Hydroponics Foliar Sprays in Gardens

hydropinics foliar sprays in gardening

Hydroponics Foliar Sprays in Gardens

 from Grozine Edition Five

Foliar feeding is a proven technique used by hydroponics growers to deliver nutrients or additives onto and often into crops through the foliage via prepared sprays.  Hydroponics foliar sprays applied at the right time can improve growth rates and even correct deficiencies.  After transplant in spring it can be a good way to boost plant vitality and vigour while the soil is still less biologically active .

The technique seems to fall in and out of vogue with the growing community-it’s usually most popular when there is an additive in fashion that is applied as a foliar spray.

 

Almost anyone who has been growing for a while has likely tried foliar sprays.  Some avoid spraying their plants with anything at all accept water, while others make foliar feeding a part of their crop feeding schedule.

 

Experienced growers often find that the first few weeks of flowering and the early vegetative growth phase are excellent windows of opportunity for improving plant performance.  This an important time in the plant’s life cycle because plants may actually be in a “lacking” state as they are transitioning (either from rooting to growth or from growth to bloom) and the stress depletes them of important nutrients and co-factors that are vital for a smooth and strong transition into the next phase.

 

A good growing philosophy to embrace is that your crop grows in strides; like a run over a distance.  One stride leads into the next, if it’s not smooth and steady we loose the pace we have gained or when Murphy reigns we might even have a fall (only to get up to do it all over again).  Your crops health is like this, and rounding the corners on the track that is your growth cycles and phases is what makes champions.

 

If you don’t have a lot of experience with foliar spraying, practice on a single plant or part of a plant first.  It is possible to completely defoliate your entire crop (imagine that; at your own hand) with a bad mix or bad application.  There are also ways of making sprays work better, and we have already talked about one of them: Timing.

So let’s look at what else you should know about hydroponics foliar sprays in gardens.

hydroponics garden foliar sprays recipes mixes instructions

Timing

Vital. Otherwise you are wasting your time and money and possibly putting your crop at risk for troubles.  When spraying to combat insects you have to know their life cycle and hit at least three times for each generation. Frequency is a sub-category of timing when it comes to spraying crops.

 

Conditions

Pure water won’t burn leaves unless the light is super intense, anything else might while the lights are on.  Your plants are still “working” just after the lights go out*, this is a great time to apply.  Kill the air circulation fans when spraying, but leave vent fans running. You want the plants to ABSORB the spray rather than evaporating it off.

 

The MIX

Obviously, this is highly critical:what it is your are spraying, at what concentration, if you are going to be mixing more than one product together (good or bad reaction?) and what pH is best for that particular spray.

 

Volume

How much you are going to apply.  You don’t need to hose plants down; a light mist is typically all that is needed and it’s a good idea to get the leaf undersides.  Once floral structures have developed, for example stigmas are evident, moisture can do some harm, so special attention needs to be paid.  A Fogger sprayer is the best.  It gets the spray everywhere very effectively and usually allows you to use lower volumes of sprays to save you money.

 

PH & Surface Tension

Water is “Hard” that’s why it beads.  You want a thin even film for maximum absorption through the leaves.  A waxy substance called the “leaf cuticle” is also in your way.  Having a slightly acid (pH 5.5) spray along with a wetting agent helps counter these impediments to your mainline delivery of nutrients, etc into your beloved crop.

 

Additional Tips:

 

Always, always, always mix your sprays fresh with clean water and ensure that the sprayer has been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized between uses.  While far from Eco-friendly, some growers opt for cheap Dollar Store sprayers and discard after each use.  A Fogger is the ultimate though, and you will take pride in caring for it.

 

Never, never, never use a spray that has been left standing for more than an hour or two; even less in warm or bright conditions.

 

Suggested Recipe Ingredients:
This is stuff we like and we know it works.
Early Veg Combine:
B-Vitamins
Trichoderma (beneficial fungi; very aggressive)
Fulvic Acid
Cal-Mag Supplement
Wetting Agent (optional)
Pre-Flower/Early Bloom Combine:
Fossil Fuel (humates)
NitroZime (kelp co-factors)
Trichoderma
Cal-Mag Supplement
Chitosan/Salicyclic acid based product
Wetting Agent (optional)
*OK, Thanks for the Lesson in Sprays, you say…
Looking for something Proven, Ready to Use and That you apply safely to plants DURING THE LIGHT CYCLE?
Have a look at Rock Nutrients Absorbalight

hydroponic foliar spray

About Erik Biksa 246 Articles
Erik Biksa has been writing about and discussing hydroponics growing, related technologies and cropping methods since 1999 in a variety of professional publications and platforms globally Erik has travelled the world learning and teaching modern growing techniques and technologies and is appreciated by many growers for his informative yet hands on approaches. Presently, he is the Editor at Grozine Hydroponics Mag.