Five Easy Ways to Increase the Uptake of Your Foliar Spray

Using a foliar spray to increase the number of nutrients that your plants receive is a powerful, proven way to enjoy healthier plants. Yet at the same time, many hydroponic gardeners have probably heard of instances where someone used a foliar spray but only experienced very little benefit. Most of these cases are not the fault of the ingredients in the spray itself, but rather how they are applied. If you do not carefully consider every aspect of the proper application of the foliar fertilizer, you probably will not enjoy as big a return on your investment as you were hoping. Fortunately, careful application does not have to involve a lot of time or effort. Through a few small tweaks, you can easily make the most of your foliar spray feeding. Subscribe to read the best hydroponics newsletter on the web.



Apply Your Spray in a Fine Mist - A common spray bottle can work fine, assuming that it can deliver the liquid in a very fine mist. If it can only deliver the liquid in a straight stream, the water will run off more, and less will be absorbed by the plants. Try and test spray bottles that you have on hand if they deliver water in this manner. If they can't, you would probably benefit from a quick drive down to your local hydroponics or gardening supply store to pick up a more suitable bottle.


Cover the Leaves Thoroughly - Leaves are able to absorb the nutrients in a foliar spray through the stomata, or pores that cover each leaf. The majority of these stomata are on the underside of each leaf. Many hydroponic growers make the mistake of simply covering the top, greener side of each leaf. To ensure more full absorption of the fertilizer, completely cover the leaves, both top and bottom.


Spray in Slightly Cool Conditions - Studies show that stomata close in conditions that are too warm. So if your grow room is about eighty degrees or more, you should hold off on foliar feeding under your plants are under cooler conditions. Most people choose to foliar feed in the very early morning or late evening when conditions are coolest. You should try to avoid using a foliar spray if the temperature is over seventy-two degrees Fahrenheit.


Have Your Foliar Spray pH Balanced - It is a mistake to think that you do not need to measure the pH balance of your foliar spray. Much like your nutrient solution, the pH of your foliar spray should be slightly acidic, with a pH of around 5.8. This will allow the solution to penetrate the film on the leaf and be absorbed much more easily. Make sure you accurately measure your pH and make any adjustments that are necessary with a pharmaceutical grade pH adjuster.

Use a biological surfactant - A surfactant is something that lowers the surface tension of a given liquid. As a result, it is able to spread more evenly. So when you spray your foliar spray on your leaves, less of the moisture will clump together and run off. This adds up to more absorption, and increased uptake.

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