surfactcant to use to foliar feed ACT tea?

[MsMileHigh]

What is a good,easy to acquire surfactcant,to use to foliar feed an ACT tea,and wont harm the beenies.Looking for something I can buy at any store.Already ordered some yucca extract.Looking for something to use until it arrive.This will be my1st tea!!

 

[FunTimesIndeed]

Can you score some aloe leaves?

 

[MsMileHigh]

Can you score some aloe leaves?

Not sure,gonna look in to it.

 

[invocation]

I didn't think ACT required a surfactant for foliar. I never use one at least. Maybe MM can chime in since he is the guru.

Edit: Forgot to mention aloe but I never use for ACT. I assume you could use Dr. Bonners soap as well but again I don't use those when applying ACT.

 

[FunTimesIndeed]

Not sure,gonna look in to it.

Lots of grocery stores sell huge ones over by the papayas. There are also tons of little house plant versions available anywhere they've got plants for sale.

 

[MileHighGuy]

Won't be needing anything for spraying the compost tea. The Molasses and water will hold the particles in the phyllosphere just fine on their own......

Is there a special reason you want a surfactant?

 

[jammie]

i use dutchmaster's satuator for my foliar feeds. this is some cut and paste info from their website for what its worth:For any foliar program to be completely effective in gaining that maximum yield, you must be able to deliver your specialized plant stimulants/nutrients etc inside the leaf of your plant. Now this is not as easy as it sounds because you first have to get past the protective waxy layer that surrounds every leaf. Once past this layer, you must then get it inside the cells where all the action is taking place. This is not as simple as just “madly” spraying your leaves with plant nutrients or additives, as most of what you apply to the leaves will never be absorbed. For many years it was believed that by allowing a solution to remain in contact with the leaf surface for an extended period of time, the effective absorption of that solution would take place through tiny openings in the leafs surface called the stomata. The plant uses their stomata to absorb and exchange gases (CO2, Oxygen) and to regulate water flow (transpiration). Modern research now shows that only a tiny portion of what you spray can actually get inside the leaf surface via the stomata. In fact, typically less than 10% of the stomata uptake any plant nutrients. This is then further compounded by the fact that even once taken up, most of the supplied material is immobilized on the inner side of the leaf surface by ion exchange membranes. This certainly explains the very hit and miss effects of traditional foliar spraying when trying to get that maximum yield with plant nutrients and additives. The only way to effectively deliver large amounts of specialized elements inside the leaves of your plant is to use Dutch Master Gold Range SATURATOR, a very new type of product known as a “Delivery Agent”. This is not to be confused with a wetting agent. Dutch Master Gold Range SATURATOR is the only delivery agent of its kind available and the only way to make foliar spraying truly work efficiently by delivering all the available plant stimulants i.e. grow and flowering boosters/flowering stimulants. The difference between a wetting agent and a delivery agent is very simple and very important. A wetting agent is designed to make water wetter, so that it sits more evenly over the leaf and extends the contact area and time when applied to a leaf. A delivery agent (Dutch Master Gold Range SATURATOR) is primarily designed to actively deliver (translocate) plant stimulants from the outside of the leaf surface to the inside, past the ion exchange membranes and directly to the cells where they are needed for a maximum yield. A delivery agent is designed to do this independently of the stomatal openings in the leaves. What you have with foliar spraying Gold Range SATURATOR and Gold Range LIQUID LIGHT together is a unique opportunity to profoundly affect the development and growth patterns of your plant. Make sure you ask for Gold Range SATURATOR, a delivery agent and not a wetting agent if you want to be able to maximize the results from a specialized foliar spraying program.

 

[Microbeman]

Mr and Ms Mile High; Well I'll be.

Both bacteria a fungi produce glue substances or biofilm which allow them to adhere to surfaces. Mycorrhizal fungi produces glomalin in the soil. Just google bacteria and glue and go brush your teeth.


http://plantpathology.ucdavis.edu/files/145900.pdf

 

[Microbeman]

I've actually been asking for legitimate literature showing that organic (non-ionic) nutrients can be absorbed at the leaf interface for years. I've yet to see any.
Dutch Master? Anybody?

 

[invocation]

Mr and Ms Mile High; Well I'll be.

Both bacteria a fungi produce glue substances or biofilm which allow them to adhere to surfaces. Mycorrhizal fungi produces glomalin in the soil. Just google bacteria and glue and go brush your teeth.


http://plantpathology.ucdavis.edu/files/145900.pdf

Thanks for that MM. Seems pretty close to what I said but you explained "why". I never use anything but ACT when I foliar period.

 

[al-k-mist]

Uh, i dont know about dutchmasters clain...i remember hearing/reading shady shit about them, though
would dmso work on plants? lol

 

[Neo 420]

i use dutchmaster's satuator for my foliar feeds. this is some cut and paste info from their website for what its worth:For any foliar program to be completely effective in gaining that maximum yield, you must be able to deliver your specialized plant stimulants/nutrients etc inside the leaf of your plant.

As exciting as that sounds we (and I say that for the 98% here) do not use any dutchmasters products.

 

[MileHighGuy]

surfactcant to use to foliar feed ACT tea?

I have a nice delivery agent for you lol

But wet Betty might get jealous haha

 

[OrganicOzarks]

If you put a little alfalfa in your tea brew it will do you good. I make a plant based tea with alfalfa that I brew for 48 hours, and on that second day it has a "head" 2' tall and over flowing the sides of the container. I also use about 1/4 cup per 5 gallon compost tea brew. Might not be necessary, but it works for me.

 

[SpicySativa]

If you put a little alfalfa in your tea brew it will do you good. I make a plant based tea with alfalfa that I brew for 48 hours, and on that second day it has a "head" 2' tall and over flowing the sides of the container. I also use about 1/4 cup per 5 gallon compost tea brew. Might not be necessary, but it works for me.

That 2' "head" has to look pretty funny sticking out of a bucket. Just don't get caught up in the myth that it's an indication of tea quality.

 

[OrganicOzarks]

That 2' "head" has to look pretty funny sticking out of a bucket. Just don't get caught up in the myth that it's an indication of tea quality.

That's a myth? Well shit I guess I won't throw away the scope after all.

This is a plant based tea. Not brewing it for microbes.

 

[RanchoDeluxe]

Foam is merely an indication of high saponin levels...nothing to do w/ microbes. I think that is what Spicy is gettin at.

If I could afford it, I would use aloe w/ every watering. I have a pretty decent sized aloe 'mother' plant and about 20 littles going right now.

To the OP- If you live in CO I'm sure there are Yucca plants growing somewhere near you. I dug a handful of them up last fall and planted them in my yard. If you feel like you must by something try out horse chestnut powder- 1/4 tsp to 5gal H2o. Very high sapononin levels here.

 

[FunTimesIndeed]

Hell ya Rancho. I've taken a couple of wild yucca pups by severing the rhizome and potting it. I've also successfully cloned them by very carefully breaking off a chunk from the top, taking it home and making a nice clean cut, and leaving it in a glass of water until I see some rooting. Beats the hell out of forking over $70 for a yucca at my local nursery.

EDIT- Please don't go out hacking up your local yucca plants guys. Just take cuts and pups and everyone wins.

 

[MsMileHigh]

If you put a little alfalfa in your tea brew it will do you good. I make a plant based tea with alfalfa that I brew for 48 hours, and on that second day it has a "head" 2' tall and over flowing the sides of the container. I also use about 1/4 cup per 5 gallon compost tea brew. Might not be necessary, but it works for me.

Im using caps beenies(ogbiowar)root/foliar/nute ,roots organics worm castings,alfalfa meal, mollasses,and sea green.Probably goona just skip the surfacant,since its really not needed.

 

[MileHighGuy]

Skip all the other stuff too.... just go with some Earth Worm Castings and Molasses.

I know you probably spent good money on them, but I'm willing to bet you would have a much better tea with just a simple base recipe.

*compost/vermicompost – 2.38% max

*unsulphured pure black strap molasses - 0.50%

If using a 5 gallon bucket with 4 gallons of water in it that would be 1.5 cups compost and 1/3 cup molasses.

Use the alfalfa if you need nitrogen and probably as a separate botanical tea instead of compost tea.

If you do use the alfalfa... use it sparingly.

*alfalfa meal – up to 0.25% that's only 1/6th of a cup for 4 gallons!

This promotes the growth of flagellates and amoebae and is also a fungal food. Just get the cheap stuff by the bag at the feed store, checking that it does not contain anti-microbials

I used to guess at this stuff and it seems that since following MicrobeMan and his microscope everything is beautiful....

Now.... to get my very own microscope someday... that will be the day!