Foliar Feeding: who does it?

[Robx]

Curious if anyone out there fertilizes their plants through foliar feeding (Spraying a nutrient solution on the leaves of the plant).

There's loads of info on the subject:
http://www.seaagri.com/docs/foliar_application_study.pdf
https://www.midwestlabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/foliar_nutrition.pdf

Also lots of controversy.

I feed my plants a diluted hydroponic solution, and have seen mixed results. But have not done any side by side comparisons.

If you do foliar feed to solve a particular problem - what is the problem? What do you feed? How effective has it been?

 

[nagmay]

If you have good soil, I wouldn't recommend foliar feeding until late in the season - at least until burs start to form. Years ago, I thought I would give them a N boost - just ended up with huge plant, fewer cones, and lots of "angel wings"

However, I have had good success with feeding high PK "ripe" blends. Seems to help the cones mature at a consistent rate, which is great for picking. Though, I haven't done a side-by-side comparison.

 

[BaylessBrewer]

If you have good soil, I wouldn't recommend foliar feeding until late in the season - at least until burs start to form. Years ago, I thought I would give them a N boost - just ended up with huge plant, fewer cones, and lots of "angel wings"

However, I have had good success with feeding high PK "ripe" blends. Seems to help the cones mature at a consistent rate, which is great for picking. Though, I haven't done a side-by-side comparison.

When you say "high PK ripe blends" how high are you talking? How high can you take your PK feeding during burr/cone development?
OP,
I did some foliar feeding early on with my plants when they looked like they could use a boost and it seems to work pretty well. I used Alaska Fish Emulsion 5-1-1 mixed @ 1.5 tbsp/ gal. I spray all my annual flowers with it too and see a big increase in size and bloom over just feeding the roots/soil.

 

[nagmay]

Alaskan fish is great stuff. I need to pick some up for the rest of my garden.

I like to use a 'ripe' blend after bur development in July and a 'hardener' a few weeks before picking. Both are from kelp4less and intended for hop's cousin, but honestly ... they work great on hops, tomatoes, peppers and most every other flowering plant in my garden:

Ripe 4-14-36
Bud Hardener 0-45-28

 

[Robx]

Nice - do the Ripe & Bud Hardener blends dissolve fully?

I have in my cabinet:
-Calmag
-Potassium Silicate
-A and B 10:10:10 + micro hydro ferts
-Cold pressed kelp extract
-Fulvic Acid
-Molasses
-Iron + Manganese liquid fert
-pure nitrate

but do not have a phosphate supplement

I think I'd do

• -300 PPM A+B
• -50 PPM Silicate
• -50 PPM Iron + Manganese
• -1/2 tsp/gal fulvic acid
• -1 Tbsp/gal molasses
• -1 Tbsp/gal kelp extract
• -300 PPM Phosphate booster (Diammonium phosphate?)

-
Presently I feed 1.2-1.5EC A+B / Kelp / Fulvic / Molasses / bacterial culture daily over drip irrigation (to the roots) - but I think that phosphorus is lacking.

 

[Robx]

Anyone have a recommendation for a chemical phosphate that they like?

Diammonium phosphate seems like a good option.
http://pakacademicsearch.com/pdf-files/agr/194/206-208 Vol 2 issue 7 July 2013.pdf
http://www.cropnutrition.com/diammonium-phosphate

 

[nagmay]

Nice - do the Ripe & Bud Hardener blends dissolve fully?

Yes - that's one of the reasons that I love them.

 

[pharmbo6]

Potassium Phosphate K2HPO4is better. Once burrs set you stop feeding nitrogen which DAP (NH4)2HPO4 contains in spades

 

[pharmbo6]

Correction. Potassium Phosphate (dibasic) is KH2PO4

 

[Robx]

(NH4)2HPO4 has an effective 18-46-0 ratio - not terrible, but no nitrate would be better.

Any idea if dibasic or monobasic makes a big difference in foliar aplication? http://www4.mpbio.com/ecom/docs/proddata.nsf/(webtds2)/194727

 

[Voodoo]

I foliar with CalMag all the time - its a way better way to get calcium and magnesium into the plants immediately as opposed to waiting for the new growth to show the corrections. You also use way less of the fertilizer than standard watering cycles. You can do it with other nutrients, but as one of the other members mentioned, you'll see more of a benefit in flower than in veg.

 

[anicola]

Sure don't but I found only dibasic available in bulkonline. It has a pH of around 4.7 or so in solution. I use 1 Tbs per gallon H2O. Saturate a couple of leaves with this concentration and wait a couple of days to see if your varieties tolerate it

 

[alane1]

My soil test showed signs of low nitrogen and potash with high levels of phosphorus so I amended the soil with wood ash and composted grass clippings and used 5-1-1 fish fertilizer. I was thinking of of using this as a foliar spray until burrs start to formView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1466469497.924698.jpg

 

[jsguitar]

For lots of various micronutrients seaweed is excellent. I've been using Maxicrop soluble powder on pretty much all of my plants. Tomatoes and hops both seem to like it as a foliar spray. It's kind of expensive up front but if you keep it dry it lasts a really long time because it takes very little powder per use and doesn't need to be applied very much. If I still lived by the ocean I'd probably use fresh seaweed. I've seen some videos on that too. Pretty amazing stuff.

 

[Sbe2]

Alaskan fish is great stuff. I need to pick some up for the rest of my garden.

I like to use a 'ripe' blend after bur development in July and a 'hardener' a few weeks before picking. Both are from kelp4less and intended for hop's cousin, but honestly ... they work great on hops, tomatoes, peppers and most every other flowering plant in my garden:

Ripe 4-14-36
Bud Hardener 0-45-28

How is kelp4less? Are they legit?

Snooping around their site has me intrigued

 

[Robx]

I order from Kelp4Less all the time. Great products.

 

[Wesmando]

I like to apply foliar feeds only as low dose NPK, i have always been afraid i would burn my plants, especially with nitrogen. Micro nutrient, amino acids, vitamins, etc are less risky. I recently read some nutrients are better absorbed through the root system. Nonetheless kelp, green sand, compost tea are great to foliar feed. In addition, the marijuana industry has revolutionized horticulture science with it's research on individualized micro nutrients. Ironic, all my childhood they told me marijuana made you dumb.

 

[nagmay]

Are they legit?

Depends what you mean by legit? Their target audience is clearly for growers of another plant, but the company is solid and offers great products, good prices and fast shipping.

I've orders fertilizers for my hops, iron sulfate for the blueberries, and even a few items for the lawn. Every item met/exceeded expectations.

If you get on their mailing list, they often have 2-for-1 deals.

 

[Ruint]

I use a product called Taskforce 2, npk of 12-5-5 if i am remembering it correctly, It also has trace elements in it like copper, boron, zinc, manganese, and others..look it up...pretty good schtuuuffff in it! Here is a couple pictures from early this season to this evening,

 

[Sbe2]

Depends what you mean by legit? Their target audience is clearly for growers of another plant, but the company is solid and offers great products, good prices and fast shipping.

I've orders fertilizers for my hops, iron sulfate for the blueberries, and even a few items for the lawn. Every item met/exceeded expectations.

If you get on their mailing list, they often have 2-for-1 deals.

Just wanted to know if they were a solid business. What others have experienced. I just ordered some fertilizer from them, so I will see.