About six weeks after I plant my vegetable garden in the spring, I usually get very discouraged because everyone else’s garden is doing better than mine. My garden soil is solid clay and takes a long time to dry out in spring and a longer time for the soil to warm up. Six weeks after planting I still have weak looking seedlings that aren’t showing any sign of growing into healthy vegetable-producing plants. Before I was an organic gardener, this is when I would go out with the Miracle-Gro. Now I have a much better solution, one which is healthier for the plants and for the environment.
Foliar fertilizers means feeding plants through their leaves. Plants have a remarkable ability to absorb nutrients through their leaves, especially on their undersides, because the leaf pores are more likely to be open.
Foliar fertilizer sprays can be made by brewing compost or manure into a tea and straining the mixture before putting it into a spray bottle. Or you can purchase a fish emulsion or liquid seaweed or kelp solution which you dilute with water. In general, only one tablespoon of the solution is diluted in a gallon of water. One quarter teaspoon of a mild soap can be mixed in so that the water sticks to the leaves better and doesn’t bead up. Any sprayer or mister will work, from hand trigger units to knapsack sprayers. Set the sprayer to emit as fine a mist as possible. NEVER us a sprayer that has been used to apply herbicides in the past.
Spray until the liquid drips off the leaves. The best time of day to spray is early to mid-morning or any time on a cloudy day. Avoid spraying in the evening because the leaves will remain wet overnight which invites disease.
Foliar feeding provides micronutrients, minerals, vitamins and amino acids which plants need and which may not be present in the soil, or may be tied up in the soil due to the soil being too wet, too dry, or having the wrong pH. Besides giving the plants a boost to get them started, foliar feeding is helpful right after transplanting to minimize transplant shock. Spray again when plants start budding, blooming or forming pods or fruits. Also spray after damage from hail or wind for quick recovery.
Foliar feeding will also perk up houseplants, annual or perennial flowers, shrubs or small trees. A regular foliar feeding program of every 10-14 days throughout the growing season will keep your plants healthy and strong.
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