FOLIAR FEEDING
“Whereas root-absorbed nutrition can often
take several days or weeks to become omnipresent
within the plant, foliar feeding can begin to correct
a deficiency symptom much faster.”
debates over benefits abound
on foliar feeding and reduced
pest infestation, but the overall
concept of healthier plants being able
to fight off disease and insects better is
generally agreed upon.
Why Try Foliar Feeding?
When done in conjunction with good
soil feeding, foliar feeding can actually increase the plant’s uptake of
nutrients from the soil. It does this by
causing the plant itself to pump more
sugars and energy-producing exudates
from its roots into the grow media
(rhizosphere) surrounding them. This
improves the quality of the microbial
populations in the soil. This in turn
promotes new, healthy root growth. As
a quick-response to plants’ immediate
need for various nutrients, especially
micronutrients, foliar feeding is able to
deliver a rapid response.
Plant leaves are actually very efficient
at absorbing nutrients. Nutrient absorption can be as much as eight to 20 times
greater with foliar feeding than with root
feeding. Boosting various nutrients at
specific stages of development maximizes growth and vigor. Beneficial possibilities range from larger roots, more
foliage, more buds and more blooms to
better taste and health. As an easy and
inexpensive way to increase plant and
fruit size, as well as correct deficiencies,
foliar feeding can increase yields. It can
also be used to encourage a plant or
crop towards entering the next stage
of development earlier. Theories and
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Maximum Yield USA | June 2016
Is Foliar Feeding Right For You?
When the soil or grow media is at less
than optimal condition the plant may
exhibit signs of nutrient deficiency
and this indicates a couple of things.
For one, soil conditioning needs to be
improved. This can include a range
of actions from feeding, improving
the beneficial microbes in the soil to
changing the pH. While beginning
this new regimen of soil or grow media
enhancement, the plant is still not
getting the nutrition it needs, and
foliar feeding can change this quickly.
Blossom-end rot is a common sign of
calcium deficiency and a foliar spray
can quickly add calcium into the plant
to cure this, while root application can
be much slower, allowing more fruit
damage before correcting the issue.
When a nutrient shortage seems
visible in the foliage or fruit or your
crop, a soil test can point out which
nutrients are to blame and point you
in the direction of correcting the
problem. Tissue analysis testing is
another way to find either toxic levels
or deficiencies of nutrients. If the
expense of such tests seems prohibitive,
find out which of the several nutrients
may be missing and try to apply all of
them. Once again, applying a quality
product at the right strength is vital.
Foliar Feeding Tips
If you are using a commercial product,
read and follow the label. Check to
see about any precipitates that may
occur when mixing with other liquids.
Use a fertilizer that is designed to be
dissolved in water and read the label
to determine purity and see to it that
it is free from toxins. If your crop is
sold and labeled as organic, synthetic
fertilizers are not permitted, but
naturally occurring minerals like iron,
zinc or calcium can be.
Make sure to apply the product
at the right strength. Too strong of
a mixture of inorganic, salt-based
fertilizers will burn the foliage. The
pH of the solution should be in the
range of 5.5 or slightly higher to
avoid foliage damage and lower than
8.0 to improve uptake.
I
t is important to remember foliar
fertilization is not intended to
provide 100% of a plant’s nutritional
needs, but be used as a tool to help
correct deficiencies and optimize
certain plant growth and health
issues. It is worthwhile to see how
it works by having some plants that
receive additional foliar feeding
while having others that do not.
For additional ways
to improve nutrient
absorption through
foliar feeding, scan
the QR code to visit
the reference webpage
for this article.