal? or did I use too much epsom salt? I mixed a teaspoon with 1.25L of water -- Is that a good dosage?
Click to expand...

I haven't seen anyone recommending anything stronger than a tablespoon in a gallon of water, so your dosage should have been fine. I also noticed some white residue on leaves after doing an epsom foliar, so I sprayed them down the following day with plain water to help it either get absorbed or run off the leaves.
 
NoVa Hothead said:
I haven't seen anyone recommending anything stronger than a tablespoon in a gallon of water, so your dosage should have been fine. I also noticed some white residue on leaves after doing an epsom foliar, so I sprayed them down the following day with plain water to help it either get absorbed or run off the leaves.
Click to expand...

I did the same, so I'll see what happens. I guess my main concern was burns... but so far so good, no sign of them.
 
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