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11-May-2005	#1
Dave_R bonsaiTALK Neophyte Join Date: May-2005 Location: Ottawa Country: Canada USDA Zone: 5a AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 9	Foliar Feeding Is foliar feeding a recommended technique? I generally do this to my houseplants once in a while during summer but was wondering if this is something useful for bonsai? My trees are not in bonsai trays at the moment as they are being allowed some freedom to grow and gain some girth. 3 tropicals and 1 juniper.

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12-May-2005	#2
Ralph BonsaiTalk Master B.S.er Join Date: Jun-2002 Location: Richardson, Texas Country: God Bless America USDA Zone: 8 AHS Heat Zone: 9 Posts: 1,282	A well known sr. member of my club always includes his foliar feeding mixture in articles he writes in the monthly newsletter. As for myself, I regularly use the following as a foliar spray and soil drench : 1 gal water 1 tbl vinegar - we have high alkaline soil 1 tbl kelp - kills spider mites very effectively 1 tbl fish emulsion 1 tbl liquid compost tea 1 tbl potassium bicarbonate - antifungal 1 tbl garlic juice - antifungal 1 tsp orange oil - general purpose insect repeller Many of these ingredients provide vital nutrients that are not present in the organic fertilizers. As it gets drier and hotter into the summer months, I will water down this mixture slightly. __________________ Emerging from winter slumber Bonsai trees burst buds anew Spring is upon us! -Paul S. Last edited by Ralph : 12-May-2005 at 10:45 AM.

12-May-2005	#3
malhomme bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman Join Date: Feb-2005 Location: Austin, Texas USDA Zone: 8b AHS Heat Zone: 9 Posts: 793	This is as controversial a subject as Superthrive. Some evidence proves that it does work and some evidence proves that it doesn't. Therefore, nothing has been proven. It is a plied marketing tool though, so that's why you hear so much about it. My thought is that at the worst you are simply wasting small amounts of fertilizer. The conventional wisdom (for the "it works" crowd) is to apply foliar sprays in the morning when the stomata (on the underside of the leaves) are open and exchanging gases. This also gives time for the moisture to evaporate before pathogenic fungi find a home in this nutricious soup that would otherwise be clinging to your leaves overnight. That said, my personal experience is that I have not seen a benifit from this regime whatsoever. I understand that certain chemicals can be absorbed into the living tissue via non-root surfaces... gibgerilen, for example... but I can't say that foliar feeding has helped my trees in the least. Cheers, Jim

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