What is a Foliar Spray?
A foliar spray is a liquid that is sprayed on the leaves of plants. It can be used to provide nutrients and control pests and fungus. Foliar sprays can also be used to add water or act as a pesticide. Foliar sprays are usually applied with a trigger or pump sprayer.
Foliar sprays are not an alternative to building up a healthy root system. Vegetables need nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and nitrogen to survive and be healthy. These major nutrients wouldn’t be able to absorb solely through being fed their leaves.
Having said that, it is a great way to supply micro-nutrients such as iron and zinc. Your plants may not be using these nutrients in large quantities, but they may not be present in the root zone and are considered important to keep them healthy. If your plants are under stress from drought, pest-infestation or disease, it’s worth spraying them. A debilitated plant can recuperate noticeably after being sprayed with Optic Foliar Overgrow.
Should you be spraying healthy plants? Our research suggests that it unquestionably has a positive effect. You will be able to pick out the more healthy plants that had been fed through their leaves with a foliar spray, and those that hadn’t.
What are the Benefits of Using a Foliar Spray?
Your plants will have times throughout the year where they experience periods needing higher nutrient demand. Some examples of when you would benefit from using a foliar spray are:
- Increasing Seedling’s germination
- Faster Branch and leaf growth
- Reduced deficiencies
- Soils that are experiencing over-watering or root rot
- During colder temperatures restrict nutrient uptake by roots
- An infestation of Aphids of Nematodes
The advantage of foliar feeding is that it can address a crucial need quickly. This will come in handy for preventative measures and for curing various types of diseases. Foliar fertilization can have certain advantages over soil fertilizers, when the nutrients are sprayed they can have a more direct and rapid response. Soil has a biological complexity that can act as a barrier for some nutrients.
The Importance of Finding the Right Foliar Spray for Your Plants
There are many different types of foliar sprays, but not all are created equal. It is important to find the right one for your plant type and condition.
Some foliar sprays will help with pests or diseases while others will make sure that you have enough nutrients in the plant
Use the following chart to identify your plants needs and which foliar spray would be best served for you.
A good multipurpose solution would be Optic Foliar Overgrow that provides essential nutrients while preventing disease. The solution further allows you to spray in full sunlight reducing any potential leaf damage common with other foliar applied sprays.
Optic foliar has additional resources on Pest Management and Mold Control should be nutrient link products compared to the competitor’s here.
The Different Types of Foliar Sprays on the Market
There are many different types of foliar sprays on the market, but they can be categorized into three main groups: fertilizers, insecticides and fungicides.
Foliar Fertilizers
Fertilizer foliar sprays are used to add nutrients to the soil. They can also help with water retention in plants. Optic Foliar Overgrow would be our recommendation for a foliar spray that would work with your plants to add their needed nutrients to improve their overall health.
Foliar Fungicides
Fungicide foliar sprays are used for controlling fungal diseases in plants. They can be found at garden centers, online shops or nurseries and come in various forms such as liquids, powders, or granules. Here’s a great spray you can pick up at indoorfarmer.ca that will help with fungal diseases.
Foliar Insecticides
Insecticide foliar sprays are used for controlling insects such as aphids and spider mites. Look for one of our retailers to find the Optic Foliar Transport with other bug sprays like pyrethrums or Azadiractin.
Choosing the right type of foliar spray can take time because it’s important to research what you need and make sure that it matches your plants. If you’re not sure which kind would be best for your garden ask a professional about which is best.
