Soap in foliar spray?

[muskymojo]

I've been reading about adding all natural dish soap to a foliar spray as a sticker/spreader. Its said that without a sticker/spreader, most of the water just beads up and rolls off the leaves before the plant can absorb anything. I'm fairly new to foliar feeding, but I've noticed that the spray beads up into big drops on the leaves instead of a fine mist.

Does anyone use dish soap? What's a good brand, and how much do you use?

Any other hints to foliar feeding would be great too!

Thanks!

 

[queequeg152]

yea ive heard that you need to add surfactants to foliar sprays. i think the industry term is a wetting agent, they are used in soil mixes as well.
i personally dont foliar feed, but i am interested in adding more of it to my promix when i recycle it.
i look forward to what others have to say.

 

[HawaiiAl]

Only use Ivory or Murphy's as it the only products the are just soap and not detergents, soap will not burn plants as detergent will. I mix neem oil and Ivory to spray all my plants for bugs. yes the soap acts as wetting agent, 1 tsp soap to 1 qt of water. works for me!


also mix in with foliar sprays plants love sea weed and fish guts sprayed on them just be careful its strong mix at 1/2 strength

 

[LGHT]

My plants love their foliar feedings. I still give the soil small ferts. I usually just add a drop or 2 to my pump mister when I foliar feed. I like the pump mister because it gives a really small fine mist on the plants and I can tilt the nozzel upward to also get underneath the plants leaves.

If your not sure how to mix up a batch of foliar spray get a liter of Dutch Masters "Liquid Light" and just use that. Keep in mind whatever you foliar feeds cut it back to about a 1/4 of the concentration of what you would use in the soil and try and not soak the leaves just a light mist is fine.