The Lost Art of Foliar Feeding

spl1 said:

You can per make it if you want I do.

Sorry guys I have been gone for a while writing my book and also writing for a grow magazine as well. I will try to keep up as much a s possible when I free time

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I might have to get my copy signed by the author! This thread just keeps getting better SPL

I did a poll back in Feb. about foliar feeding, and found that opinions vary wildly on the subject. But I see that there is a large amount of research and trials on the subject, which leads me to believe that the method should be viable if done correctly.

Do feed through their leafs I grow about five acres of tomatoes every year and when I spray for fruit worms aphides and spider mites I add one lb miracle grow to a fifty gallon drum of poison and I can most definately tell they are feeding off the miracle grow but indoor container growing the way I look at it is the less fertilize you put in your soil really helps the grower get some kinda salt lockout because the container isn't flushing one type of nutrient out like it is doing all the others and you have less chances on over watering the plant I foliar feed once and spray just water the next two sprayings. in my room the wind is very strong and drys the liquid up on my plants rather quickly.... Sorry for such a long statement but I do support foliar feeding mother nature makes it rain outside you should make it rain inside from time to time right at the dark stages of your fault lighting cycle because it's cloudy when it rains outside and darker to the plants.. Another thing is to remember some plants don't flower if the temps are to hot or the temp between daytime and nighttime doesn't change some plants actually shed their blooms so foliar feeding with a liquid that is 10 degrees colder then your grow room right at lights out may help your plants have a more successful flowering cycle but that's my two cents anyhow goodluck everyone and have a good season

Foliar feeding has been linked to compounds in the leaves becoming carcinogenic to smoke. I still use it when I need to correct a nutrient issue, and once halfway through veg I spray with Nitrozyme, but that's about it.

Too bad one has to wade through all the chest thumpin and egos to get to the info.......

sguardians2 said:

I did a poll back in Feb. about foliar feeding, and found that opinions vary wildly on the subject. But I see that there is a large amount of research and trials on the subject, which leads me to believe that the method should be viable if done correctly.

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i totally agree if done corectly it works great all tho i use all organic oils and teas for sprays

I love foliar feeding with kelp. especially when the plants are just starting to droop. drinch them in kelp and watch how they respond!

Why isn't H2O2 used in foliar sprays? It will completely kill mold. Does hydrogen peroxide interfere w/ buds forming? I worry that it kills some sybiotic fungus or bacteria. I have read that the helpful bacteria/fungi are aerobic and will be helped by the extra oxygen while the harmful bacteria/fungi are anaerobic and are killed by the oxygen. If you use organic ferttilzer the h2o2 will chemically react w/ the h202 but doesn't react w/ inorganic. spl1 have you ever used h202?

I love foliar feeding. I don't understand why its so frowned upon. With the proper precautions it is great.

17khgp said:

Why isn't H2O2 used in foliar sprays? It will completely kill mold. Does hydrogen peroxide interfere w/ buds forming? I worry that it kills some sybiotic fungus or bacteria. I have read that the helpful bacteria/fungi are aerobic and will be helped by the extra oxygen while the harmful bacteria/fungi are anaerobic and are killed by the oxygen. If you use organic ferttilzer the h2o2 will chemically react w/ the h202 but doesn't react w/ inorganic. spl1 have you ever used h202?

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Ahh but it is used, it just goes by a different name: Oxidate. Works great against mold, but it does kill the helpful bacteria as well so it should be used only as needed and ideally followed up by a foliar of ACT. One of the better organic fungicides out there form what I have seen.

Glad you took the time to post up a good thread on foliar feeding spl, the benefits of it are undeniably huge. People who frown upon it don't know what the fuck they are talking about.

one question in flowering i am goin into 3rd week of flowering soon and want to spray foilage on my plants

useing 0.10 % Iron
0.10 % Zinc

my question is after watering when should a person do this i am guessing 2 or 3rd day after watering ???

I am starting to see such similarities between uncle ben and fatman (which is hilarious in itself). Uncle Ben, why do you feel the need to totally bash people trying to share new methods and try to completely disprove things with cherry picked evidence? Foliar feeding is totally viable, and in fact it has been determined that you can keep a plant completely healthy with nothing but a well balanced foliar regiment.

You seem like an angry old man and just love to start arguments. You seem to love you celebrity status here which is fine but it obviously has gotten to your head.

PS notice how the OP called you out with your massive bud shot...of course you can get massive colas outdoor! You seem to have that picture URL as a hot key bc everytime you are losing in one of your little debates you plop that picture up as if it prices anything! Besides, those are obviously multiple colas and not just one.

/rant

What plant books do you suggest. I feel the same way about it. I insist that my doctor went to school and studied before I take any of his medicine.

On your step 1. you talk about the plant taking in Nitrogen, is that the main nute for foliar feeding??

i think the normal ratios would apply like during veg more nitrogen normal P,K... but during flowering it would be alot less nitrogen but more Phosphorus and Potassium

Sorry if this has been posted,,, A test of tomato plants,,, foliar wins out... http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/lab/msg041655342430.html Im starting foliar for a cal. def.... but will try a light mix... Im runnung humboldts so i have pretty much everything...

Yo guys I just tried my first two days of foilar feeding using the formula given by SP on the first page. I am in the second week of flowering and one of my sativas has two large main colas (from toppping) that i figured would be a great place to start the foilar test. When the test began the two colas were roughly the same size, however after two days of the new feeding, the cola that I sprayed seemed to show little to no growth while the other one SHOT up. It is now 4 inches taller than its counterpart and Im wondering if this is a good sign? Could the opposite cola be benefitting from the new nutrients while the cola receiving the spray be a little shocked creating the stagnation? Would love some advice and help as to what is going on. THANKS!

ive bein spray n my plants years now since my first bitch i use growth excel by advanced nutrients from 2 to 4 leaf stage for 3 week then switch to colossal bud blast and its load d wit organic nitrogen 4.6% i feed dem dis late veg and 4 weeks into flower direct onto buds drenching dem .if ye dont foliar spray you should start

Anybody recommend any nutes specifically for dealing with high temps? I know that CO2 enables a plant to do well (arguable better) in higher temps but what about nutes?

DrFever said:

one question in flowering i am goin into 3rd week of flowering soon and want to spray foilage on my plants

useing 0.10 % Iron
0.10 % Zinc

my question is after watering when should a person do this i am guessing 2 or 3rd day after watering ???

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It really does not matter when you, I just like to do it right at lights on. When you water it does not mater.