Give your garden the nutrition it needs through foliar feeding. These applications require a bit of know-how, but once you have the right information, doing it effectively is easy. Check out these foliar feeding tips from Garden & Greenhouse before you get started:
Successful foliar feeding is not as simple as just spraying the liquid on the leaves, it is a process that involves careful technique and a little bit of grace. Here’s what you need to know about doing it right.
- Avoid foliar feeding when temperatures are above 80° Fahrenheit. In the summer it’s best to spray either in the morning or early evening, when temperatures are lower.
- If possible, foliar feed when the weather is humid.
- Check the pH of your nutrient solution before spraying. The ideal pH is right around 7.0, which is referred to as a neutral pH.
- Mix your solution at a more diluted rate than if you were root feeding. If the directions call for 1 oz. of fertilizer per gallon of water for regular feeding, use 1 tsp per gallon of water when foliar feeding. The smaller the particles are, the more likely they are to enter into the stomata.
- When spraying the solution, use a sprayer that creates the finest mist possible. This will ensure a better and more even spread of the solution on the leaf.
- Use a wetting agent or surfactant. Water has a high surface tension rate, causing it to bead up when sprayed. Adding a wetting agent will lower the water’s surface tension allowing it to thin and spread out.
- Spray both the tops and bottoms of the leaf, until they are completely covered, and excess solution runs off. On most plants the stomata are on the underside of a leaf but at times they reside on the top. So, just in case, spray both sides.