What is Foliar Feeding?

Foliar Feeding is the application or feeding of a plant a liquid plant nutrient or nutrient additive through the leaves instead of via the roots. Foliar spraying was first proven to work by the notable plant researcher Dr H.B. Tukey. Their early experiments used radio labelled phosphorus and potassium to view the uptake and transport of these ions by the leaves and their transport around the plant. This early work showed that foliar spraying had great potential as an additional feeding program to allow for increased growth rates and development of plants. WHY SHOULD WE FOLIAR FEED? If we think of a plant as a city, then the leaves would be the manufacturing centres of that city. Almost everything a plant requires to grow and develop is manufactured in the leaves. Hormones, metabolites, proteins amino acids - the list goes on and they are all manufactured in specialized cells contained within the plants leaves. Sunlight is the main catalyst for this as everything begins with a photon ...  more

Most hydroponic information you read regarding nutrient uptake refers to root feeding, that is applying the nutrient solution directly to the root zone. However, it is also possible to feed plants by applying nutrients to their leaves or foliage, a technique known as foliar feeding. This technique was developed in the 1950s by Dr. H. B. Tukey and S.H. Wittwer at the Michigan State University department of agriculture. Their research debunked the conventional belief that it was damaging to get a plants leaves wet. Why Foliar Feed? Hydroponics offers a great deal of control to the average grower, which has the fantastic potential to increase yield, but the increased number of factors also decreases the margin for error. A nutrient solution must contain a very delicate balance of nutrients, correct temperature, and correct pH levels for the plant to be sufficiently supplied with nutrients. Sometimes, even when it appears that all of the conditions are optimized, the plants may not ...  more

Foliar feeding is a method of plant fertilization which involves applying fertilizer directly to the leaves in the form of a solution which is sprayed on. The tiny pores in the leaves allow the fertilizer to pass into the plant, providing needed nutrition. One of the advantages to foliar feeding is that it can be very fast acting, which is useful when gardeners are struggling with droopy foliage and dim colors, but it needs to be done carefully to avoid damaging the plants. Both natural and synthetic nutrients are available in solutions designed for foliar feeding. Typically, the fertilizer needs to be diluted in water before application, to avoid burning the leaves, and it should be applied in the morning or evening, when the pores of the leaves are most likely to be open. The pores will be closed during the heat of the day to prevent water loss, and they will also tend to be closed during extremely cold weather. This fertilizing practice can be used on indoor and outdoor plants, ...  more

Foliar Feeding is a technique for feeding plants by applying liquid fertilizer directly to their leaves. The most touted benefit of foliar fertilizers is their capacity to promote maximum nutrient absorption. This is based on the belief that foliar fertilizers cause an increase in sugar levels in plants which then stimulate soil activity and plant nutrient uptake.In 1953, the U. S. Atomic Energy Department provided a grant and radioisotopes of all plant nutrients to Michigan State University. The objective was to study the foliar absorption of fertilizer nutrients and trace their movement in the plants. The study showed that foliar applied nutrients are absorbed by the leaves and they were even absorbed through the woody tissue of trees (bark). Amazingly, the study found that it was 8-10 times more effective to foliar feed a plant as far as the amount of nutrients required and the speed with which those nutrients were utilized. As a result, spraying foliage with liquid nutrients can ...

Feeding a plant by applying fertilization directly to the leaves and stems by means of spraying.  more

Foliar feeding the application of fertilizer to the leaves of plants rather than to the roots. Foliar feeding can be a powerful stimulant to plant growth as leaves take up to 95% of the nutrients in the fertilizer. Root feeding takes up much less.  more