Foliar Feeding
Besides adding nutrients to soil during watering, foliar spraying is another way to add nutrients to your plants. Leafs absorb nutrients in the same way that roots will. During the Great White Shark grow I used foliar feeding on day 20 to correct a calcium deficiency, and on day 77 to add nutrients, at both times the soil was still moist so adding nutrients directly to leaves was the better option.
There are a few things to keep in mind while foliar feeding, the most important is to only foliar feed after the lights have been off for at least a few hours. The surface of the leaves has to be cool if foliar feeding is done while the lights are on you run the risk of burning your leaves.
The spray bottle used needs to have a fine mist setting, the smaller the water droplets the better the leaves will be able to absorb nutrients. Check the store section of this site to find some options. I usually use about half the recommended nutrient amounts during foliar feeding, but the amount can be increased based on your situation.
- Foliar feed only after lights have been off for a few hours
- Use a fine mist spray bottle
- Don’t overdo it
- Spray both the top and bottom of the leafs