Good surfactants to help aid in foilar feeding?

[wdcf]

I recently bought KELPAK, which is a great seaweed product for foilar feeding and I talked to a representative from KELPAK to find out the proper dilution for our favorite plant! But then she told me to use a standard surfactant to aid in absorption.

and I was just curious what surfactants would you recommend?

THanks

 

[krunchbubble]

couple drops of dish washing liquid soap works perfectly.......

 

[konstantgrdnr]

Dutch master has probably the best surfactant

http://www.dutchmaster.com.au/?language=english&page=growers_guide&topic=foliar_feeding

Their are also a lot of foliar feeding threads around with useful guidelines. Remember the
plants stomata's are sensitive and provide more important functions other than feeding nutrients through the leaves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoma

 

[wdcf]

Thanks for cheap solution, I would hate to spend a ton of money on dutch masters products.....

One last question do you think I should foilar feed with the lights on?

couple drops of dish washing liquid soap works perfectly.......

 

[kcbudz31]

I do it with the lights off so it evaporates more slowly and gets a chance to soak in

 

[wdcf]

I usually do it with 20 minutes left before the lights turn off, so at least it gets a little of both worlds, but does anyone else have a theory?
on the dutch masters website it always says to foilar feed with the lights ON and was just curious to why they would say that, when everything else I have read has been contradictoray

 

[opt1c]

you want to foliar with the lights on because foliar absorption happens FAST; when the lights are on the plants are photosynthesizing thus using all those newly available nutes hence why people will spray with the lights on or just before lights on

i use dutch master penetrator as a surfactant as i can mix it with pretty much anything; done azatrol; spinosad, diamond nectar, spray & grow, ralph's ultra lush, floramite, etc.. all with lights on and no burn; my plants love it and the penetrators translaminar properties allow me to not spend tons of time trying to spray the undersides of the leaves if i ever do get bugs

i've found that strong foliar regime can really kick plants into overdrive and help speed those really slow vegging strains along

also when i spray with the dutch master penetrator i get good coverage without excess runoff and the first plants are usually dry before i'm done spraying the last plants

it is expensive but if you don't use it needlessly it'll last you longer than you think, i never spray in flower so i don't use it at all for weeks at a time

if you're looking for something cheap a couple drops of some non-antibacterial preferably all natural dish soap is great

also coco-wet is good too but not as good as penetrator

 

[robotwithdreams]

opt1c have you ever used penetrator with nutes?

 

[RNDZL]

I was not impressed with the dutch master penetrator, it seems to be nothing more than a simple detergent, so if that was the route i chose i would use Dr. Bronner's Mild baby Soup

I like to use SM-90 as a surfactant

i have not have miscibility issues, I also use it 2 ml per gallon in my water to increase lateral water movement in pro-mix

 

[SuperConductor]

Yucca extract is a great organic surfactant, very good for the plants too but not cheap not that you need much.

 

[opt1c]

opt1c have you ever used penetrator with nutes?

no; i've never applied nutes via a foliar spray with or without penetrator

if you want to be impressed with penetrator spray something that used to burn your plants with the lights on and watch em not get burnt

but there is nothing wrong with dish soap; i don't recommend it for lights on spraying though

 

[Green Supreme]

I also use dish soap. Phosphate free and natural. Good luck. Peace GS

ps. lights on spraying can be a problem with most anything

 

[mean mr.mustard]

But dish soap doesn't cost a lot of money or have a pretty label!

 

[robotwithdreams]

But dish soap doesn't cost a lot of money or have a pretty label!

lol

pretty labels

 

[planted1]

I would not suggest leaving wet plants in the dark, opening your self up to many problems.

 

[wdcf]

I decided I am going to go with coco-wet its reasonably cheap plus it has a pretty label

There are a lot of online retailiers that have it, but do you think I could find it at an osh or home-depot to save on shipping?

Thanks

 

[burnhardlonger]

"I was not impressed with the dutch master penetrator, it seems to be nothing more than a simple detergent, so if that was the route i chose i would use Dr. Bronner's Mild baby Soup

I like to use SM-90 as a surfactant

i have not have miscibility issues, I also use it 2 ml per gallon in my water to increase lateral water movement in pro-mix "

I use sm 90 also ,Fantastic for lateral movement and conditioning upper medium ,keeping it wetter longer.Ob,great for spider mites and probably every other critter.Love the smell. But.... mix only enough per usage, for my .4 gal. pumpup sprayer i use about 5 - 8 drops. have read that is not compatable w/superthrive ???..It may kill benefical bacteria in roots??? May not want to use during flower (on roots or foliage)
Cant bring myself to use soap unless it was pure soap ,hard to find ,and then I wouldnt use much.

 

[ureapwhatusow]

sm-90 is the MOTS

 

[ureapwhatusow]

"I was not impressed with the dutch master penetrator, it seems to be nothing more than a simple detergent, so if that was the route i chose i would use Dr. Bronner's Mild baby Soup

I like to use SM-90 as a surfactant

i have not have miscibility issues, I also use it 2 ml per gallon in my water to increase lateral water movement in pro-mix "

I use sm 90 also ,Fantastic for lateral movement and conditioning upper medium ,keeping it wetter longer.Ob,great for spider mites and probably every other critter.Love the smell. But.... mix only enough per usage, for my .4 gal. pumpup sprayer i use about 5 - 8 drops. have read that is not compatable w/superthrive ???..It may kill benefical bacteria in roots??? May not want to use during flower (on roots or foliage)
Cant bring myself to use soap unless it was pure soap ,hard to find ,and then I wouldnt use much.

dongle a user here called the makers

nutri-life to ask them

they used it with their biocat (40 + benis) product and tested and it did not kill beneficial

i read elsewhere and i am sure ill fuck it up

but it kill Anaerobic organisms opposed to aerobic organisms

one is bad one is good

ive seen aquashield and sm-90 in action with no ill effect whatso ever

 

[habeeb]

yucca as someone stated