I had another example of the powers of the Miracle Gro fertiliser, purely "chemical" which I have used twice before to rescue the impossible. This time I had 2 fishboxes of radishes which had presumably got too hot in an unshaded greenhouse and more than half the leaves were various shades of yellow. I was about to discard them but thought I would see what happened when I put a canful of Miracle Gro at regular strength over them. Two days later I could barely see any yellowing of the leaves on any of them.I do'n believe there is necessarily any Magic in Muck,the powers of Miracle Grow might not be a miracle but it certainly impresses me.
I will try to mount a similar test with some other feeds to see if the results are unique.
I don't have any links with the company.
Miracle Gro
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
-
Geoff
- KG Regular
- Posts: 5784
- Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:33 pm
- Location: Forest of Bowland
- Been thanked: 319 times
I've never understood the concept of foliar feeding as one would have thought plants were only capable of absorbing food through their root systems but there is no doubt that it works. I find that using liquid feed as the first watering after transplanting seems to settle things in more quickly so perhaps the mechanism is that it feeds them until the roots get back working again. Sweet Peas and Runner Beans react well to this, they have less fine roots than a lot of plants so perhaps that is significant. I use Phostrogen rather than Miracle Gro as it is less hygroscopic and therefore easier to store open packets.
When I open Miracle Gro sachets I transfer the contents to coffe jars. Itc still picks up moisture but is manageable.
The leaves of plants have some sort of mouths to take up nutrients. I can't remember the precise name or which side of the leaf but you can feed some nutrients in, also the roots must have air to them which is why plants don't like sitting in water permanently or heavy clay. There are exceptions of course. I'll go and do a bit more homework on the topic.
Allan
The leaves of plants have some sort of mouths to take up nutrients. I can't remember the precise name or which side of the leaf but you can feed some nutrients in, also the roots must have air to them which is why plants don't like sitting in water permanently or heavy clay. There are exceptions of course. I'll go and do a bit more homework on the topic.
Allan
This is the best I can find on foliar feeding.
Foliar Feeding - Foliar feeding is used when insufficient fertilizer was used before planting, when a quick growth response is wanted, when micronutrients (such as iron or zinc) are locked into the soil, or when the soil is too cold for the plants to use the fertilizer applied to the soil. Foliar-applied nutrients are absorbed and used by the plant quite rapidly. Absorption begins within minutes after application and, with most nutrients, it is completed within 1 to 2 days. Foliar nutrition can be a supplement to soil nutrition at a critical time for the plant, but not a substitute since greater amounts of plant material are needed than what can be absorbed through the plant leaf at any given time. At transplanting time, an application of phosphorus spray will help in the establishment of the young plant in cold soils. For perennial plants, early spring growth is usually limited by cold soil, even when the air is warm. Under such conditions, soil microorganisms are not active enough to convert nutrients into forms available for roots to absorb; yet, if the nutrients were available, the plants could utilize them. A nutrient spray to the foliage will provide the needed nutrients immediately, allowing the plants to begin growth.
Liquid feeding is appropriate for container plants to supply needed nutrients throughout the growing season. The commercial forms are generally cost-prohibitive for continued use in the garden where a greater soil volume is available to the plant roots. Instead, liquid feeding is more a one-time procedure, either as a transplant starter or as a foliar feeding to correct a deficiency in a major or trace element.
If a foliar feeding is desired, follow directions carefully. Using too much fertilizer, especially the synthetic forms, can quickly burn the foliage.
Foliar Feeding - Foliar feeding is used when insufficient fertilizer was used before planting, when a quick growth response is wanted, when micronutrients (such as iron or zinc) are locked into the soil, or when the soil is too cold for the plants to use the fertilizer applied to the soil. Foliar-applied nutrients are absorbed and used by the plant quite rapidly. Absorption begins within minutes after application and, with most nutrients, it is completed within 1 to 2 days. Foliar nutrition can be a supplement to soil nutrition at a critical time for the plant, but not a substitute since greater amounts of plant material are needed than what can be absorbed through the plant leaf at any given time. At transplanting time, an application of phosphorus spray will help in the establishment of the young plant in cold soils. For perennial plants, early spring growth is usually limited by cold soil, even when the air is warm. Under such conditions, soil microorganisms are not active enough to convert nutrients into forms available for roots to absorb; yet, if the nutrients were available, the plants could utilize them. A nutrient spray to the foliage will provide the needed nutrients immediately, allowing the plants to begin growth.
Liquid feeding is appropriate for container plants to supply needed nutrients throughout the growing season. The commercial forms are generally cost-prohibitive for continued use in the garden where a greater soil volume is available to the plant roots. Instead, liquid feeding is more a one-time procedure, either as a transplant starter or as a foliar feeding to correct a deficiency in a major or trace element.
If a foliar feeding is desired, follow directions carefully. Using too much fertilizer, especially the synthetic forms, can quickly burn the foliage.