Anyone understand foliar feeding well?

As I test I foliar fed my plant at least 10 times throughout the day at the recommended CNS17 dosage of 3 tsp/gal.

Curious as to why it didn't get nute burn. Whereas, if I give it like 5tsp/gal or something crazy it'll get nute burn for sure.

Questions I've been pondering:

1) Does foliar feeding several times a day have any benefit opposed to feeding only once a day?

2) Does foliar feeding have any benefit as opposed to not foliar feeding?
I did a controlled experiment with a few plants where I did not notice any difference in growth, but am willing to test again because it doesn't make sense. Obviously plants can absorb nutrients through their leaves (since they can get nute burn through foliar).

3) Or maybe foliar feeding doesn't work when plants are already uptaking nutrients through the roots, kind of like trying to feed a baby when their mouth is already full. In other words foliar feeding can only make up for deficiencies but cannot put plants in overdrive...?

interesting.

i never wet the leaves to raise humidity (i use a dome) and i never foliar feed.

i am a roots only type of guy.

anyone???..

anyone???...

I'm not sure if I am 100% on this but I believe when you get nutrient burn, the root system goes into shock and stops supplying all of the required energy the plant needs. Another thing about feeding the roots of the plant is that it takes time for the nutrients to be absorbed, it then also takes even more time for those nutrients to make there way up the stalk of the plant to where it is needed. With foliar feeding the leaves absorb the nutrients fairly quickly. The plant doesn't have to wait for the roots to disperse the nutrients. Once the nutrients are absorbed by the leaves, they can be used instantly in that area. I always foliar feed my plants.

As I'm sure you know the NKP on that stuff is thru the roof. Not sure how it is composed, but if the N has high levels of urea in it, what remains on the leaf in high doses can burn the plant. Urea is often used in foliar feeding b/c about 60% of the recommended dose goes right into the leaf. The rest will absorb at a slower pace. So if you almost doubling the dose, you have practicaly left more than a full dose on leaf, which will cause burning. I looked up CNS for it break out but couldnt find it. Why try and double the dose? Is 10 feedings a day recommended?

Crypnotic said:

As I'm sure you know the NKP on that stuff is thru the roof. Not sure how it is composed, but if the N has high levels of urea in it, what remains on the leaf in high doses can burn the plant. Urea is often used in foliar feeding b/c about 60% of the recommended dose goes right into the leaf. The rest will absorb at a slower pace. So if you almost doubling the dose, you have practicaly left more than a full dose on leaf, which will cause burning. I looked up CNS for it break out but couldnt find it. Why try and double the dose? Is 10 feedings a day recommended?

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Read what i said again.

I DID NOT DOUBLE THE DOSAGE. I said, if i were to double the dosage, it would burn for sure.

YET, I followed the suggested dosage, and tried to foliar feed as many times as I could throughout the day as an experiment. I wanted to see what would happen if I foliar fed more than once a day. (cus sometimes I'd forget I'd already foliar fed and foliar twice a day)

The plant would not burn no matter how many times I foliar fed. I did apply a surfectant (Dr. Brommers liquid soap)

Normally people only foliar feed once a day / week / month, so I'm wondering what this could mean.

Questions:

1) Does foliar feeding several times a day have any benefit opposed to feeding only once a day?

2) Does foliar feeding have any benefit as opposed to not foliar feeding?
I did a controlled experiment where I did not notice any difference in growth, but am willing to test again because it doesn't make sense. Obviously plants can absorb nutrients through their leaves (since they can get nute burn through foliar).

3) Or maybe foliar feeding doesn't work when plants are already uptaking nutrients through the roots, kind of like trying to feed a baby when their mouth is already full. In other words foliar feeding can only make up for deficiencies but cannot put plants in overdrive...?

blastjuice said:

I'm not sure if I am 100% on this but I believe when you get nutrient burn, the root system goes into shock and stops supplying all of the required energy the plant needs. Another thing about feeding the roots of the plant is that it takes time for the nutrients to be absorbed, it then also takes even more time for those nutrients to make there way up the stalk of the plant to where it is needed. With foliar feeding the leaves absorb the nutrients fairly quickly. The plant doesn't have to wait for the roots to disperse the nutrients. Once the nutrients are absorbed by the leaves, they can be used instantly in that area. I always foliar feed my plants.

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What do you foliar feed with??

bump it up, We need more of this.

Answers:
1. The only benefit that multi feeding could have is delivering more of some major nute that you need more of and the product your using doesn't supply that in one dose (i.e. during veg you want a 3/1/2 NKP and feed your using is a 1/1/1).
2. Yes, if your roots are locked then it maybe the only source of nutes that may keep the plant alive. Also it goes straight in the plant and is used asap, unlike the roots where it may take days/weeks to absorb. So if you have situation and you want to start to solve it asap, foliar feeding can be a plant saver. Long term, I dont believe it better than root feeding.
3. Yes, you answered your own question. The only thing you did was risk burning the outside of leaf (and if you did it with the lights on, you may have, and not seen the effects yet) and the inside of the leaf as well.

Like I said, the CNS stuff is very strong. Watch your plant for the next couple of days for spotting and yellowing. I hope you did this on your mothers indoor pansy and not one of your cannabis plants. Let me know how it turns out for you.

Young plants especially love to be misted a couple times a day. Even with just some distilled water. Get a good sprayer, home depot has good ones for a couple bucks which truly atomize the water. Very light nutes in the water (1/8 strength) works nicely for foliar feeding. A couple drops of dish washing soap added to the mixture helps keep insects at bay as well.

sigh... lol at the people making random comments and not sticking to the topic.

but yea, I tested on a cannabis plant I don't care about. I've been doing it for a week and nothing bad's happened. I think I'm getting close to concluding that foliar feeding has no benefit.

Haha, I know how you feel. It is like thing on this site, the more specific you ask a question, the less probable you will get an answer. And if you ask multi questions, then forget about it, you might as well not have ask a question at all. I think it stems from the fact most ppl on this board only know what they have been told, and dont how or why something works except at the most basic level ie "foliar feeding is good for plant" lol

I spray plain water daily during veg and the ladies love it! Feeding through the leaves discourages root growth.
It can be a good way to get a quick blast of nutes though.

Crypnotic said:

Haha, I know how you feel. It is like thing on this site, the more specific you ask a question, the less probable you will get an answer. And if you ask multi questions, then forget about it, you might as well not have ask a question at all. I think it stems from the fact most ppl on this board only know what they have been told, and dont how or why something works except at the most basic level ie "foliar feeding is good for plant" lol

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exactly! hahaha. I don't know why either, but that's probably it. I think I might get more help on a vegetable growing forum.

Ok here it is, straight to the point.

1. No. Feeding your plants many times during the day is a waste of your time and money. The best time to foliar feed is early morning, or late evening. I'm not sure about weed but as far as garden plants are concerned, the hot sun causes the pores in the leaves to close up, not allowing the nutrients to be absorbed. Once the temps go down, the pores will open up.

2. Yes, as I stated in my past post, leaves will absorb the nutrients very quickly. It can take as long as two weeks for the nutrients in the soil to reach the areas that are in need.
"Plant uptake of nutrients can be 100% to 900% more effective when the foods are applied to leaves rather than to soil.
Roots are leaves in the ground, and leaves are roots in the air."
—Alan Chadwick


3. See above