Tea/Foliar ingredients - best practices?

afman916 · Jan 27, 2017

So I've been tending to my seedlings and patiently waiting for the time to come to transplant for the first round (happening tonight!). In the interim, I've been reading up a lot on teas/foliar sprays, in an effort to come up with a simple yet effective regimen to use throughout veg and flower.

With that being said, I was hoping to get a little feedback as to the best uses/ways of application for the below products-

BioAg Ful-Power
BioAg TM-7
Aloe Vera flakes
Coconut water powder

At this point, my plan is to apply the following once weekly-

Compost tea (EWC and molasses, maybe some Neptune's Fish and Seaweed)
A foliar of something
An additional supplemented watering

The last two are where I need a little bit of help. What would you guys recommend as far as foliars and supplemental waterings go with what I have on hand? Is there anything else worth picking up that falls in line with the "simple yet effective" plan? Thanks!

Levitationofme · Jan 27, 2017

I do a bunch of Foliar sprays, but they are specific to the line of nutrients I use.

It has been recommended to stop foliar a couple weeks into flower.

one you could use is
4 to 5 Ml liquid kelp
4 to 5 ml BioAg Ful-Power
1.25 ml or ¼ tsp of wetting agent/surfactant

Its nice for small seedlings.

the nutes you use should hopefully have instructions for using some of them as a foliar.

That's all I know

Levitationofme · Jan 27, 2017

add to 1 qt of water and PH to 6.5

User_Error · Jan 27, 2017

5 gallons of water
1.5 cups alfalfa meal
1/4 cup kelp meal

I brew/aerate for 24-36 hours and apply. No PHing required, just use non-chlor water

Emmay_Dee · Jan 29, 2017

Hands down fish emulsions. A foliar feed of these particular derivitives eliminates the need to mix a seperate nutrient solution at all.

~Peace~

DjKinetics · Jan 30, 2017

Emmay_Dee said:
Hands down fish emulsions. A foliar feed of these particular derivitives eliminates the need to mix a seperate nutrient solution at all.

~Peace~

i agree with this even as a soil drench, i use just a couple drops with watering during veg

afman916 · Feb 1, 2017

Appreciate the advice guys. Just got my DIY airlift brewer set up this weekend, think I'm going to brew a simple EWC/molasses tea to kick things off this weekend.

surfguitar · Feb 3, 2017

Most of my foliars I don't brew. Honestly I don't see the need, we generally want the nutrients from the foliars not looking to create big populations of microbes. I use a blender and do different mixes depending on the stage the plant is in.

Kelp meal, aloe vera, ful power and agisil is my go to with additional botanicals/neem oil/essential oils mixed in occasionally

brown_thumb · Feb 3, 2017

I'm just an ignorant newb but I've been researching and 'trying' to learn. I've killed many plants so take what I write with a grain of salt.

So far, the only things I'm foliar feeding with are a weak solution of humic/fulvic acid, kelp extract and aloe vera surfactant. I sometimes add neem oil to control insects. I sometimes add molasses to soil feedings but never to foliar feedings.

iloveweed123 · Feb 3, 2017

This is a really useful thread ...thanks

Levitationofme · Feb 3, 2017

afman916 said:
Appreciate the advice guys. Just got my DIY airlift brewer set up this weekend, think I'm going to brew a simple EWC/molasses tea to kick things off this weekend.

I finished mine a couple weeks ago. It makes a nice smelling brew fo sure.

You will enjoy it.

liquidcooled420 · Feb 16, 2017

For the kelp extract, is it better to use the liquid extract or the powder? I have Kelp meal from the feed store also, but it seems like the extract might be better for foliar feed than a home made brew.

Microbeman · Feb 16, 2017

Keep in mind, less is more. Processed kelp is NOT as good as kelp meal in its natural state. There are a bunch of posts covering this.
Simple is better than complex.

Easy-A · Feb 27, 2017

I've been foliage feeding the last couple of years but continue to try new ingredients. Recently I have run into a situation and I am wondering if other people have as well. For the last 6 weeks I have been doing a foliar application of EWC/insect frass/fish hydrolysate/kelp extract bubbles for 24 hrs then just before application I add ful-power, aloe and a couple drops of dr bronners. Just started to see some white fungus growing on the leaves and was worried it was PM. After checking under a microscope, it is not PM but something else. I assume it is feeding off some residue from my foliar spray but I don't know if it is good, bad or neutral. Anyone else come across this? My other question, will my finished product fail a microbial screen? I guess I will find out the answer to that second one after harvest, but any thoughts?

truck · Feb 27, 2017

My favorite foliar spray right now. 1tsp calibur by age old, 1 tsp Fish and seaweed by age old 1/4-1tsp Epsom Salt; all per gallon of water. Mix the calibur first then add the epsom salt then add the fish and seaweed. Later in flower switch to just Kelp by age Old. I like this because i can make a quick mix and don't have to brew and it doesn't clog my sprayer. If i want to get rid of mites or fungus i just add 1tsp-1TBS per gallon of ORGANOCIDE.

My favorite AACT brew is Kelp,Molasses,alfalfa,fish emulsion. This is killer for all stages of life, pull the fish emulsion at the end of flower. Play with ratios of kelp, molasses, and alfalfa for each stage of growth. Kelp and molasses should help keep your plants shorter and nodes stacking tighter. AlfAlfa will help resin production, but will make your plants lanky if ratios out of wack, fish emulsion is just great for everything. This is great for foliar and soil drenches.

I recommend dropping bronners soap out of your sprays or any other soaps. Epsom salt should be enough to soften your water and make it easier to mix. Also liquids best between 75-85 degrees F for spraying, help keep the solution from separating as much which allows for even spraying. Water wetter will eventually clog up your soil and leaf stomatta choking it out from needed oxygen. I recommend using a good enzyme every couple weeks if not every week if you are running organic and use lots of dry amendments in your soil or to top dress.

fonzee · Feb 28, 2017

5 ml Stinging Nettles steep tea per liter

Microbeman · Mar 1, 2017

When growing for sale we used foliar as little as possible except for irrigation which came down onto the plants.

As you noted, foliar can produce fungal growth.

ACT (AACT) is meant to grow microbes, not to provide ingredients for the plants. Other concoctions made primarily with plant materials are botanical teas.

Fish hydrolysate is far superior to fish emulsion.

Rodehazrd · Mar 7, 2017

Microbeman said:
When growing for sale we used foliar as little as possible except for irrigation which came down onto the plants.

As you noted, foliar can produce fungal growth.

ACT (AACT) is meant to grow microbes, not to provide ingredients for the plants. Other concoctions made primarily with plant materials are botanical teas.

Fish hydrolysate is far superior to fish emulsion.

MM
I'm a new grower 3yrs and have done some reading on foliar but have reached the point of knowing more than I understand. .
I thought a foliar of worm casting tea prevented fungus due to diversity of organisms keeping one from coming dominant.
Also when you say as little as possible could you expand some on when you would deem foliars correct?
I see a lot of ideas and they running around my brain like a three ring circus.
From other post I can see YOU DA MAN
Rodehazrd

Microbeman · Mar 7, 2017

Rodehazrd said:
MM
I'm a new grower 3yrs and have done some reading on foliar but have reached the point of knowing more than I understand. .
I thought a foliar of worm casting tea prevented fungus due to diversity of organisms keeping one from coming dominant.
Also when you say as little as possible could you expand some on when you would deem foliars correct?
I see a lot of ideas and they running around my brain like a three ring circus.
From other post I can see YOU DA MAN
Rodehazrd

The more moisture sitting on the leaves, the greater the chance for fungal (pathogens) to find a home there. There are cases where a foliar remedy may be called for if a pathogen is present or threatening.

In this case, you are correct that tea made from quality vermicompost has had suppressive effects (scientific studies). One must be sure that the vermicompost is of the highest quality and has the microorganisms with a good chance of the desired outcome. In some product there could even be fungal species or residue which may actually promote leaf pathogens.

Something we did on our farm to try to prevent fungal pathogens like botrytis and powdery mildew was to apply an extract of Knot Weed concentrated watery extract once or twice during peak times for fungal activity. Additionally at the beginning of the season we activated Trichoderma fungi with Streptomyces lydicus (Actinovate) spores in an airlift bioreactor and applied this to the soil prior to planting and once again 2/3 weeks after planting to foliage and soil. [Most pathogens originate in the soil]

This reduced botrytis about 85% from the previous season and there was no powdery mildew (PM), however the PM may have just not been around that season. Botrytis is always around, especially in the PNW.

DocTim420 · Mar 8, 2017

Microbeman said:
...Processed kelp is NOT as good as kelp meal in its natural state. There are a bunch of posts covering this.
Simple is better than complex.

I have been seeking information that compares the properties of kelp meal with both liquid and powdered kelp extracts. Arguments abound that one is better than the others--but I am unable to find any studies/research to support the conclusions from the "bunch of posts covering this". (Reading things on the internet does not make it "true").

Which source of "kelp" is superior for containerized gardening? Meal, liquid, or powder extract?

Kelp meal is processed (since the end product is not in the form of "seaweed"), preferred liquid extracts are "cold processed", and dry powder extracts are processed using Potassium Hydroxide. So all three products are not "in their natural seaweed state"--but all three have received the OMRI/NOP stamp of approval.

There is no debate that "seaweed" contains 60 trace minerals, growth hormones, cytokinins, auxins, and gliberillins...as well as amino acids, enzymes and simple and complex carbohydrates.

But there is a debate as to which form of "seaweed" is "superior", I would like to read what the guys wearing lab coats with pocket protectors have to say.

Or....do all three have a place and purpose in our gardens, since at the end of the day, all three are basically "the same"?

Seaweed Extract Study: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Wajahatullah_Khan/publication/225338767_Seaweed_Extracts_as_Biostimulants_of_Plant_Growth_and_Development/links/0912f50c0ea222a6af000000.pdf

Tea/Foliar ingredients - best practices?

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