Foliar Feeding
(Page 4 of 5)
May/June 1988
By Peter Donelan
Here are some suggested guidelines for specific crops:
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Leafy greens like lettuce or spinach: One application at transplanting, one (or two) three weeks later and one in the crop's final week of growth.
Vining crops like melons or squash: Several applications when the vines start to run and the blossoms start to set, then one or two applications when the fruits are reaching full size.
Long-season fruiting crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and okra: One application at the first blossom set and then every 10 days or so during harvest.
Grains like wheat, corn, rye or rice: One application when the plant is 10 inches high and one or two when the heads or ears start to form.
Recipes
The first foliar sprays we used at our California research garden were made from weeds. Like sea products, weeds are rich in mineral nutrients. The "water composting" preparation process completely kills weeds and their seeds (even ones that might survive normal heat composting). Besides, turning a garden invader into a crop booster provides a pleasing irony.
To make foliar weed spray, fill a 30- to 50-gallon barrel with weeds and water, in a ratio of one pound of weeds to three or four gallons of water. After two or three weeks, the solution will be ready to use. Pour out as much as you need, filtering the liquid well so it won't clog your sprayer. Then thoroughly wet your crop leaves. One gallon of the weed feed should treat approximately 100 square feet of plants.
You can add more water and weeds to keep the barrel filled. Or do the same process on a smaller, more concentrated scale with a five-gallon bucket. Pack the bucket with weeds and cover them with water. After a few weeks, filter out the liquid and dilute it by five to 10 times with water, and spray.
Seaweed and other foliar spray solutions are available from several garden companies. But to make your own, here are some other possibilities. Age, strain and use these just as you would foliar weed spray. Many of these brews give off a strong odor while they're steeping. If that happens, float a layer of peat or straw on top to absorb the smell. Experiment with your own recipes, but remember that foliar feeds are always used in more dilute amounts than liquid soil fertilizers.
Compost spray: Combine one part mature compost with two parts water (by volume).
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